what is your social environment essay

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Human behavior as a complex phenomenon

Human behavior is a complex phenomenon that is shaped by a variety of factors, including genetics, culture, and individual experiences. However, one of the most significant influences on human behavior is the social environment in which individuals live. The social environment refers to the conditions, circumstances, and interactions that individuals experience within their social context, including their family, community, and broader society.

The social environment has a profound impact on human behavior, as it shapes the way that individuals think, feel, and act in social situations. For example, individuals who grow up in supportive and nurturing families are more likely to develop positive social skills and relationships, while those who experience neglect or abuse may struggle with social interactions and have difficulty forming healthy relationships.

Similarly, the social environment can influence the way that individuals view themselves and others. For instance, individuals who grow up in communities that value diversity and inclusivity are more likely to develop positive attitudes towards people from different backgrounds, while those who live in communities that are more homogenous may be more likely to hold negative stereotypes and biases.

The social environment can also impact human behavior through the norms and expectations that are established within a given community. These norms and expectations can influence the way that individuals perceive and respond to different situations, as well as the values and beliefs that they hold. For example, individuals who grow up in communities that prioritize academic achievement may be more motivated to excel in school, while those who live in communities that prioritize athletic ability may be more likely to pursue sports and physical activity.

In addition to shaping individual behavior, the social environment can also have broader societal impacts. For example, communities that prioritize social justice and equity may be more likely to advocate for policies and practices that promote equality and fairness, while those that prioritize individualism and competition may be more likely to support policies that benefit the wealthy and powerful.

Overall, the social environment is a critical factor in shaping human behavior and plays a central role in determining the attitudes, values, and behaviors that individuals develop over time. Understanding the ways in which the social environment impacts human behavior is essential for creating healthy and supportive communities that foster positive social interactions, promote social justice and equity, and enhance overall well-being.

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What is human behavior?

Human behavior refers to the range of actions, reactions, and interactions exhibited by individuals and groups in response to their environment and social context.

What factors influence human behavior?

Human behavior is influenced by a wide range of factors including genetics, upbringing, cultural norms, social structures, personal experiences, and environmental factors such as economic conditions and access to resources.

What is a social environment?

Social environment refers to the physical, cultural, and economic conditions in which people live and interact with one another. It includes factors such as social structures, cultural norms, and economic systems.

How does social environment impact human behavior?

Social environment plays a significant role in shaping human behavior by influencing the beliefs, values, and attitudes of individuals and groups. It can also affect access to resources, opportunities, and social support, which can impact behavior in a variety of ways.

What are some examples of social structures that impact human behavior?

Social structures such as family, religion, government, and economic systems can impact human behavior by shaping social norms, values, and expectations. For example, a culture that values individualism may encourage people to pursue personal success and achievement, while a culture that values collectivism may focus more on social harmony and cooperation.

What is the relationship between human behavior and social change?

Human behavior can both drive and respond to social change. Changes in social structures, norms, and values can impact behavior, while individual and collective actions can also shape the social environment and bring about change.

How can understanding human behavior and social environment help address social problems?

Understanding human behavior and social environment can help identify the root causes of social problems and inform effective strategies for addressing them. By considering the complex interplay between individual behavior and broader social structures, it is possible to develop more holistic and effective solutions to social challenges.

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Social Change and Its Impact on Environment

Introduction.

Many people have experienced social changes that the environment has impacted. Alteration implies all variations in human societies that can lead to positive or negative outcomes. When transformation occurs in the modes of living of persons and social relations get affected, such alteration is called social changes. For instance, today’s environmental problems are linked to social changes and the cultural drivers that shape power relations and unequal control over capitals. Humans are also believed to be the primary cause of environmental pollution on Earth. Therefore, one can analyze social change, its sources, and how it is linked to the environment.

Social change is defined as the revolution of culture, social institutions, behavior, and social structure over time. Horticultural, pastoral, hunting-and-gathering, postindustrial, and industrial are the most familiar basic types of society. These groups differ in technology, inequality, size, gender roles, and economy. In any given large number of individuals engaged in activities that vary from those in which their immediate fathers have been involved in some time before, social change is found (Caruso 380). The industrial revolution and the feminist movement are aspects that have been involved in social changes. Many scholars have focused on how social activities have been used in societies to bring social change. Moreover, communities have guaranteed that they are modern to limit social challenges experienced by some individuals.

Modernization

Modernization has also become a significant factor that has impacted social changes. Many societies have focused on improving how people interact irrespective of their differences. For instance, technology has been used to develop communities and ensure that all people are valued and appreciated. Social changes have been encountered following the increased modernization. For example, the industrial revolution has impacted how people perform various tasks in society and the different activities they practice. Evolvement has been encountered, which has led to people becoming more extensive and more diverse. Today, many communities are more creative and have abandoned the old ways that are no longer necessary. Thus, modernization is an essential aspect that can be analyzed when focusing on social change.

Social Movements

Although knowledge, environmental conditions, population, and racial injustice may contribute to social change, it is when community members band together to form social movements that real change occurs. This term applies to group practices aimed at bringing about or resisting immediate changes in an existing group. Social activities had the most significant impact on society’s trajectory. When people break free from conventional boundaries, they can influence substantial changes in social policy and systems. Even though the initiative was successful, social movements affected public sentiment.

Relative Deprivation

When people of a country are unhappy with their social, political, or economic circumstances, they demand reform. Social scientists have long recognized that people’s understanding of their needs, not their actual living circumstances, is at fault. Relative deprivation is the opposing viewpoint that there are differences between desires and realities. This group is dissatisfied because they feel they are not as entitled or lucky as a reference group (Grasso et al. 400). For example, a middle-class family may feel poor when comparing their home to an upper-class neighbor. To convert social unrest into social movements, citizens must believe they are entitled to the right or status. These people can form a social movement only if they believe that collective action will benefit. Some sociologists have argued that this theory approaches critique from a unique perspective. For example, some individuals have argued that various aspects determine human behaviors, and people do not have to feel deprived to act. This theory, however, fails to explain why certain people’s personal experiences of oppression led them to change society while others did not.

Sources of Social Change

Culture and technology.

Technology has become one of the significant aspects impacting how people live in the community. For starters, it forms various cultures and distinguishes them from one another. A concentrated student can access information via a conference halfway worldwide without leaving their physical homes due to the introduction of computers and teleconferencing technology. Instant contact has been created by the internet and smartphones, making the planet appear to be a small village (Caruso 385). This technological innovation has minimized the barriers that historically divided people based on their socioeconomic status. Scholars studying abroad would send a letter home a decade ago, and it could take up to three weeks for it to arrive. After that, they would have to wait for three weeks for a response from their parents. However, this has changed since mobile phones and computers are now available in even the most distant areas of the globe.

Cars were also introduced and had an impact on people’s lives. Moreover, individuals developed the speed and efficiency of automobiles. The social and physical landscape of the United States and other developed countries was therefore impacted by automobiles. Correspondingly, roads and highways were constructed, the population grew, and families started to live further apart. Furthermore, the introduction of vehicles resulted in the deaths of many people due to traffic collisions. As the planet becomes a smaller location, different cultures’ chances come into contact with one another. Different societies adopt some of the customs, beliefs, and other community elements, resulting in social change.

Cultural Lag

Cultural lag is another essential factor of social change that can be analyzed in various areas. According to Caruso (381), cultural lag can broadly impact a community’s culture in multiple ways. Typically, it involves the first changes and the following social variation. For example, industries were constructed during the industrial revolution, leading to more dangerous working environments. Additional industrial accidents were registered, but the injured workers were not paid because the current law of negligence permitted them to prosecute the person whose carelessness caused the damage, usually a coworker. Additionally, negligent employees were mainly from low-income families who would not compensate them if they were disciplined. Workers in some countries started suing the firms whose unsafe workplaces caused their harm.

The Environment

There are four reasons why the environment is a sociological topic. First, human activities are the leading causes of environmental problems; these activities are good topics for sociological study. Secondly, ecological issues, like many other social issues studied by sociologists, have a direct effect on individuals. Thirdly, explanations for the environmental problems necessitate improvements in economic and environmental policies, the impact of which is strongly influenced by social and political factors. Finally, many ecological problems represent social inequity based on race, ethnicity, and social status. Hence, these aspects indicate that the climate is a sociological problem. Humans should focus on environmental concerns, and people must develop ways of limiting some of the conservational problems.

Additionally, the more individuals neglect the sociological aspects of environmental degradation; the more likely the proposed solutions will fail. Thus, the environment has a significant impact on how people live and can be associated with social change. Other natural calamities such as floods and hurricanes have also impacted people’s lives, whereby individuals are forced to relocate to other areas. Therefore, these aspects contribute to social change since humans have to adapt to their new environment. Moreover, people have different beliefs and behaviors in various communities. Thus, new settlers have to experience a change when in a new environment.

Air Pollution

Air pollution has become one of the significant threats in the modern world. Many people have died due to health complications steered by greenhouse gases. Many companies and individuals are using fossil fuels, which has led to increased air contamination in various states. Not only are the wealthy industrial states affected by this problem but also developing countries. India and China have the most severe air pollution problems. People in developing countries’ cities with high particulate matter levels, including carbon and nitrates, have mortality rates 155-405 times higher than those in healthier towns (Peng et al. 78). Air pollution is expected to decrease life expectancy by 8.6 months in Europe (Peng et al. 89). Thus, these issues have forced people to migrate to other areas, whereby they experience social changes.

Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism

The Environmental Justice Crusade has extended the environment’s definition to include where people live, work, play, study, and pray. The organization focused on just protecting and conserving natural possessions. The movement is multi-generational, multi-racial, and global, intending to foster environmental, economic, and social justice by identifying the direct connection between economic, environmental, and health problems and pushing for a safer, cleaner community and workplace (Kern et al. 952). This justice is understood when everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential without being hampered by environmental racism or discrimination.

Environmental injustice refers to how marginalized communities are disproportionately burdened with hazardous waste facilities and other forms of contamination that degrade life quality. Increased waste in communities has led to health complications, whereby some conditions such as lung diseases and cancer are being recorded. Many people from low socioeconomic living in polluted areas are developing various health disorders, which has led to many deaths. Consequently, these areas’ challenges can lead to social changes and force individuals to move to other regions.

To sum up, social change is being experienced globally due to various aspects such as modernization and environmental factors. For instance, through modernization, communities abandoned traditional ways of life and adopted modern ones. Social movements helped individuals to break free from conventional boundaries. Relative deprivation is the opposing viewpoint that there are differences between desires and realities. Sources of social change include culture and technology and cultural lag. The environment is one of the critical topics of sociology since it involves human interaction with the environment. Issues such as immigration have been experienced due to environmental aspects. These immigrants have to experience new changes affecting culture, religion, and beliefs. The public should also be educated on the importance of ensuring that the environment is conserved to prevent some issues such as pollution, which can lead to adverse effects on human health. Issues such as greenhouse gases emission can be limited to curb air contamination that can lead to various conditions and lead to social changes. Thus, social change can be linked to the environment due to various aspects that people experience in the community.

Works Cited

Caruso, Loris. “Digital Innovation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Epochal Social Changes?.” Ai & Society , vol. 33, no. 3, 2018, pp. 379-392. Web.

Grasso, Maria T., et al. “Relative Deprivation and Inequalities in Social and Political Activism.” Acta Politica, vol. 54, no.3, 2019, pp. 398-429. Web.

Kern, Leslie, and Caroline Kovesi. “Environmental Justice Meets the Right to Stay Put: Mobilizing Against Environmental Racism, Gentrification, and Xenophobia in Chicago’s Little Village.” Local Environment , vol. 23, no. 9, 2018, pp. 952-966. Web.

Peng, Minggang, et al. “Actual Air Pollution, Environmental Transparency, and the Perception of Air Pollution in China.” The Journal of Environment & Development, vol. 28, no.1, 2019, pp. 78-105. Web.

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• Environment Essay

Essay on Understanding and Nurturing Our Environment

The environment is everything that surrounds us – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil beneath our feet, and the diverse flora and fauna that inhabit our planet. It's not just a backdrop to our lives; it's the very essence of our existence. In this essay, we'll explore the importance of our environment, the challenges it faces, and what we can do to ensure a sustainable and thriving world for generations to come.

Our environment is a complex and interconnected web of life. Every living organism, from the tiniest microbe to the largest mammal, plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. This delicate balance ensures the survival of species, including humans. For instance, bees pollinate plants, which produce the oxygen we breathe. Nature is a masterpiece that has evolved over millions of years, and we are just one small part of this intricate tapestry.

Importance of Environment  

The environment is crucial for keeping living things healthy.

It helps balance ecosystems.

The environment provides everything necessary for humans, like food, shelter, and air.

