A Brief 5-decade History Of Sustainable Development

Posted on May 17, 2012 by solarguest

Sustainable development is a series of measures taken to preserve the environment from degradation.

These measures are taken to ensure that human needs are met not only for the present but also for future generations. Sustainable development generally combines three postulates.

These are the environmental sustainability, socio-political sustainability, and economic sustainability. Environmental sustainability puts in place measures to ensure that natural resources are used at a rate in which they can be replenished effectively. Socio-political sustainability puts in place measures to enhance the engagement and amendment of institutions. Economic sustainability puts in place measures to utilize resources responsibly and to their best advantage. Here is the history of sustainable development:

Early History of Sustainable Development – 1970s
Sustainable development emerged as a paramount concern when the United Nations held its first conference on environmental sustainability. This conference, held in 1972 in Stockholm, was known as the UN Conference on the Human Environment. This conference recommended that all rural and urban planning and management should embrace all aspects of manmade and natural environments.

Sustainable Development in The 80s
The World Conservation Strategy was developed in 1980 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature – touted by many as the first historical initiative towards sustainability as we understand it today. This development addressed issued pertaining to poverty alleviation. It recommended that in order to secure the future of human beings, poverty and misery among millions of people around the world must be eliminated.

The UN World Commission on Environment and Development released a report that discussed the widespread poverty and its effects in 1987. This report was known as the Brundtland report, which is also called Our Common Future. This report aimed at blending environmental sustainability and politics into a single discussion. It looked at issues such as signs and causes of a threatened future and new approaches to environmental development.

Sustainable Development in The 90s
Rio de Janeiro played host to the largest UN meeting in 1992, which was attended by 172 governments. In addition to the 172 governments, 2,400 NGOs sent their representatives to the summit. This summit was as the UN Conference on Environment and Development or the Earth Summit.

This summit placed emphasis on alternative energy. It argued that the earth would be more sustainable if fossil fuel would be replaced with alternative energy such as solar energy. The summit also looked at the water shortage problem, reduction of car emissions, and reduced production of poisonous material such as radioactive chemicals. This summit formed a Commission 1993 to oversee the implementation of these agendas.

Sustainable Development Lately
In September 2002, the latest chapter in the history of sustainable development when the World Summit on Sustainable Development was convened in South Africa. This summit aimed at putting health on the map as a means to sustainable development. It stressed the fact that environmental degradation through activities such as resource misuse impacts negatively on people’s health. Consequently, this makes it impossible for people to alleviate poverty effectively.

The united nations have also planned the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in 2012, in Brazil. This summit will focus on emerging trends as far as sustainability is concerned and measures to tackle them, and new political arrangements for environmental sustainability.

Recommended Resources for the future and history of sustainable development: 

Solar and wind power information

A succinct definition of What Is Renewable Energy

Posted in renewable energy | Tagged | Leave a comment

Why Recycle?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by solarguest

Everyone wishes to live in a planet that is comfortable enough to sustain life. However, your habits can greatly affect the rate of global warming, making the earth very unbearable for human, animal as well as plant life. Recycling is one of the best strategies that human beings can use to reduce their annual carbon footprint. The following are some of the simplest recycling tips.

Reduce consumption:

The less you consume, the less the waste in your waste bin. The best way to conserve the environment is by reducing consumption. Buy products that do not require any packaging in order to reduce the amount of paper in your home. Print both sides of paper to save ink and paper.

Reuse packaging material:

Packaging materials are often made in a recyclable manner. Plastic bags are used to pack many products especially in retail stores and supermarkets. You can use the same plastic back to put more shopping the next time you visit the store instead of carrying more stacks of paper bags to your home.

Separate recyclable and non recyclable:

Glass, paper, plastic and metals are some of the items that can be reused. Keep all recyclable items in one container and then take them to a recycle center. You can keep all other non-recyclable items in a different container to make the process easier. Most grocery stores accept packaging materials from their customers, and so you can talk to your grocery store owner and see if you can return all recyclable paper back.

Look for the recycle symbol:

It is very hard for most people to distinguish between recyclable and non recyclable products. In order to determine which products are recyclable, you can look at the bottom or side of the packaging material or item body to check whether you can see the recycle symbol.

Make it part of your daily routine:

People use recyclable items everywhere; in the cab, at the park, at work, school and at home. Make sure that you always recycle nay recyclable material you are using regardless of where you are using it. Do not hesitate to keep plastic bags inside your handbag or in your car for future use. Make it your responsibility to save the environment and encourage other people around you to embrace this culture.

Make a compost pit:

Most waste products can be used to make compost manure. Instead of buying fertilizers and manure for your crops and flowers, learn how to use waste food and paper to make manure. This will keep your compound clean, and provide your plants with nourishment.

Donate the items that are no longer in use:

It is likely that you have some clothes, appliances, electronics or furniture that you no longer use. Instead of stacking them in your store or backyard, you can donate them to someone who needs them. There are many charity shops that accept second hand goods from donors like you, and donating these items will help save a life. Donate old magazines to clinics and old books to friends and charity-based schools. Some homes accept recyclable items such old newspapers in order to make products that can earn them some income and help run the organizations.

Change your shopping habits:

Buy products made from recycled material such as recycled toilet paper, paper crafts and stationary made using recycled paper. Most local products are made using recycled materials, so look for those products and save the environment. Buy products that contain as little wrapping or packaging as possible. Ensure that you buy in bulk so as to avoid keeping piles of waste packaging material in your house.

www.Amspac.co.uk are suppliers of eco bags and other ethical fashion products.

Posted in energy efficient | Tagged | Leave a comment

High Performance Replacement Windows, Are They Worth The Expense?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by solarguest

When replacing windows within your home it can be really hard to know exactly what it is you’re looking for, the salesman will try to sell you the most expensive window possible and these will often include the high performance replacement windows. However, the main question you should ask yourself is are these worth the price?

The first thing you try and understand is what are high performance replacement windows and why are they different from standard installation windows? A high performance replacement window will usually have a high u-value, a low solar heat gain co-efficient, a high condensation resistance and a high visible transmittance value. But what does this mean in “real world” terms?

All of the above things mean that high performance replacement windows are able to reduce the level of UV transmission, reduce noise transmission, allow greater amounts on daylight in, increase overall home warmth, reduce condensation and overall providing big savings on your energy bills.

The above is achieved through a few main features in the window itself, these include:

  • The use of low-emissivity glass in the window which has an oxide coating providing UV protection and reduction, thus cooling your home in the summer and warming it in the winter.

  • The use of thicker panes of glass which reduce the overall passage of noise into your home, this is particularly useful if you live on a busy road.

  • Higher performance replacement windows can usually be made up of larger panes of glass owing to their strong construction, this means that the windows built will allow a lot of natural light into your home and improve the overall lightness of the rooms.

  • The use of a non-combustible gas within the panes of glass reduce the formation of condensation on the inside of the windows, this reduces damp and improves overall home comfort.

Overall, high performance replacement windows provide you with a more comfortable home, they reduce energy bills and they look good. However, they will also come at a price which is one of the major factors likely to influence your decision. The high performance replacement window prices are often some 50% – 100% more expensive than standard window installations. So you really need to weight up the benefits of this window type before making your decision.  

Visit http://www.replacementwindowguides.com/ for more information on replacing your home windows. 

Posted in energy efficient | Tagged | Leave a comment