Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is involved with preserving the environment and making sure that nature is protected.  Environmental sustainability is specifically interested in businesses and the effects they have or can have on the environment.  The idea here is to teach businesses about the long term effects they can positively have for the environment and nature, instead of negative ones.  On the website http://toolkit.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/part/17/86/371 , there is a short list of ways that businesses are causing damage to the environment.  A few listed include pollution through burning fossil fuels, and damaging woods and rain forests by logging.  Businesses might be a little skeptical at this idea, however, because everything is about making money and the idea may not appear to be very thrifty.  However, according to the website http://toolkit.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/part/17/86/372 , having the environment in mind with your business may actually be beneficial to businesses.  One of the benefits is about being more energy efficient and in the long run, save the business a lot of money.  Another benefit that acting towards environmental sustainability is beneficial to businesses is that a business is going to have an advantage over other businesses while talking to partners, investors and customers if their business is thinking about the environment.  People are going to keep those ideas in mind when comparing business to business.  These are just a few ways described on this web site.  According to the website http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501027 , there are 4 research areas within environmental sustainability.  These four things are industrial ecology, green engineering, ecological engineering and earth systems engineering.  These four areas of research are concerned about people's well-being and environmental issues.  So, what is environmental sustainability? quite simply, it is the study and idea of making the environment safe/safer and thinking about the long term effects individuals and businesses can have on it, and what can be done long term in a positive way instead of in a negative way.  I hope this blog helped describe what environmental sustainability is, as well as provide some useful information as to how it is being done.