It's also a source of natural beauty that is essential for our physical and mental health.

The Threats to Our Environment:

Unfortunately, our actions have disrupted this delicate balance. The rapid industrialization, deforestation, pollution, and over-exploitation of natural resources have led to severe environmental degradation. Climate change, driven by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, is altering weather patterns, causing extreme events like floods, droughts, and storms. The loss of biodiversity is another alarming concern – species are disappearing at an unprecedented rate due to habitat destruction and pollution.

Impact of Human Activities on the Environment

Human activities like pollution, deforestation, and waste disposal are causing environmental problems like acid rain, climate change, and global warming. The environment has living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components. Biotic components include plants, animals, and microorganisms, while abiotic components include things like temperature, light, and soil.

In the living environment, there are producers (like plants), consumers (like animals), and decomposers (like bacteria). Producers use sunlight to make energy, forming the base of the food web. Consumers get their energy by eating other organisms, creating a chain of energy transfer. Decomposers break down waste and dead organisms, recycling nutrients in the soil.

The non-living environment includes climatic factors (like rain and temperature) and edaphic factors (like soil and minerals). Climatic factors affect the water cycle, while edaphic factors provide nutrients and a place for organisms to grow.

The environment includes everything from the air we breathe to the ecosystems we live in. It's crucial to keep it clean for a healthy life. All components of the environment are affected by its condition, so a clean environment is essential for a healthy ecosystem.

Sustainable Practices:

Adopting sustainable practices is a key step towards mitigating environmental degradation. This includes reducing our carbon footprint by using renewable energy, practicing responsible consumption, and minimizing waste. Conservation of natural resources, such as water and forests, is essential. Supporting local and global initiatives that aim to protect the environment, like reforestation projects and wildlife conservation efforts, can make a significant impact.

Education and Awareness:

Creating a sustainable future requires a collective effort, and education is a powerful tool in this regard. Raising awareness about environmental issues, the consequences of our actions, and the importance of conservation is crucial. Education empowers individuals to make informed choices and encourages sustainable practices at both personal and community levels.

Why is a Clean Environment Necessary?

To have a happy and thriving community and country, we really need a clean and safe environment. It's like the basic necessity for life on Earth. Let me break down why having a clean environment is so crucial.

First off, any living thing—whether it's plants, animals, or people—can't survive in a dirty environment. We all need a good and healthy place to live. When things get polluted, it messes up the balance of nature and can even cause diseases. If we keep using up our natural resources too quickly, life on Earth becomes a real struggle.

So, what's causing all this environmental trouble? Well, one big reason is that there are just so many people around, and we're using up a lot of stuff like land, food, water, air, and even fossil fuels and minerals. Cutting down a bunch of trees (we call it deforestation) is also a big problem because it messes up the whole ecosystem.

Then there's pollution—air, water, and soil pollution. It's like throwing a wrench into the gears of nature, making everything go wonky. And you've probably heard about things like the ozone layer getting thinner, global warming, weird weather, and glaciers melting. These are all signs that our environment is in trouble.

But don't worry, we can do things to make it better:

Plant more trees—they're like nature's superheroes, helping balance everything out.

Follow the 3 R's: Reuse stuff, reduce waste, and recycle. It's like giving our planet a high-five.

Ditch the plastic bags—they're not great for our landscapes.

Think about how many people there are and try to slow down the population growth.

By doing these things, we're basically giving our planet a little TLC (tender loving care), and that's how we can keep our environment clean and healthy for everyone.

Policy and Regulation:

Governments and institutions play a vital role in shaping environmental policies and regulations. Strong and enforceable laws are essential to curb activities that harm the environment. This includes regulations on emissions, waste disposal, and protection of natural habitats. International cooperation is also crucial to address global environmental challenges, as issues like climate change know no borders.

The Role of Technology:

Technology can be a double-edged sword in environmental conservation. While some technological advancements contribute to environmental degradation, others offer solutions. Innovative technologies in renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable agriculture can significantly reduce our impact on the environment. Embracing and investing in eco-friendly technologies is a step towards a greener and more sustainable future.

Conclusion:

Our environment is not just a collection of trees, rivers, and animals; it's the foundation of our existence. Understanding the interconnectedness of all living things and recognizing our responsibility as stewards of the Earth is essential. By adopting sustainable practices, fostering education and awareness, implementing effective policies, and embracing eco-friendly technologies, we can work towards healing our planet. The choices we make today will determine the world we leave for future generations – a world that can either flourish in its natural beauty or struggle under the weight of environmental degradation. It's our collective responsibility to ensure that it's the former.

FAQs on Environment Essay

1. What is the Environment?

The environment constitutes the entire ecosystem that includes plants, animals and microorganisms, sunlight, air, rain, temperature, humidity, and other climatic factors. It is basically the surroundings where we live. The environment regulates the life of all living beings on Earth.

2. What are the Three Kinds of Environments?

Biotic Environment: It includes all biotic factors or living forms like plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Environment: It includes non-living factors like temperature, light, rainfall, soil, minerals, etc. It comprises the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.

Built Environment: It includes buildings, streets, houses, industries, etc. 

3. What are the Major Factors that Lead to the Degradation of the Environment?

The factors that lead to the degradation of the environment are:

The rapid increase in the population.

Growth of industrialization and urbanization.

Deforestation is making the soil infertile (soil that provides nutrients and home to millions of organisms).

Over-consumption of natural resources.

Ozone depletion, global warming, and the greenhouse effect.

4. How do we Save Our Environment?

We must save our environment by maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem. We should plant more trees. We should reduce our consumption and reuse and recycle stuff. We should check on the increase in population. We should scarcely use our natural and precious resources. Industries and factories should take precautionary measures before dumping their wastes into the water bodies.

5. How can we protect Mother Earth?

Ways to save Mother Earth include planting more and more trees, using renewable sources of energy, reducing the wastage of water, saving electricity, reducing the use of plastic, conservation of non-renewable resources, conserving the different flora and faunas, taking steps to reduce pollution, etc.

6. What are some ways that humans impact their environment?

Humans have influenced the physical environment in many ways like overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have generated climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. These negative impacts can affect human behavior and can prompt mass migrations or battles over clean water.  

7. Why is the environment of social importance?

Human beings are social animals by nature. They spend a good amount of time in social environments. Their responsibility towards the environment is certainly important because these social environments might support human beings in both personal development goals as well as career development goals.

How to Write an Essay on the Environment

The environment where we live affects how we function and socialize as human beings. Over the years, there has been a growing focus on climate change and how shifts in weather events and temperatures are affecting living organisms. 

Of course, although climate change is one of the threatening and pervasive things, currently, there are many other areas one can write about including biodiversity and pollution. Choosing what to write about is just one aspect of creating a good essay on the environment. 

When tasked with writing an assignment on the environment, there are some specific factors to consider. Of course, different instructors issue different guidelines for academic writing, including the format and citation style to use. Make sure to adhere to these and stick to the question as outlined in the assignment prompt. Here are additional tips for effective essay writing.

Start by Choosing a Good Topic

The most important step in effective academic writing is selecting an appropriate topic. There are many areas of the environment where you can base your writing. However, you have to make sure that your preferred topic is in line with your assignment question, as set out in the prompt. Of course, there are times when instructors provide specific topics for their students, eliminating the need for topic selection. 

In other instances, students are accorded the freedom to create their own topics. With such freedom, comes the responsibility of making sure that your topic is relevant for your project and current. Also, you have to make sure that your area of writing is precise enough to be covered within the scope of your essay. Those who are unable to find good topics can seek  custom writing  from professionals online. 

Your essay on the environment can be in any of the following areas:• Climate change or global warming and its impacts;• Biodiversity;• Environmental pollution and how it affects living organisms. 

Since the environment is a very broad topic area, you will need to conduct some research to make sure that you pick a relevant and current topic. Also, make sure to  narrow down your topic . 

Brainstorm for Ideas and Create a Plan

Once you have a topic for your essay, the next step is brainstorming. This is the process of thinking about the topic and noting down everything you know. The notes created here can form part of your outline.

When it comes to outlining, having a good plan will save you time much later in the course of your research and writing. This stage may require some preliminary research as well as the creation of a working thesis statement. 

Create an Interesting Thesis Statement

Now that you have a topic and an outline, it is time to create a working thesis. Please note that your statement may change several in the course of your research and writing. As you proceed with your work, you may encounter different ideas and change your perspective on important issues. In essence, your thesis should be clear, arguable, interesting, and simple. It should demonstrate the position you intend to take with your argumentation. 

Conduct Research and Document Sources

It is impossible to write a good essay on the environment if you don’t gather enough data and evidence. Quality academic papers present coherent arguments where ideas and points are supported using credible evidence. Conduct research on books, electronic journals, reputable websites, and primary sources. Just make sure to document the sources of your information to help with citations and references. Most importantly,  take keen notes that will make organizing  your essay easier. 

Start Writing as Soon as Possible

Do not spend so much time with preparations that you forget to make time for the actual writing. You may have heard that freewriting is the easiest way to overcome writer’s block. However, there is an even better way — writing from an outline and researching the various sections of your paper. Just make sure to give each main idea its own paragraph, supported using evidence and examples from credible sources. 

As you write your paper, grammar and syntax should not be your main priority. At this stage, just work on the drafting of your ideas and points. You can finish by editing your work for grammatical, content, and formatting consistency. 

Please note that the tips provided in this article are meant to guide you through the process of academic essay writing. You still have to make sure that your writing adheres to your assignment instructions. Most importantly, you need to ensure that you proofread and edit your work.

Chapter 20 Social Change and the Environment

Social issues in the news.

“Governor Signs Texting Law Inspired by Teen’s Death,” the headline said. In June 2010, the governor of Georgia signed the Caleb Sorohan Act, named for an 18-year-old student who died in a car accident caused by his texting while driving. The bill made it illegal for any drivers in Georgia to text unless they were parked. After Caleb died, his family started a campaign, along with dozens of his high school classmates, to enact a texting while driving ban. They signed petitions, started a Facebook page, and used phone banks to lobby members of their state legislature. Vermont enacted a similar ban about the same time. The new laws in Georgia and Vermont increased the number of states banning texting while driving to 28. (Downey, 2010) Downey, M. (2010, June 4). Governor signs texting law inspired by teen’s death. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved from http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/06/04/governor-signs-texting-law-inspired-by-teens-death

“Amherst Sleeps Out to Protest Climate Change,” another headline said. It was February 2010, and a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, had been living in a tent for 121 days. His goal was to call attention to the importance of clean energy. The student was a member of a Massachusetts group, Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF), composed of college students across the state. To dramatize the problem of climate change, the group had engaged in sleep-outs in various parts of the state, including one on the Boston Common, a famed public park in that city, over a series of weekends in late 2009. About 200 students were arrested on trespassing charges for staying in the park after it was closed at 11:00 p.m. The UMass student in the tent thought he was making a difference; as he put it, “Hopefully people see me and realize that there are people out there who care about the Earth’s future and civilization’s stability enough to do something about it.” Yet he knew that improvements to the environment would take some time: “It’s not going to happen overnight.” (Vincent, 2010, p. A16) Vincent, L. (2010). Amherst sleeps out to protest climate change. DailyCollegian.com . Retrieved from http://dailycollegian.com/2010/2002/2021/amherst-sleeps-out-to-protest-climate-change

Societies change just as people do. The change we see in people is often very obvious, as when they have a growth spurt during adolescence, lose weight on a diet, buy new clothes, or get a new hairstyle. The change we see in society is usually more gradual. Unless it is from a natural disaster like an earthquake or from a political revolution, social change is usually noticeable only months or years after it began. This sort of social change arises from many sources, including changes in a society’s technology, as the news story on texting and driving illustrates; in the size and composition of its population, as Chapter 19 "Population and Urbanization" discussed; and in its culture. But some social change stems from the concerted efforts of people acting in social movements to alter social policy, as the news story on the student in the tent illustrates, or even the very structure of their government.

This chapter continues this book’s examination of social change that began with the discussion of population and urbanization in Chapter 19 "Population and Urbanization" . The chapter begins with a conceptual look at social change and modernization before turning to sociological perspectives on social change and the sources of social change. It then presents a sociological understanding of the natural and physical environment. This focus on the environment is certainly timely in today’s world but also appropriate for a chapter beginning with social change, as environmental changes have enormous implications for changes in societies around the globe.

20.1 Understanding Social Change

Learning objectives.

• Understand the changes that accompany modernization.
• Discuss the functionalist and conflict perspectives on social change.

Social change The transformation of culture (especially norms and values), behavior, social institutions, and social structure over time. refers to the transformation of culture, behavior, social institutions, and social structure over time. We are familiar from Chapter 5 "Social Structure and Social Interaction" with the basic types of society: hunting-and-gathering, horticultural and pastoral, agricultural, industrial, and postindustrial. In looking at all of these societies, we have seen how they differ in such dimensions as size, technology, economy, inequality, and gender roles. In short, we have seen some of the ways in which societies change over time. Another way of saying this is that we have seen some of the ways in which societies change as they become more modern. To understand social change, then, we need to begin to understand what it means for a society to become more modern. We considered this briefly in Chapter 5 "Social Structure and Social Interaction" and expand on it here.

Modernization

Modernization The process and impact of becoming more modern. refers to the process and impact of becoming more modern. More specifically, it refers to the gradual shift from hunting-and-gathering societies to postmodern societies, as outlined in Chapter 5 "Social Structure and Social Interaction" , and perhaps especially to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.

The terms modern and modernization have positive connotations; it sounds good to modernize and to be modern. Modernization implies that progress has been made and is continuing to be made, and who would not want progress? Yet modernization also has a downside, as we will see in this section and in the later discussion of the environment.

A related problem with the terms and concepts of modern and modernization is that many people think of Western nations when considering the most modern nations in the world today. This implies that Western society is the ideal to which other societies should aspire. While there are many good things about Western societies, it is important to avoid the ethnocentrism of assuming that Western societies are better because they are more modern. In fact, one reason that many people in the Middle East and elsewhere dislike the United States is that they resent the “Westernization” of their societies from the influence of the United States and other wealthy Western nations. When they see Coca-Cola and Pepsi logos and the McDonald’s golden arches in their nations, they fear Western influence and the loss of their own beliefs and traditions.

These caveats notwithstanding, societies have become much more modern over time, to put it mildly. We thus cannot fully understand society and social life without appreciating how societies have changed as they have become more modern. Not surprisingly, sociologists have recognized the importance of modernization ever since the discipline of sociology began in the 19th century, and much of the work of sociology’s founders—Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, and others—focused on how and why societies have changed as they became more modern.

We can draw on their efforts and related work by later sociologists and by anthropologists to develop an idea of the differences modernization has made for societies and individuals. Several dimensions and effects of modernization seem apparent (Nolan & Lenski, 2009). Nolan, P., & Lenski, G. (2009). Human societies: An introduction to macrosociology (11th ed.). Boulder, CO: Paradigm.

First, as societies evolve, they become much larger and more heterogeneous . This means that people are more different from each other than when societies were much smaller, and it also means that they ordinarily cannot know each other nearly as well. Larger, more modern societies thus typically have weaker social bonds and a weaker sense of community than small societies and place more of an emphasis on the needs of the individual.

We can begin to appreciate the differences between smaller and larger societies when we contrast a small college of 1,200 students with a large university of 40,000 students. Perhaps you had this contrast in mind when you were applying to college and had a preference for either a small or a large institution. In a small college, classes might average no more than 20 students; these students get to know each other well and often have a lot of interaction with the professor. In a large university, classes might hold 600 students or more, and everything is more impersonal. Large universities do have many advantages, but they probably do not have as strong a sense of community as is found at small colleges.

A second aspect of modernization is a loss of traditional ways of thinking. This allows a society to be more creative and to abandon old ways that may no longer be appropriate. However, it also means a weakening or even ending of the traditions that helped define the society and gave it a sense of identity.

A third aspect of modernization is the growth of individual freedom and autonomy. As societies grow, become more impersonal, and lose their traditions and sense of community, their norms become weaker, and individuals thus become freer to think for themselves and to behave in new ways. Although most of us would applaud this growth in individual freedom, it also means, as Émile Durkheim (1895/1962) Durkheim, É. (1962). The rules of sociological method (S. Lukes, Ed.). New York, NY: Free Press. (Original work published 1895) recognized long ago, that people feel freer to deviate from society’s norms and thus to commit deviance. If we want a society that values individual freedom, Durkheim said, we automatically must have a society with deviance.

Is modernization good or bad? This is a simplistic question about a very complex concept, but a quick answer is that it is both good and bad. We see evidence for both responses in the views of sociologists Ferdinand Tönnies, Weber, and Durkheim. As Chapter 5 "Social Structure and Social Interaction" discussed, Tönnies (1887/1963) Tönnies, F. (1963). Community and society . New York, NY: Harper and Row. (Original work published 1887) said that modernization meant a shift from Gemeinschaft (small societies with strong social bonds) to Gesellschaft (large societies with weaker social bonds and more impersonal social relations). Tönnies lamented the loss of close social bonds and of a strong sense of community resulting from modernization, and he feared that a sense of rootlessness begins to replace the feeling of stability and steadiness characteristic of small, older societies.

Weber (1921/1978) Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (G. Roth & C. Wittich, Eds.). Berkeley: University of California Press. (Original work published 1921) was also concerned about modernization. The hallmarks of modernization, he thought, are rationalization, a loss of tradition, and the rise of impersonal bureaucracy. He despaired over the impersonal quality of rational thinking and bureaucratization, as he thought it was a dehumanizing influence.

Durkheim (1893/1933) Durkheim, É. (1933). The division of labor in society . London, England: The Free Press. (Original work published 1893) took a less negative view of modernization. He certainly appreciated the social bonds and community feeling, which he called mechanical solidarity Émile Durkheim’s conception of the type of social bonds and community feeling in small, traditional societies resulting from their homogeneity. , characteristic of small, traditional societies. However, he also thought that these societies stifled individual freedom and that social solidarity still exists in modern societies. This solidarity, which he termed organic solidarity Émile Durkheim’s conception of the type of social bonds and community feeling in large, modern societies resulting from their division of labor and interdependence of roles. , stems from the division of labor, in which everyone has to depend on everyone else to perform their jobs. This interdependence of roles, Durkheim said, creates a solidarity that retains much of the bonding and sense of community found in premodern societies.

We have already commented on important benefits of modernization that are generally recognized: modernization promotes creativity and individual freedom and autonomy. These developments in turn usually mean that a society becomes more tolerant of beliefs and behaviors that it formerly would have disapproved and even condemned. Modern societies, then, generally feature more tolerance than older societies. Many people, undoubtedly including most sociologists, regard greater tolerance as a good thing, but others regard it as a bad thing because they favor traditional beliefs and behaviors.

Beyond these abstract concepts of social bonding, sense of community, and tolerance, modern societies are certainly a force for both good and bad in other ways. They have produced scientific discoveries that have saved lives, extended life spans, and made human existence much easier than imaginable in the distant past and even in the recent past. But they have also polluted the environment, engaged in wars that have killed tens of millions, and built up nuclear arsenals that, even with the end of the Cold War, still threaten the planet. Modernization, then, is a double-edged sword. It has given us benefits too numerous to count, but it also has made human existence very precarious.

Sociological Perspectives on Social Change

Sociological perspectives on social change fall into the functionalist and conflict approaches. As usual, both views together offer a more complete understanding of social change than either view by itself (Vago, 2004). Vago, S. (2004). Social change (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Table 20.1 "Theory Snapshot" summarizes their major assumptions.

Table 20.1 Theory Snapshot

The Functionalist Understanding

The functionalist understanding of social change is based on insights developed by different generations of sociologists. Early sociologists likened change in society to change in biological organisms. Taking a cue from the work of Charles Darwin, they said that societies evolved just as organisms do, from tiny, simple forms to much larger and more complex structures. When societies are small and simple, there are few roles to perform, and just about everyone can perform all of these roles. As societies grow and evolve, many new roles develop, and not everyone has the time or skill to perform every role. People thus start to specialize their roles and a division of labor begins. As noted earlier, sociologists such as Durkheim and Tönnies disputed the implications of this process for social bonding and a sense of community, and this basic debate continues today.

Several decades ago, Talcott Parsons (1966), Parsons, T. (1966). Societies: Evolutionary and comparative perspectives . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. the leading 20th-century figure in functionalist theory, presented an equilibrium model Talcott Parsons’s functionalist view that society’s balance is disturbed by sudden social change. of social change. Parsons said that society is always in a natural state of equilibrium, defined as a state of equal balance among opposing forces. Gradual change is both necessary and desirable and typically stems from such things as population growth, technological advances, and interaction with other societies that brings new ways of thinking and acting. However, any sudden social change disrupts this equilibrium. To prevent this from happening, other parts of society must make appropriate adjustments if one part of society sees too sudden a change.

Functionalist theory assumes that sudden social change, as by the protest depicted here, is highly undesirable, whereas conflict theory assumes that sudden social change may be needed to correct inequality and other deficiencies in the status quo.

Source: Photo courtesy of Kashfi Halford, http://www.flickr.com/photos/kashklick/3406972544 .

The functionalist perspective has been criticized on a few grounds. The perspective generally assumes that the change from simple to complex societies has been very positive, when in fact, as we have seen, this change has also proven costly in many ways. It might well have weakened social bonds, and it has certainly imperiled human existence. Functionalist theory also assumes that sudden social change is highly undesirable, when such change may in fact be needed to correct inequality and other deficiencies in the status quo.

Conflict Theory

Whereas functional theory assumes the status quo is generally good and sudden social change is undesirable, conflict theory assumes the status quo is generally bad. It thus views sudden social change in the form of protest or revolution as both desirable and necessary to reduce or eliminate social inequality and to address other social ills. Another difference between the two approaches concerns industrialization, which functional theory views as a positive development that helped make modern society possible. In contrast, conflict theory, following the views of Karl Marx, says that industrialization exploited workers and thus increased social inequality.

In one other difference between the two approaches, functionalist sociologists view social change as the result of certain natural forces, which we will discuss shortly. In this sense, social change is unplanned even though it happens anyway. Conflict theorists, however, recognize that social change often stems from efforts by social movements to bring about fundamental changes in the social, economic, and political systems. In his sense social change is more “planned,” or at least intended, than functional theory acknowledges.

Critics of conflict theory say that it exaggerates the extent of social inequality and that it sometimes overemphasizes economic conflict while neglecting conflict rooted in race/ethnicity, gender, religion, and other sources. Its Marxian version also erred in predicting that capitalist societies would inevitably undergo a socialist-communist revolution.

Key Takeaways

• As societies become more modern, they become larger and more heterogeneous. Traditional ways of thinking decline, and individual freedom and autonomy increase.
• Functionalist theory favors slow, incremental social change, while conflict theory favors fast, far-reaching social change to correct what it views as social inequalities and other problems in the status quo.

For Your Review

• If you had to do it over again, would you go to a large university, a small college, or something in between? Why? How does your response relate to some of the differences between smaller, traditional societies and larger, modern societies?
• When you think about today’s society and social change, do you favor the functionalist or conflict view on the kind of social change that is needed? Explain your answer.

20.2 Sources of Social Change

• Describe the major sources of social change.
• Explain cultural lag and provide an example.

We have seen that social change stems from natural forces and also from the intentional acts of groups of people. This section further examines these sources of social change.

Population Growth and Composition

Much of the discussion so far has talked about population growth as a major source of social change as societies evolved from older to modern times. Yet even in modern societies, changes in the size and composition of the population can have important effects for other aspects of a society, as Chapter 19 "Population and Urbanization" emphasized. As just one example, the number of school-aged children reached a high point in the late 1990s as the children of the post–World War II baby boom entered their school years. This swelling of the school-aged population had at least three important consequences. First, new schools had to be built, modular classrooms and other structures had to be added to existing schools, and more teachers and other school personnel had to be hired (Leonard, 1998). Leonard, J. (1998, September 25). Crowding puts crunch on classrooms. The Los Angeles Times , p. B1. Second, school boards and municipalities had to borrow dollars and/or raise taxes to pay for all of these expenses. Third, the construction industry, building supply centers, and other businesses profited from the building of new schools and related activities. The growth of this segment of our population thus had profound implications for many aspects of U.S. society even though it was unplanned and “natural.”

Culture and Technology

Culture and technology are other sources of social change. Changes in culture can change technology; changes in technology can transform culture; and changes in both can alter other aspects of society (Crowley & Heyer, 2011). Crowley, D., & Heyer, P. (2011). Communication in history: Technology, culture, society (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Two examples from either end of the 20th century illustrate the complex relationship among culture, technology, and society. At the beginning of the century, the car was still a new invention, and automobiles slowly but surely grew in number, diversity, speed, and power. The car altered the social and physical landscape of the United States and other industrial nations as few other inventions have. Roads and highways were built; pollution increased; families began living farther from each other and from their workplaces; tens of thousands of people started dying annually in car accidents. These are just a few of the effects the invention of the car had, but they illustrate how changes in technology can affect so many other aspects of society.

At the end of the 20th century came the personal computer, whose development has also had an enormous impact that will not be fully understood for some years to come. Anyone old enough, such as many of your oldest professors, to remember having to type long manuscripts on a manual typewriter will easily attest to the difference computers have made for many aspects of our work lives. E-mail, the Internet, and smartphones have enabled instant communication and make the world a very small place, and tens of millions of people now use Facebook and other social media. A generation ago, students studying abroad or people working in the Peace Corps overseas would send a letter back home, and it would take up to 2 weeks or more to arrive. It would take another week or 2 for them to hear back from their parents. Now even in poor parts of the world, access to computers and smartphones lets us communicate instantly with people across the planet.

As the world becomes a smaller place, it becomes possible for different cultures to have more contact with each other. This contact, too, leads to social change to the extent that one culture adopts some of the norms, values, and other aspects of another culture. Anyone visiting a poor nation and seeing Coke, Pepsi, and other popular U.S. products in vending machines and stores in various cities will have a culture shock that reminds us instantly of the influence of one culture on another. For better or worse, this impact means that the world’s diverse cultures are increasingly giving way to a more uniform global culture .

This process has been happening for more than a century. The rise of newspapers, the development of trains and railroads, and the invention of the telegraph, telephone, and, later, radio and television allowed cultures in different parts of the world to communicate with each other in ways not previously possible. Affordable jet transportation, cell phones, the Internet, and other modern technology have taken such communication a gigantic step further.

As mentioned earlier, many observers fear that the world is becoming Westernized as Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, and other products and companies invade other cultures. Others say that Westernization is a good thing, because these products, but especially more important ones like refrigerators and computers, do make people’s lives easier and therefore better. Still other observers say the impact of Westernization has been exaggerated. Both within the United States and across the world, these observers say, many cultures continue to thrive, and people continue to hold on to their ethnic identities.

Cultural Lag

An important aspect of social change is cultural lag, a term popularized by sociologist William F. Ogburn (1922/1966). Ogburn, W. F. (1966). Social change with respect to cultural and original nature . New York, NY: Dell. (Original work published1922) When there is a change in one aspect of society or culture, this change often leads to and even forces a change in another aspect of society or culture. However, often some time lapses before the latter change occurs. Cultural lag The delay between an initial social change and a resulting social change. refers to this delay between the initial social change and the resulting social change.

Discussions of examples of cultural lag often feature a technological change as the initial change. Ogburn (1922/1966) Ogburn, W. F. (1966). Social change with respect to cultural and original nature . New York, NY: Dell. (Original work published1922) cited one such example from the decades after the American Civil War: the rise of the machine age. The development of factories during the Industrial Revolution meant that work became much more dangerous than before. More industrial accidents occurred, but injured workers were unable to receive adequate financial compensation because the existing law of negligence allowed them to sue only the person—a fellow worker—whose negligence caused the injury. However, negligent workers were typically very poor themselves and thus unable to provide meaningful compensation if they were sued. This meant that injured workers in effect could receive no money for their injuries.

Over time, the sheer number of industrial accidents and rising labor protest movement pressured lawmakers to help injured workers receive financial assistance. Some states began to allow workers to sue the companies whose dangerous workplaces were responsible for their injuries, and juries awarded these workers huge sums of money. Fearing these jury awards, in the early 1900s the manufacturing industry finally developed the process now called workers’ compensation , which involves fairly automatic payments for workplace injuries without the necessity of lawsuits (Barkan, 2009). Barkan, S. E. (2009). Law and society: An introduction . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. The delay of several decades between the rise of factories and industrial accidents and the eventual establishment of workers’ compensation is a fine example of cultural lag.

A more recent example of cultural lag involves changes in child custody law brought about by changes in reproductive technology. Developments in reproductive technology have allowed same-sex couples to have children conceived from a donated egg and/or donated sperm. If a same-sex couple later breaks up, it is not yet clear who should win custody of the couple’s child or children because traditional custody law is based on the premise of a divorce of a married heterosexual couple who are both the biological parents of their children. Yet custody law is slowly evolving to recognize the parental rights of same-sex couples. Some cases from California are illustrative.

In 2005, the California Supreme Court issued rulings in several cases involving lesbian parents who ended their relationship. In determining custody and visitation rights and child support obligations, the court decided that the couples should be treated under the law as if they had been heterosexual parents, and it decided on behalf of the partners who were seeking custody/visitation rights and child support. More generally, the court granted same-sex parents all the legal rights and responsibilities of heterosexual parents. The change in marital law that is slowly occurring because of changes in reproductive technology is another example of cultural lag. As the legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said of the California cases, “Same-sex couples are now able to procreate and have children, and the law has to catch up with that reality” (Paulson & Wood, 2005, p. 1). Paulson, A., & Wood, D. B. (2005, August 25). California court affirms gay parenting. The Christian Science Monitor , p. 1.

The Natural Environment

Changes in the natural environment can also lead to changes in a society itself. We see the clearest evidence of this when a major hurricane, an earthquake, or another natural disaster strikes. Three recent disasters illustrate this phenomenon. In April 2010, an oil rig operated by BP, an international oil and energy company, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, creating what many observers called the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history; its effects on the ocean, marine animals, and the economies of states and cities affected by the oil spill will be felt for decades to come. In January 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti and killed more than 250,000 people, or about 2.5% of that nation’s population. A month later, an even stronger earthquake hit Chile. Although this earthquake killed only hundreds (it was relatively far from Chile’s large cities and the Chilean buildings were sturdily built), it still caused massive damage to the nation’s infrastructure. The effects of these natural disasters on the economy and society of each of these two countries will certainly also be felt for many years to come.

As is evident in this photo taken in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, changes in the natural environment can lead to profound changes in a society. Environmental changes are one of the many sources of social change.

Source: Photo courtesy of United Nations, http://www.flickr.com/photos/37913760@N03/4274632760 .

Slower changes in the environment can also have a large social impact. As noted earlier, one of the negative effects of industrialization has been the increase in pollution of our air, water, and ground. With estimates of the number of U.S. deaths from air pollution ranging from a low of 10,000 to a high of 60,000 (Reiman & Leighton, 2010), Reiman, J., & Leighton, P. (2010). The rich get richer and the poor get prison: Ideology, class, and criminal justice (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. pollution certainly has an important impact on our society. Climate change, a larger environmental problem, has also been relatively slow in arriving but threatens the whole planet in ways that climate change researchers have already documented and will no doubt be examining for the rest of our lifetimes and beyond (Schneider, Rosencranz, Mastrandrea, & Kuntz-Duriseti, 2010). Schneider, S. H., Rosencranz, A., Mastrandrea, M. D., & Kuntz-Duriseti, K. (Eds.). (2010). Climate change science and policy . Washington, DC: Island Press. Chapter 20 "Social Change and the Environment" , Section 20.3 "Society and the Environment" and Section 20.4 "Understanding the Environment" examine the environment at greater length.

Social Conflict: War and Protest

Change also results from social conflict, including wars, ethnic conflict, efforts by social movements to change society, and efforts by their opponents to maintain the status quo. The immediate impact that wars have on societies is obvious, as the deaths of countless numbers of soldiers and civilians over the ages have affected not only the lives of their loved ones but also the course of whole nations. To take just one of many examples, the defeat of Germany in World War I led to a worsening economy during the next decade that in turn helped fuel the rise of Hitler.

One of the many sad truisms of war is that its impact on a society is greatest when the war takes place within the society’s boundaries. For example, the Iraq war that began in 2003 involved two countries more than any others, the United States and Iraq. Because it took place in Iraq, many more Iraqis than Americans died or were wounded, and the war certainly affected Iraqi society—its infrastructure, economy, natural resources, and so forth—far more than it affected American society. Most Americans continued to live their normal lives, whereas most Iraqis had to struggle to survive the many ravages of war.

Historians and political scientists have studied the effect of war on politics and the economy. War can change a nation’s political and economic structures in obvious ways, as when the winning nation forces a new political system and leadership on the losing nation. Other political and economic changes brought by war are subtler. World War I provides an interesting example of such changes. Before the war, violent labor strikes were common in Britain and other European nations. When the war began, a sort of truce developed between management and labor, as workers wanted to appear patriotic by supporting the war effort and hoped that they would win important labor rights for doing so. However, the truce soon dissolved after prices began to rise and wages did not. Labor-management conflict resumed and became very intense by the end of the war.

This conflict in turn forced European political and business leaders to grant several concessions to labor, which thus achieved gains, however limited, in political and economic power. Labor’s participation in the war effort helped it win these concessions. As a historian summarized this connection,

By the end of the war, labor’s wartime mobilization and participation had increased its relative power within European societies. As a result, and despite the fact that endeavors to reward labor for its wartime cooperation were, in general, provisional, partial, and half-hearted, it was nonetheless the case that labor achieved some real gains. (Halperin, 2004, p. 155) Halperin, S. (2004). War and social change in modern Europe: The great transformation revisited . Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Other types of nonobvious social changes have resulted from various wars. For example, the deaths of so many soldiers during the American Civil War left many wives and mothers without their family’s major breadwinner. Their poverty forced many of these women to turn to prostitution to earn an income, resulting in a rise in prostitution after the war (Marks, 1990). Marks, P. (1990). Bicycles, bangs, and bloomers: The new woman in the popular press . Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. Some 80 years later, the involvement of many African Americans in the U.S. armed forces during World War II helped begin the racial desegregation of the military. This change is widely credited with helping spur the hopes of African Americans in the South that racial desegregation would someday occur in their hometowns (McKeeby, 2008). McKeeby, D. (2008, February 25). End of U.S. military segregation set stage for rights movement. Retrieved from http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2008/February/20080225120859liameruoy0.9820215.html

Social movements have also been major forces for social change. Despite African American involvement in World War II, racial segregation in the South ended only after thousands of African Americans, often putting their lives on the line for their cause, engaged in sit-ins, marches, and massive demonstrations during the 1950s and 1960s. The Southern civil rights movement is just one of the many social movements that have changed American history, and we return to these movements in Chapter 21 "Collective Behavior and Social Movements" .

• Major sources of social change include population growth and composition, culture and technology, the natural environment, and social conflict.
• Cultural lag refers to a delayed change in one sector of society in response to a change in another sector of society.
• Write a brief essay in which you comment on the advantages and disadvantages of cell phones for social relationships.
• The text states that courts are beginning to grant same-sex couples the same parental rights and responsibilities that heterosexual couples have. Do you believe that this is a positive development or a negative development? Explain your answer.

20.3 Society and the Environment

• List two reasons that make the environment an appropriate topic for sociologists to study.
• Describe two of the environmental problems facing the world today.

At first glance, the environment does not seem to be a sociological topic. The natural and physical environment is something that geologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and other scientists should be studying, not sociologists. Yet the environment is very much a sociological topic for at least five reasons. First, our worst environmental problems are the result of human activity, and this activity, like many human behaviors, is a proper topic for sociological study. Second, environmental problems have a significant impact on people, as do the many other social problems that sociologists study. Third, solutions to our environmental problems require changes in economic and environmental policies, and the potential impact of these changes depends heavily on social and political factors. Fourth, many environmental problems reflect and illustrate social inequality based on social class and on race and ethnicity: as with many issues in our society, the poor and people of color often fare worse when it comes to the environment. Fifth, efforts to improve the environment, often called the environmental movement , constitute a social movement and, as such, are again worthy of sociological study.

All these considerations suggest that the environment is quite fittingly a sociological topic, and one on which sociologists should have important insights. In fact, so many sociologists study the environment that their collective study makes up a subfield in sociology called environmental sociology The study of the interaction between human behavior and the natural and physical environment. , which refers simply to the sociological study of the environment. More specifically, environmental sociology is the study of the interaction between human behavior and the natural and physical environment.

Environmental sociology assumes “that humans are part of the environment and that the environment and society can only be fully understood in relation to each other” (McCarthy & King, 2009, p. 1). McCarthy, D., & King, L. (2009). Introduction: Environmental problems require social solutions. In L. King & D. McCarthy (Eds.), Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed., pp. 1–22). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. According to a report by the American Sociological Association, environmental sociology “has provided important insights” (Nagel, Dietz, & Broadbent, 2010, p. 13) Nagel, J., Dietz, T., & Broadbent, J. (Eds.). (2010). Workshop on sociological perspectives on global climate change . Washington, DC: National Science Foundation and American Sociological Association. into such areas as public opinion about the environment, the influence of values on people’s environmental behavior, and inequality in the impact of environmental problems on communities and individuals. We will examine some of these insights after first reviewing the serious state of the environment.

To say that the world is in peril environmentally might sound extreme, but the world is in fact in peril. People are responsible for the world’s environmental problems, and we have both the ability and the responsibility to address these problems. As sociologists Leslie King and Deborah McCarthy (2009, p. ix) King, L., & McCarthy, D. (Eds.). (2009). Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. assert,

We both strongly believe that humans have come to a turning point in terms of our destruction of ecological resources and endangerment of human health. A daily look at the major newspapers points, without fail, to worsening environmental problems….Humans created these problems and we have the power to resolve them. Naturally, the longer we wait, the more devastating the problems will become; and the more we ignore the sociological dimensions of environmental decline the more our proposed solutions will fail.

A few facts and figures on selected issues will indicate the extent and seriousness of the environmental problem.

Air Pollution

We have already mentioned that air pollution is estimated to kill at least 10,000 Americans, and possibly as many as 60,000, every year. The worldwide toll is much greater, and the World Health Organization (2008) World Health Organization. (2008). Air quality and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/index.html estimates that 2 million people across the globe die every year from air pollution. These deaths typically result from the health conditions that air pollution causes, including heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory disease such as asthma. Most air pollution stems from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. This problem occurs not only in the wealthy industrial nations but also in the nations of the developing world; countries such as China and India have some of the worst air pollution. In developing nations, mortality rates of people in cities with high levels of particulate matter (carbon, nitrates, sulfates, and other particles) are 15%–50% higher than the mortality rates of those in cleaner cities. In European countries, air pollution is estimated to reduce average life expectancy by 8.6 months. The World Health Organization (2008) World Health Organization. (2008). Air quality and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/index.html does not exaggerate when it declares that air pollution “is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone in developed and developing countries alike.”

Global Climate Change

The burning of fossil fuels also contributes to global climate change , often called global warming , thanks to the oft-discussed greenhouse effect caused by the trapping of gases in the atmosphere that is turning the earth warmer, with a rise of almost 1°C during the past century. In addition to affecting the ecology of the earth’s polar regions and ocean levels throughout the planet, climate change threatens to produce a host of other problems, including increased disease transmitted via food and water, malnutrition resulting from decreased agricultural production and drought, and a higher incidence of hurricanes and other weather disasters. All these problems have been producing, and will continue to produce, higher mortality rates across the planet. The World Health Organization (2010) World Health Organization. (2010). Climate change and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/index.html estimates that climate change annually causes more than 140,000 excess deaths worldwide.

Water Pollution and Inadequate Sanitation

Water quality in wealthy and developing nations is also a serious problem. Drinking water is often unsafe because of poor sanitation procedures for human waste and because of industrial discharge into lakes, rivers, and streams. Inadequate sanitation and unsafe drinking water cause parasitic infections and diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, cholera, intestinal worms, typhoid, and hepatitis A. The World Health Organization estimates that unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation annually cause the following number of deaths worldwide: (a) 1.4 million child deaths from diarrhea; (b) 500,000 deaths from malaria; and (c) 860,000 child deaths from malnutrition. At least 200 million more people annually suffer at least one of these serious diseases resulting from inadequate sanitation and unsafe drinking water (Prüss-Üstün, Bos, Gore, & Bartram, 2008). Prüss-Üstün, A., Bos, R., Gore, F., & Bartram, J. (2008). Safer water, better health: Costs, benefits and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health . Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

Hazardous Waste Sites

Love Canal, an area in Niagara Falls, New York, was the site of chemical dumping that led to many birth defects and other health problems.

Source: Photo courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Love_Canal_protest.jpg .

Hazardous waste sites are parcels of land and water that have been contaminated by the dumping of dangerous chemicals into the ground by factories and other industrial buildings. The most famous (or rather, infamous) hazardous waste site in the United States is undoubtedly Love Canal, an area in a corner of Niagara Falls, New York. During the 1940s and 1950s, a chemical company dumped 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals into the canal and then filled it in with dirt and sold it for development to the local school board. A school and more than 800 homes, many of them low-income, were later built just near the site. The chemicals eventually leached into the groundwater, yards, and basements of the homes, reportedly causing birth defects and other health problems.

The Superfund program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), begun about 30 years ago, monitors and cleans up hazardous waste sites throughout the country. Since its inception, the Superfund program has identified and taken steps to address more than 1,300 hazardous waste sites. About 11 million people live within one mile of one of these sites.

• The environment is a proper topic for sociological study. Environmental problems have a significant impact on people, and solutions to these problems require changes in economic and environmental policies.
• Air pollution, global climate change, water pollution and inadequate sanitation, and hazardous waste are major environmental problems that threaten the planet.
• Of the several reasons that the environment is a proper topic for sociological study, which reason do you think is the most compelling? Explain your answer.
• List one thing you did yesterday that was good for the environment and one thing that was bad for the environment.

20.4 Understanding the Environment

• Describe what is meant by the assertion that environmental problems are human problems.
• Explain the concepts of environmental inequality and environmental racism.

Sociologists emphasize two important dimensions of the relationship between society and the environment: (a) the impact of human activity and decision making and (b) the existence and consequences of environmental inequality and environmental racism.

Human Activity and Decision Making

Perhaps more than anything else, environmental sociologists emphasize that environmental problems are the result of human decisions and activities that harm the environment . Masses of individuals acting independently of each other make decisions and engage in activities that harm the environment, as when we leave lights on, keep our homes too warm in the winter or too cool in the summer, and drive SUVs and other motor vehicles that get low gas mileage. Corporations, government agencies, and other organizations also make decisions and engage in activities that greatly harm the environment. Sometimes individuals and organizations know full well that their activities are harming the environment, and sometimes they just act carelessly without much thought about the possible environmental harm of their actions. Still, the environment is harmed whether or not they intend to harm it.

In the examples of environmental problems we reviewed in Chapter 20 "Social Change and the Environment" , Section 20.3 "Society and the Environment" —air pollution, climate change, water pollution, and hazardous waste sites—the human factor is obvious: our personal behavior, the actions of corporations, and the weakness of government environmental regulation are all to blame for the serious environmental problems that threaten the planet. Yet we even see the heavy hand of human involvement in certain accidents and “acts of nature” that harm the environment.

A recent example of this “heavy hand” is the BP oil spill that began in April 2010 when an oil rig leased by BP exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and eventually released almost 5 million barrels of oil (about 200 million gallons) into the ocean. Congressional investigators later concluded that BP had made a series of decisions that “increased the danger of a catastrophic well,” including a decision to save money by using an inferior casing for the well that made an explosion more likely. A news report paraphrased the investigators as concluding that “some of the decisions appeared to violate industry guidelines and were made despite warnings from BP’s own employees and outside contractors” (Fountain, 2010, p. A1). Fountain, H. (2010, June 15). Documents show risky decisions before BP blowout. The New York Times , p. A1.

The April 2010 BP oil spill occurred after BP made several decisions that may have increased the possibility of a catastrophic explosion of the well.

Source: Photo courtesy of International Bird Rescue Research Center, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ibrrc/4670207222 .

Sociologists McCarthy and King (2009) McCarthy, D., & King, L. (2009). Introduction: Environmental problems require social solutions. In L. King & D. McCarthy (Eds.), Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed., pp. 1–22). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. cite several other environmental accidents that stemmed from reckless decision making and natural disasters in which human decisions accelerated the harm that occurred. One accident occurred in Bhopal, India, in 1984, when a Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked 40 tons of deadly gas. Between 3,000 and 16,000 people died immediately and another half million suffered permanent illnesses or injuries. A contributing factor for the leak was Union Carbide’s decision to save money by violating safety standards in the construction and management of the plant.

A second preventable accident was the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker disaster, in which the tanker hit ground off the coast of Alaska and released 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. Among other consequences, the spill killed hundreds of thousands of birds and marine animals and almost destroyed the local fishing and seafood industries. The immediate cause of the accident was that the ship’s captain was an alcoholic and left the bridge in the hands of an unlicensed third mate after drinking five double vodkas in the hours before the crash occurred. Exxon officials knew of his alcoholism but let him command the ship anyway. Also, if the ship had had a double hull (one hull inside the other), it might not have cracked on impact or at least would have released less oil, but Exxon and the rest of the oil industry had successfully lobbied Congress not to require stronger hulls.

Hurricane Katrina was a more recent environmental disaster in which human decision making resulted in a great deal of preventable damage. After Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and especially New Orleans in August 2005, the resulting wind and flooding killed more than 1,800 people and left more than 700,000 homeless. McCarthy and King (2009, p. 4) McCarthy, D., & King, L. (2009). Introduction: Environmental problems require social solutions. In L. King & D. McCarthy (Eds.), Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed., pp. 1–22). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. again attribute much of this damage to human decision making: “While hurricanes are typically considered ‘natural disasters,’ Katrina’s extreme consequences must be considered the result of social and political failures.” Long before Katrina hit, it was well known that a major flood could easily breach New Orleans levees and have a devastating impact. Despite this knowledge, U.S., state, and local officials did nothing over the years to strengthen or rebuild the levees. In addition, coastal land that would have protected New Orleans had been lost over time to commercial and residential development.

According to sociologist Nicole Youngman (2009, p. 176), Youngman, N. (2009). Understanding disaster vulnerability: Floods and hurricanes. In K. A. Gould & T. L. Lewis (Eds.), Twenty lessons in environmental sociology (pp. 176–190). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. this development also “placed many more people and structures in harm’s way than had existed there during previous hurricanes.” All these factors led Youngman (2009, p. 176) Youngman, N. (2009). Understanding disaster vulnerability: Floods and hurricanes. In K. A. Gould & T. L. Lewis (Eds.), Twenty lessons in environmental sociology (pp. 176–190). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. to conclude that Katrina’s impact “demonstrated how a myriad of human and nonhuman factors can come together to produce a profoundly traumatic event.” In short, the flooding after Katrina was a human disaster, not a natural disaster.

Environmental Inequality and Environmental Racism

A second emphasis of environmental sociology is environmental inequality and the related concept of environmental racism . Environmental inequality The disproportionate exposure of low-income people and people of color to various environmental problems. (also called environmental injustice ) refers to the fact that low-income people and people of color are disproportionately likely to experience various environmental problems, while environmental racism The disproportionate exposure of people of color to various environmental problems. refers just to the greater likelihood of people of color to experience these problems (Bullard & Johnson, 2009; Mascarenhas, 2009). Bullard, R. D., & Johnson, G. S. (2009). Environmental justice: Grassroots activism and its impact on public policy decision making. In L. King & D. McCarthy (Eds.), Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed., pp. 63–79). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield; Mascarenhas, M. (2009). Environmental inequality and environmental justice. In K. A. Gould & T. L. Lewis (Eds.), Twenty lessons in environmental sociology (pp. 127–141). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. The term environmental justice Scholarship on environmental inequality and racism, and public policy efforts and activism aimed at reducing these forms of inequality and racism. refers to scholarship on environmental inequality and racism and public policy efforts and activism aimed at reducing these forms of inequality and racism. The “Sociology Making a Difference” box discusses scholarship on environmental racism that contributed to interest in, and concern about, this topic and to public policy aimed at addressing it.

Sociology Making a Difference

Environmental Racism in the Land of Cotton

During the 1970s, people began to voice concern about the environment in the United States and across the planet. As research on the environment grew by leaps and bounds, some scholars and activists began to focus on environmental inequality in general and on environmental racism in particular. During the 1980s and 1990s, their research and activism spawned the environmental justice movement that has since shed important light on environmental inequality and racism and helped reduce these problems.

Research by sociologists played a key role in the beginning of the environmental justice movement and continues to play a key role today. Robert D. Bullard of Clark Atlanta University stands out among these sociologists for the impact of his early work in the 1980s on environmental racism in the South and for his continuing scholarship since then. He has been called “the father of environmental justice” and was named by Newsweek as one of the 13 most influential environmental leaders of the 20th century, along with environmental writer Rachel Carson, former vice president Al Gore, and 10 others.

Bullard’s first research project on environmental racism began in the late 1970s after his wife, an attorney, filed a lawsuit on behalf of black residents in Atlanta who were fighting the placement of a landfill in their neighborhood. To collect data for the lawsuit, Bullard studied the placement of landfills in other areas. He found that every city-owned landfill in Houston was in a black neighborhood, even though African Americans amounted to only one-fourth of Houston residents at the time. He also found that three out of four privately owned landfills were in black neighborhoods, as were six of the eight city-owned incinerators. He extended his research to other locations and later recalled what he discovered: “Without a doubt, it was a form of apartheid where whites were making decisions and black people and brown people and people of color, including Native Americans on reservations, had no seat at the table” (Dicum, 2006). Dicum, G. (2006, March 14). Meet Robert Bullard, the father of environmental justice. Grist Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.grist.org/article/dicum

In 1990, Bullard published his findings in his book Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, and Environmental Quality (Bullard, 1990). Bullard, R. D. (1990). Dumping in Dixie: Race, class, and environmental quality . Boulder, CO: Westview Press. This book described the systematic placement in several Southern states of toxic waste sites, landfills, and chemical plants in communities largely populated by low-income residents and/or African Americans. Dumping in Dixie was the first book to examine environmental racism and is widely credited with helping advance the environmental justice movement. It received some notable awards, including the Conservation Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation.

More recently, Bullard, along with other sociologists and scholars from other disciplines, has documented the impact of race and poverty on the experience of New Orleans residents affected by the flooding after Hurricane Katrina. As in many other cities, African Americans and other low-income people largely resided in the lower elevations in New Orleans, and whites and higher-income people largely resided in the higher elevations. The flooding naturally had a much greater impact on the lower elevations and thus on African Americans and the poor. After the flood, African Americans seeking new housing in various real estate markets were more likely than whites to be told that no housing was available (Bullard & Wright, 2009). Bullard, R. D., & Wright, B. (2009). Race, place, and the environment in post-Katrina New Orleans. In R. D. Bullard & B. Wright (Eds.), Race, place, and environmental justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to reclaim, rebuild, and revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast (pp. 19–48). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

For more than three decades, Robert D. Bullard has documented environmental racism in the South and elsewhere in the United States. His work alerted the nation to this issue and helped motivate the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s to begin paying attention to it. Once again, sociology has made a difference.

For example, almost all of the hazardous waste sites already mentioned are located in or near neighborhoods and communities that are largely populated by low-income people and people of color. When factories dump dangerous chemicals into rivers and lakes, the people living nearby are very likely to be low-income and of color. Around the world, the people most affected by climate change and other environmental problems are those in poor nations and, even within those nations, those who are poorer rather than those who are wealthier.

Global climate change is very likely to have its greatest impact on people in the poorest nations, even though these nations are the least responsible for greenhouse gases.

Source: Photo courtesy of Hamed Saber, http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/266139764 .

According to the American Sociological Association report mentioned earlier, the emphasis of environmental sociology on environmental inequality reflects the emphasis that the larger discipline of sociology places on social inequality: “A central finding of sociology is that unequal power dynamics shape patterns of social mobility and access to social, political, and economic resources” (Nagel, Dietz, & Broadbent, 2010, p. 17). Nagel, J., Dietz, T., & Broadbent, J. (Eds.). (2010). Workshop on sociological perspectives on global climate change . Washington, DC: National Science Foundation and American Sociological Association. The report adds that global climate change will have its greatest effects on the poorest nations: “Many of the countries least responsible for the rise in greenhouse gases will be most likely to feel its impacts in changes in weather, sea levels, health care costs, and economic hardships” (Nagel, Dietz, & Broadbent, 2010, p. 17). Nagel, J., Dietz, T., & Broadbent, J. (Eds.). (2010). Workshop on sociological perspectives on global climate change . Washington, DC: National Science Foundation and American Sociological Association.

An interesting controversy among environmental sociologists is whether social class or race plays a bigger role in environmental inequality. This controversy is called the “race-versus-class debate” (Mascarenhas, 2009). Mascarenhas, M. (2009). Environmental inequality and environmental justice. In K. A. Gould & T. L. Lewis (Eds.), Twenty lessons in environmental sociology (pp. 127–141). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Some sociologists feel that environmental inequality is mostly a matter of social class and economic inequality, and some say that environmental inequality is mostly a matter of race and racial inequality. Taking a middle ground, other sociologists believe that environmental inequality reflects both racial and social class inequality.

Some evidence shows that while low-income people are the most likely to be exposed to environmental problems, this exposure is even more likely if they are people of color than if they are white. As a review of this evidence concluded,

It would be fair to summarize this body of work as showing that the poor and especially the non-white poor bear a disproportionate burden of exposure to suboptimal, unhealthy environmental conditions in the United States. Moreover, the more researchers scrutinize environmental exposure and health data for racial and income inequalities, the stronger the evidence becomes that grave and widespread environmental injustices have occurred throughout the United States. (Evans & Kantrowitz, 2002, p. 323) Evans, G. W., & Kantrowitz, E. (2002). Socioeconomic status and health: The potential role of environmental risk exposure. Annual Review of Public Health, 23 (1), 303.

Regardless of the correct answer to the race-versus-class debate, the very existence of environmental inequality shows that social inequality in the larger society exposes some people much more than others to environmental dangers.

Improving the Environment: What Sociology Suggests

We have discussed two major emphases of environmental sociology. First, environmental problems are largely the result of human decision making and activity and thus preventable. Second, environmental problems disproportionately affect the poor and people of color.

These two insights have important implications for how to improve our environment. Simply put, we must change the behaviors and decisions of individuals, businesses, and other organizations that harm the environment, and we must do everything possible to lessen the extra environmental harm that the poor and people of color experience. Many environmental scholars and activists believe that these efforts need to focus on the corporations whose industrial activities are often so damaging to the air, water, and land. The “Learning From Other Societies” box discusses a lesson from Australia about the need for this sort of focus.

Learning From Other Societies

Lead Contamination Down Under

Lead is a toxic chemical that causes much damage, especially in children. Among the problems that lead poisoning causes are brain damage, kidney damage, and developmental disability.

During the 1980s, Australian officials responded to research linking lead to these problems by determining that several behaviors of children contributed to high lead levels. These behaviors included placing objects in one’s mouth, nail biting, and not washing one’s hands. But for children living in several smelter towns, the most important factor for their lead levels was whether they lived near a smelter.

Rather than focusing on the emissions from the smelter and on addressing the amount of lead that its activities had added to the surrounding land over the years, the Australian government instead advised parents to do a better job of household cleaning and of making sure that their children did not engage in the behaviors just listed, which contributed to their lead levels. A smelter official in the town of Port Pirie in South Australia said that “given reasonable care and hygiene, then you can live with the levels of contamination from past emissions.”

Despite this official’s assurance, lead blood levels continued to be too high. In 1993, a report by the South Australian Health Commission admitted that the focus on children’s hygiene had not worked. Despite this conclusion, government efforts to address lead poisoning in other smelter towns during the 1990s continued to focus on household cleaning and children’s personal hygiene. A study of this history of these Australian efforts concluded that the government there did not want to offend the lead companies and that the companies were more concerned with losing profits than with reducing lead pollution.

Because the government was reluctant to antagonize business, its efforts focused on the home and placed the responsibility for protecting children on their parents, especially mothers given their more central role in household work and child care. The Australian experience with lead suggests that efforts to improve the environment need to focus more on the corporations that damage the environment than on the behavior of private citizens. The behavior of private citizens is certainly important, but efforts that do not focus sufficiently on the source of environmental hazards will ultimately fail to improve our environment. From the Australian experience, the United States has much to learn. (Bryson, McPhillips, & Robinson, 2009) Bryson, L., McPhillips, K., & Robinson, K. (2009). Turning public issues into private troubles: Lead contamination, domestic labor, and the exploitation of women’s unpaid labor in Australia. In L. King & D. McCarthy (Eds.), Environmental sociology: From analysis to action (2nd ed., pp. 80–92). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Beyond these general approaches to improving the environment that sociological insights suggest, there are a number of strategies and policies that the United States and other nations could and should undertake to help the environment. Although a full discussion of these is beyond the scope of this chapter, a recent report by the Center for American Progress (Madrid, 2010) Madrid, J. (2010). From a “green farce” to a green future: Refuting false claims about immigrants and the environment . Washington, DC: Center for American Progress. recommended a number of actions for the United States to undertake, including the following:

• Establish mandatory electricity and natural gas reduction targets for utilities.
• Expand renewable energy (wind and sun) by setting a national standard of 25% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2025.
• Reduce deforestation by increasing the use of sustainable building materials and passing legislation to protect forests.
• Reduce the use of fossil fuels by several measures, including higher fuel economy standards for motor vehicles and closing down older coal-fired power plants.
• In cities, increase mass transit, develop more bicycle lanes, and develop more efficient ways of using electricity and water.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the fate of our planet depends on the successful implementation of these and other policies. Because, as sociology emphasizes, the environmental problems that confront the world are the result of human activity, changes in human activity are necessary to save the environment.

• Environmental problems are largely the result of human behavior and human decision making. Changes in human activity and decision making are thus necessary to improve the environment.
• Environmental inequality and environmental racism are significant issues. Within the United States and around the world, environmental problems are more often found where poor people and people of color reside.
• Pretend you are on a debate team and that your team is asked to argue in favor of the following resolution: Be it resolved, that air and water pollution is primarily the result of reckless human behavior rather than natural environmental changes . Using evidence from the text, write a two-minute speech (about 300 words) in favor of the resolution.
• How much of the environmental racism that exists do you think is intentional? Explain your answer.

20.5 End-of-Chapter Material

• Social change involves the transformation of cultural norms and values, behavior, social institutions, and social structure. As societies become more modern, they become larger, more heterogeneous, and more impersonal, and their sense of community declines. Traditions decline as well, while individual freedom of thought and behavior increases. Some sociologists view modernization positively, while others view it negatively. Tönnies in particular lamented the shift from the Gemeinschaft of premodern societies to the Gesellschaft of modern societies. Durkheim also recognized the negative aspects of modernization but at the same time valued the freedom of modern societies and thought they retain a good amount of social solidarity from their division of labor.
• A functionalist understanding of social change emphasizes that it is both natural and inevitable. Talcott Parsons’s equilibrium model recognized that gradual change is desirable and ordinarily stems from such things as population growth and technological advances, but that any sudden social change disrupts society’s equilibrium. Taking a very different view, conflict theory stresses that sudden social change is often both necessary and desirable to reduce inequality and to address other problems in society. Such social change often stems from intentional efforts by social movements to correct perceived deficiencies in the social, economic, and political systems.
• Several sources of social change exist. These include population growth and changes in population composition, changes in culture and technology, changes in the natural environment, and social and ethnic conflict.
• Environmental sociology is the sociological study of the environment. One major emphasis of environmental sociology is that environmental problems are largely the result of human activity and human decision making.
• A second major emphasis of environmental sociology is that environmental problems disproportionately affect low-income people and people of color. These effects are called environmental inequality and environmental racism, respectively.

Using Sociology

You are in your second year in the public relations department of a medium-sized company that owns and operates three factories along the Mississippi River. Each of the factories is discharging toxic chemicals into the river in violation of federal safety standards, and each of the factories is located near a small town populated mostly by low-income residents. The percentage of African Americans in the three towns ranges from 33% to 55%. Having had an environmental sociology course in college, you are very concerned about the factories’ pollution, but you also do not want to lose your job. Do you take any action to try to address this form of pollution, or do you remain silent? Explain your answer.

Human Impacts on the Environment

Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. These negative impacts can affect human behavior and can prompt mass migrations or battles over clean water.

Help your students understand the impact humans have on the physical environment with these classroom resources.

Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography

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Essay on Environment: Examples & Tips

• Updated on  
• May 30, 2022

In the 21st century, the Environmental crisis is one of the biggest issues. The world has been potentially impacted by the resulting hindrance in the environmental balance, due to the rising in industrialization and urbanization. This led to several natural calamities which creates an everlasting severe impact on the environment for years. To familiarize students with the importance environment, the subject ‘Environmental Studies’ is part of the curriculum in primary, secondary as well as higher school education. To test the knowledge of the students related to Environment, a question related to the topic in the form of essay or article writing is included in the exam. This blog aims to focus on providing details to students on the way, they can draft a well-written essay on Environment.

This Blog Includes:

Overview on environment, tips on writing an effective essay, format (150 words), sample essay on environment, environment essay (100 words), essay on environment (200-250 words), environment essay (300 words), world environment day.

To begin the essay on Environment, students must know what it is all about. Biotic (plants, animals, and microorganisms) and abiotic (non-living physical factors) components in our surroundings fall under the terminology of the environment. Everything that surrounds us is a part of the environment and facilitates our existence on the planet.

Before writing an effective essay on Environment, another thing students need to ensure is to get familiarised with the structure of essay writing. The major tips which students need to keep in mind, while drafting the essay are:

• Research on the given topic thoroughly : The students must research the topic given in the essay, for example: while drafting an essay on the environment, students must mention the recent events, so to provide the reader with a view into their understanding of this concept.
• Jot down the important points: When the students research the topic, students must note down the points which need to be included in the essay.
• Quote down the important examples: Students must quote the important examples in the introductory paragraphs and the subsequent paragraphs as well.
• Revise the Essay: The student after finishing writing students must revise the content to locate any grammatical errors as well as other mistakes.

Essay on Environment: Format & Samples

Now that you are aware of the key elements of drafting an essay on Environment, take a look at the format of essay writing first:

Introduction

The student must begin the essay by, detailing an overview of the topic in a very simple way in around 30-40 words. In the introduction of the essay on Environment, the student can make it interesting by recent instances or adding questions.

Body of Content

The content after the introduction can be explained in around 80 words, on a given topic in detail. This part must contain maximum detail in this part of the Essay. For the Environment essay, students can describe ways the environment is hampered and different ways to prevent and protect it.

In the essay on Environment, students can focus on summing the essay in 30-40 words, by writing its aim, types, and purposes briefly. This section must swaddle up all the details which are explained in the body of the content.

Below is a sample of an Essay on Environment to give you an idea of the way to write one:

The natural surroundings that enable life to thrive, nurture, and destroy on our planet called earth are referred to as an environment. The natural environment is vital to the survival of life on Earth, allowing humans, animals, and other living things to thrive and evolve naturally. However, our ecosystem is being harmed as a result of certain wicked and selfish human actions. It is the most essential issue, and everyone should understand how to safeguard our environment and maintain the natural balance on this planet for life to continue to exist.

Nature provides an environment that nourishes life on the planet. The environment encompasses everything humans need to live, including water, air, sunshine, land, plants, animals, forests, and other natural resources. Our surroundings play a critical role in enabling the existence of healthy life on the planet. However, due to man-made technical advancements in the current period, our environment is deteriorating day by day. As a result, environmental contamination has risen to the top of our priority list.

Environmental pollution has a detrimental impact on our everyday lives in a variety of ways, including socially, physically, economically, emotionally, and cognitively. Contamination of the environment causes a variety of ailments that can last a person’s entire life. It is not a problem of a neighborhood or a city; it is a global issue that cannot be handled by a single person’s efforts. It has the potential to end life in a day if it is not appropriately handled. Every ordinary citizen should participate in the government’s environmental protection effort.

Between June 5 and June 16, World Environment Day is commemorated to raise awareness about the environment and to educate people about its importance. On this day, awareness initiatives are held in a variety of locations.

The environment is made up of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, insects, water bodies, fish, humans, trees, microbes, and many other things. Furthermore, they all contribute to the ecosystem.

The physical, social, and cultural environments are the three categories of environments. Besides, various scientists have defined different types and numbers of environments.

1. Do not leave rubbish in public areas. 2. Minimize the use of plastic 3. Items should be reduced, reused, and recycled. 4. Prevent water and soil contamination

Hope the blog has given you an idea of how to write an essay on the Environment. If you are planning to study abroad and want help in writing your essays, then let Leverage Edu be your helping hand. Our experts will assist you in writing an excellent SOP for your study abroad consultant application. 

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

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Environmental Issues Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on environmental issues.

The environment plays a significant role to support life on earth. But there are some issues that are causing damages to life and the ecosystem of the earth. It is related to the not only environment but with everyone that lives on the planet. Besides, its main source is pollution , global warming, greenhouse gas , and many others. The everyday activities of human are constantly degrading the quality of the environment which ultimately results in the loss of survival condition from the earth.

Source of Environment Issue

There are hundreds of issue that causing damage to the environment. But in this, we are going to discuss the main causes of environmental issues because they are very dangerous to life and the ecosystem.

Pollution – It is one of the main causes of an environmental issue because it poisons the air , water , soil , and noise. As we know that in the past few decades the numbers of industries have rapidly increased. Moreover, these industries discharge their untreated waste into the water bodies, on soil, and in air. Most of these wastes contain harmful and poisonous materials that spread very easily because of the movement of water bodies and wind.

Greenhouse Gases – These are the gases which are responsible for the increase in the temperature of the earth surface. This gases directly relates to air pollution because of the pollution produced by the vehicle and factories which contains a toxic chemical that harms the life and environment of earth.

Climate Changes – Due to environmental issue the climate is changing rapidly and things like smog, acid rains are getting common. Also, the number of natural calamities is also increasing and almost every year there is flood, famine, drought , landslides, earthquakes, and many more calamities are increasing.

Above all, human being and their greed for more is the ultimate cause of all the environmental issue.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Minimize Environment Issue?

Now we know the major issues which are causing damage to the environment. So, now we can discuss the ways by which we can save our environment. For doing so we have to take some measures that will help us in fighting environmental issues .

Moreover, these issues will not only save the environment but also save the life and ecosystem of the planet. Some of the ways of minimizing environmental threat are discussed below:

Reforestation – It will not only help in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem but also help in restoring the natural cycles that work with it. Also, it will help in recharge of groundwater, maintaining the monsoon cycle , decreasing the number of carbons from the air, and many more.

The 3 R’s principle – For contributing to the environment one should have to use the 3 R’s principle that is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Moreover, it helps the environment in a lot of ways.

To conclude, we can say that humans are a major source of environmental issues. Likewise, our activities are the major reason that the level of harmful gases and pollutants have increased in the environment. But now the humans have taken this problem seriously and now working to eradicate it. Above all, if all humans contribute equally to the environment then this issue can be fight backed. The natural balance can once again be restored.

FAQs about Environmental Issue

Q.1 Name the major environmental issues. A.1 The major environmental issues are pollution, environmental degradation, resource depletion, and climate change. Besides, there are several other environmental issues that also need attention.

Q.2 What is the cause of environmental change? A.2 Human activities are the main cause of environmental change. Moreover, due to our activities, the amount of greenhouse gases has rapidly increased over the past few decades.

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Explainer: What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?

It seems like nowadays, the term ‘sustainable’ is used all around us – from food packaging to clothing companies and even tourism. In fact, ‘sustainability’ was one of the most-searched terms in fashion in 2019, and Google searches for the term have been on the rise, illustrating the public’s growing interest in the topic. But what is sustainability exactly and why is it so important?

What Is Sustainability

The go-to definition when discussing sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. And though you may have heard this before, many people do not know the origins of this definition in particular. In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission published this particular definition of sustainability in the Brundtland report , which called for a strategy that united development and the environment. Over the years, alternative definitions have emerged, but the Brundtland report’s 1980s take on the explanation is still commonly used. 

The ‘ Three Pillars of Sustainability’ is another popular framework used to describe what sustainable development is. This tool conveys that sustainability consists of environmental, social, and economic factors that are vital when discussing the topic:

• Environmental sustainability is perhaps the most obvious of the three pillars, as it symbolises the importance of things like natural resources and biodiversity to support life on Earth. 
• Social sustainability places importance on social structures, well-being, and harmony; all factors that poverty, wars, and injustices can affect.
• Economic sustainability describes the ability of an economy to grow. This is especially important in today’s societies, at a time when many sustainable initiatives require financing and a strong economic rationale. 

In order to find solutions to ongoing sustainability issues, it is imperative that we consider all three pillars.

You might also like: We Need Sustainable Food Packaging Now. Here’s Why.

What Are the Planetary Boundaries And How Do They Relate to Sustainability?

The concept of planetary boundaries (PB) is focussed on nine aspects that humanity needs in order to thrive in the future. This idea was developed in 2009 by the Stockholm Resilience Centre and other groups: “ We propose a new approach to global sustainability in which we define planetary boundaries within which we expect that humanity can operate safely. Transgressing one or more […] may be deleterious or even catastrophic due to the risk of crossing .”

At the time when this new concept was introduced, scientists believed that humanity had already transgressed three boundaries, and was rapidly approaching several others. In 2022, a re-assessment of the PBs by fourteen scientists concluded that humanity had transgressed additional boundaries, relating to freshwater and environmental pollutants in particular.

The PBs have been widely cited in sustainability literature over the last decade, and provide an illustrative tool to track and evaluate how we are depleting the Earth’s valuable ecosystem services and precious systems. Though the tool is mainly environmentally focused, it has informed various policies and practices, including the World Business Council on Sustainable Development’s Action 2020 Strategy. In turn, this has had a knock-on effect on social and economic aspects of global policy and governance, including “financial investment, food, textiles, building, technology and household goods sectors”. 

You might also like: Sustainable Alternatives to Fast Fashion

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the UN Member States. One of the most well-known elements of this were the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which set out various goals that the international community must work together to achieve – ranging from environmental and social to economic issues. 

We cannot discuss the SDGs without first acknowledging their predecessor – the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – set out in September 2000. These goals ranged from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. By the end of the 15-year cycle of the MDGs in 2015, the UN established an even more ambitious set of goals – the SDGs – to enter into force on 1 January 2016. While not all of the MDGs were met globally, significant progress was made in several areas.

The SDGs have been continually monitored and provide key benchmarks for us to understand how sustainability is being achieved worldwide. Overview reports are regularly published and comment on the nuances that significant events bring to achieving the SDGs (like the COVID-19 pandemic, for example). You can read the 2022 SDG Report here . 

You might also like: Why the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 Are More Important Than Ever

Why Is Sustainability Important?

So far, we’ve discussed the different ways that sustainability is defined and the tools and metrics we have developed on a global scale to measure our impact on the environment, societies, and economies worldwide. But why is sustainability important? 

Here are a few reasons, although the list could go on for a lot longer: 

• Sustainability joins social, environmental, and economic issues together throughout global discussions, ensuring that key elements do not get left behind. Focusing on aspects other than the environment alone ensures a fairer, more equitable discussion (as long as a diverse range of players is at the table). 
• Sustainability opens up new conversations between a range of people with diverse skills and thought processes – for example scientists, sociologists, and economists all have key skills to enable humanity to thrive and sustain the Earth. 
• The SDGs are an impactful way to evaluate our progress and have encouraged key ideas and strategies to flourish while remaining realistic about the next steps and improvements.

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Harvard students share thoughts, fears, plans to meet environmental challenges

For many, thinking about the world’s environmental future brings concern, even outright alarm.

There have been, after all, decades of increasingly strident warnings by experts and growing, ever-more-obvious signs of the Earth’s shifting climate. Couple this with a perception that past actions to address the problem have been tantamount to baby steps made by a generation of leaders who are still arguing about what to do, and even whether there really is a problem.

It’s no surprise, then, that the next generation of global environmental leaders are preparing for their chance to begin work on the problem in government, business, public health, engineering, and other fields with a real sense of mission and urgency.

The Gazette spoke to students engaged in environmental action in a variety of ways on campus to get their views of the problem today and thoughts on how their activities and work may help us meet the challenge.

Eric Fell and Eliza Spear

Fell is president and Spear is vice president of Harvard Energy Journal Club. Fell is a graduate student at the Harvard John H. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Spear is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

FELL:   For the past three centuries, fossil fuels have enabled massive growth of our civilization to where we are today. But it is now time for a new generation of cleaner-energy technologies to fuel the next chapter of humanity’s story. We’re not too late to solve this environmental challenge, but we definitely shouldn’t procrastinate as much as we have been. I don’t worry about if we’ll get it done, it’s the when. Our survival depends on it. At Harvard, I’ve been interested in the energy-storage problem and have been focusing on developing a grid-scale solution utilizing flow batteries based on organic molecules in the lab of Mike Aziz . We’ll need significant deployment of batteries to enable massive penetration of renewables into the electrical grid.

SPEAR: Processes leading to greenhouse-gas emissions are so deeply entrenched in our way of life that change continues to be incredibly slow. We need to be making dramatic structural changes, and we should all be very worried about that. In the Harvard Energy Journal Club, our focus is energy, so we strive to learn as much as we can about the diverse options for clean-energy generation in various sectors. A really important aspect of that is understanding how much of an impact those technologies, like solar, hydro, and wind, can really have on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. It’s not always as much as you’d like to believe, and there are still a lot of technical and policy challenges to overcome.

I can’t imagine working on anything else, but the question of what I’ll be working on specifically is on my mind a lot. The photovoltaics field is at a really exciting point where a new technology is just starting to break out onto the market, so there are a lot of opportunities for optimization in terms of performance, safety, and environmental impact. That’s what I’m working on now [in Roy Gordon’s lab ] and I’m really enjoying it. I’ll definitely be in the renewable-energy technology realm. The specifics will depend on where I see the greatest opportunity to make an impact.

Photo (left) courtesy of Kritika Kharbanda; photo by Tiera Satchebell.

Kritika Kharbanda ’23 and Laier-Rayshon Smith ’21

Kharbanda is with the Harvard Student Climate Change Conference, Harvard Circular Economy Symposium. Smith is a member of Climate Leaders Program for Professional Students at Harvard. Both are students at Harvard Graduate School of Design.

KHARBANDA: I come from a country where the most pressing issues are, and will be for a long time, poverty, food shortage, and unemployment born out of corruption, illiteracy, and rapid gentrification. India was the seventh-most-affected country by climate change in 2019. With two-thirds of the population living in rural areas with no access to electricity, even the notion of climate change is unimaginable.

I strongly believe that the answer lies in the conjugality of research and industry. In my field, achieving circularity in the building material processes is the burning concern. The building industry currently contributes to 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, of which 38 percent is contributed by the embedded or embodied energy used for the manufacturing of materials. A part of the Harvard i-lab, I am a co-founder of Cardinal LCA, an early stage life-cycle assessment tool that helps architects and designers visualize this embedded energy in building materials, saving up to 46 percent of the energy from the current workflow. This venture has a strong foundation as a research project for a seminar class I took at the GSD in fall 2020, instructed by Jonathan Grinham. I am currently working as a sustainability engineer at Henning Larsen architects in Copenhagen while on a leave of absence from GSD. In the decades to come, I aspire to continue working on the embodied carbon aspect of the building industry. Devising an avant garde strategy to record the embedded carbon is the key. In the end, whose carbon is it, anyway?

SMITH: The biggest challenges are areas where the threat of climate change intersects with environmental justice. It is important that we ensure that climate-change mitigation and adaptation strategies are equitable, whether it is sea-level rise or the increase in urban heat islands. We should seek to address the threats faced by the most vulnerable communities — the communities least able to resolve the threat themselves. These often tend to be low-income communities and communities of color that for decades have been burdened with bearing the brunt of environmental health hazards.

During my time at Harvard, I have come to understand how urban planning and design can seek to address this challenge. Planners and designers can develop strategies to prioritize communities that are facing a significant climate-change risk, but because of other structural injustices may not be able to access the resources to mitigate the risk. I also learned about climate gentrification: a phenomenon in which people in wealthier communities move to areas with lower risks of climate-change threats that are/were previously lower-income communities. I expect to work on many of these issues, as many are connected and are threats to communities across the country. From disinvestment and economic extraction to the struggle to find quality affordable housing, these injustices allow for significant disparities in life outcomes and dealing with risk.

Lucy Shaw ’21

Shaw is co-president of the HBS Energy and Environment Club. She is a joint-degree student at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School.

SHAW: I want to see a world where climate change is averted and the environment preserved, without it being at the expense of the development and prosperity of lower-income countries. We have, or are on the cusp of having, many of the financial and technological tools we need to reduce emissions and environmental damage from a wide array of industries, such as agriculture, energy, and transport. The challenge I am most worried about is how we balance economic growth and opportunity with reducing humanity’s environmental impact and share this burden equitably across countries.

I came to Harvard as a joint degree student at the Kennedy School and Business School to be able to see this challenge from two different angles. In my policy-oriented classes, we learned about the opportunities and challenges of global coordination among national governments — the difficulty in enforcing climate agreements, and in allocating and agreeing on who bears the responsibility and the costs of change, but also the huge potential that an international framework with nationally binding laws on environmental protection and carbon-emission reduction could have on changing the behavior of people and businesses. In my business-oriented classes, we learned about the power of business to create change, if there is a driven leadership. We also learned that people and businesses respond to incentives, and the importance of reducing cost of technologies or increasing the cost of not switching to more sustainable technologies — for example, through a tax. After graduate school, I plan to join a leading private equity investor in their growing infrastructure team, which will equip me with tools to understand what makes a good investment in infrastructure and what are the opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of infrastructure while enhancing its value. I hope to one day be involved in shaping environmental and development policy, whether it is on a national or international level.

Photo (left) by Tabitha Soren.

Quinn Lewis ’23 and Suhaas Bhat ’24

Both are with the Student Climate Change Conference, Harvard College.

LEWIS:   When I was a kid, I imagined being an adult as a future with a stable house, a fun job, and happy kids. That future didn’t include wildfires that obscured the sun for months, global water shortages, or billionaires escaping to terrariums on Mars. The threats are so great and so assured by inaction that it’s very hard for me to justify doing anything else with my time and attention because very little will matter if there’s 1 billion climate refugees and significant portions of the continental United States become uninhabitable for human life.

For whatever reason, I still feel a great deal of hope around giving it a shot. I can’t imagine not working to mitigate the climate crisis. Media and journalism will play a huge role in raising awareness, as they generate public pressure that can sway those in power. Another route for change is to cut directly to those in power and try to convince them of the urgency of the situation. Given that I am 22 years old, it is much easier to raise public awareness or work in media and journalism than it is to sit down with some of the most powerful people on the planet, who tend to be rather busy. At school, I’m on a team that runs the University-wide Student Climate Change Conference at Harvard, which is a platform for speakers from diverse backgrounds to discuss the climate crisis and ways students and educators can take immediate and effective action. Also, I write about and research challenges and solutions to the climate crisis through the lenses of geopolitics and the global economy, both as a student at the College and as a case writer at the Harvard Business School. Outside of Harvard, I have worked in investigative journalism and at Crooked Media, as well as on political campaigns to indirectly and directly drive urgency around the climate crisis.

BHAT:   The failure to act on climate change in the last few decades, despite mountains of scientific evidence, is a consequence of political and institutional cowardice. Fossil fuel companies have obfuscated, misinformed, and lobbied for decades, and governments have failed to act in the best interests of their citizens. Of course, the fight against climate change is complex and multidimensional, requiring scientific, technical, and entrepreneurial expertise, but it will ultimately require systemic change to allow these talents to shine.

At Harvard, my work on climate has been focused on running the Harvard Student Climate Conference, as well as organizing for Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard. My hope for the Climate Conference is to provide students access to speakers who have dedicated their careers to all aspects of the fight against climate change, so that students interested in working on climate have more direction and inspiration for what to do with their careers. We’ve featured Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, members of the Sunrise Movement, and the CEO of Impossible Foods as some examples of inspiring and impactful people who are working against climate change today.

I organize for FFDH because I believe that serious institutional change is necessary for solving the climate crisis and also because of a sort of patriotism I have for Harvard. I deeply respect and care for this institution, and genuinely believe it is an incredible force for good in the world. At the same time, I believe Harvard has a moral duty to stand against the corporations whose misdeeds and falsification of science have enabled the climate crisis.

Libby Dimenstein ’22

Dimenstein is co-president of Harvard Law School Environmental Law Society.

DIMENSTEIN:   Climate change is the one truly existential threat that my generation has had to face. What’s most scary is that we know it’s happening. We know how bad it will be; we know people are already dying from it; and we still have done so little relative to the magnitude of the problem. I also worry that people don’t see climate change as an “everyone problem,” and more as a problem for people who have the time and money to worry about it, when in reality it will harm people who are already disadvantaged the most.

I want to recognize Professor Wendy Jacobs, who recently passed away. Wendy founded HLS’s fantastic Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, and she also created an interdisciplinary class called the Climate Solutions Living Lab. In the lab, groups of students drawn from throughout the University would conduct real-world projects to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The class was hard, because actually reducing greenhouse gases is hard, but it taught us about the work that needs to be done. This summer I’m interning with the Environmental Defense Fund’s U.S. Clean Air Team, and I anticipate a lot of my work will revolve around the climate. After graduating, I’m hoping to do environmental litigation, either with a governmental division or a nonprofit, but I also have an interest in policy work: Impact litigation is fascinating and important, but what we need most is sweeping policy change.

Candice Chen ’22 and Noah Secondo ’22

Chen and Secondo are co-directors of the Harvard Environmental Action Committee. Both attend Harvard College.

SECONDO: The environment is fundamental to rural Americans’ identity, but they do not believe — as much as urban Americans — that the government can solve environmental problems. Without the whole country mobilized and enthusiastic, from New Hampshire to Nebraska, we will fail to confront the climate crisis. I have no doubt that we can solve this problem. To rebuild trust between the U.S. government and rural communities, federal departments and agencies need to speak with rural stakeholders, partner with state and local leaders, and foreground rural voices. Through the Harvard College Democrats and the Environmental Action Committee, I have contributed to local advocacy efforts and creative projects, including an environmental art publication.

I hope to work in government to keep the policy development and implementation processes receptive to rural perspectives, including in the environmental arena. At every level of government, if we work with each other in good faith, we will tackle the climate crisis and be better for it.

CHEN: I’m passionate about promoting more sustainable, plant-based diets. As individual consumers, we have very little control over the actions of the largest emitters, massive corporations, but we can all collectively make dietary decisions that can avoid a lot of environmental degradation. Our food system is currently very wasteful, and our overreliance on animal agriculture devastates natural ecosystems, produces lots of potent greenhouse gases, and creates many human health hazards from poor animal-waste disposal. I feel like the climate conversation is often focused around the clean energy transition, and while it is certainly the largest component of how we can avoid the worst effects of global warming, the dietary conversation is too often overlooked. A more sustainable future also requires us to rethink agriculture, and especially what types of agriculture our government subsidizes. In the coming years, I hope that more will consider the outsized environmental impact of animal agriculture and will consider making more plant-based food swaps.

To raise awareness of the environmental benefits of adopting a more plant-based diet, I’ve been involved with running a campaign through the Environmental Action Committee called Veguary. Veguary encourages participants to try going vegetarian or vegan for the month of February, and participants receive estimates for how much their carbon/water/land use footprints have changed based on their pledged dietary changes for the month.

Photo (left) courtesy of Cristina Su Liu.

Cristina Su Liu ’22 and James Healy ’21

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Liu is with Harvard Climate Leaders Program for Professional Students. Healy is with the Harvard Student Climate Change Conference. Both are students at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

HEALY:   As a public health student I see so many environmental challenges, be it the 90 percent of the world who breathe unhealthy air, or the disproportionate effects of extreme heat on communities of color, or the environmental disruptions to the natural world and the zoonotic disease that humans are increasingly being exposed to. But the central commonality at the heart of all these crises is the climate crisis. Climate change, from the greenhouse-gas emissions to the physical heating of the Earth, is worsening all of these environmental crises. That’s why I call the climate crisis the great exacerbator. While we will all feel the effects of climate change, it will not be felt equally. Whether it’s racial inequity or wealth inequality, the climate crisis is widening these already gaping divides.

Solutions may have to be outside of our current road maps for confronting crises. I have seen the success of individual efforts and private innovation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, from individuals wearing masks and social distancing to the huge advances in vaccine development. But for climate change, individual efforts and innovation won’t be enough. I would be in favor of policy reform and coalition-building between new actors. As an overseer of the Harvard Student Climate Change Conference and the Harvard Climate Leaders Program, I’ve aimed to help mobilize Harvard’s diverse community to tackle climate change. I am also researching how climate change makes U.S. temperatures more variable, and how that’s reducing the life expectancies of Medicare recipients. The goal of this research, with Professor Joel Schwartz, will be to understand the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. I certainly hope to expand on these themes in my future work.

SU LIU:  A climate solution will need to be a joint effort from the whole society, not just people inside the environmental or climate circles. In addition to cross-sectoral cooperation, solving climate change will require much stronger international cooperation so that technologies, projects, and resources can be developed and shared globally. As a Chinese-Brazilian student currently studying in the United States, I find it very valuable to learn about the climate challenges and solutions of each of these countries, and how these can or cannot be applied in other settings. China-U.S. relations are tense right now, but I hope that climate talks can still go ahead since we have much to learn from each other.

Personally, as a student in environmental health at [the Harvard Chan School], I feel that my contribution to addressing this challenge until now has been in doing research, learning more about the health impacts of climate change, and most importantly, learning how to communicate climate issues to people outside climate circles. Every week there are several climate-change events at Harvard, where a different perspective on climate change is addressed. It has been very inspiring for me, and I feel that I could learn about climate change in a more holistic way.

Recently, I started an internship at FXB Village, where I am working on developing and integrating climate resilience indicators into their poverty-alleviation program in rural communities in Puebla, Mexico. It has been very rewarding to introduce climate-change and climate-resilience topics to people working on poverty alleviation and see how everything is interconnected. When we address climate resilience, we are also addressing access to basic services, livelihoods, health, equity, and quality of life in general. This is where climate justice is addressed, and that is a very powerful idea.

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While my first intellectual inspiration for environmental causes originated from the steps Bhutan, a small Himalayan nation, took to become carbon-negative, my initial exposure to environmental issues was through an after-school sailing program. Beyond that, I also learned practical skills, like tying knots and working with construction equipment and materials.

Once a week, rain or shine, I — as well as groups of students from 12 high schools on the lower west side of Manhattan — would spend three to four hours in a boathouse on Pier 66 at Hudson River Park. For the first 30 minutes students would catch up with fellow sailors and instructors before conducting various water quality tests. We would check the pH level, confirm change in temperature, and record the direction and speed of the current in order to prepare for a sail. Feeling the brisk and fresh air of the Hudson River shoot by you while sitting at the bow is a rush, not to mention the various other sailboats, tourist vessels, and barges trailing off the port and starboard sides we had to keep in mind! 

These simple, yet impregnable, moments on and around the Hudson River, and the Long Island Sound in my third year, left a permanent, venerable impact on my relationship with the natural world. The combination of environmental and engineering sciences coupled with live experiences with nature and water systems in an urban setting established my passions for science communication, community activism, and environmental governance.

What is HRCS?

The sailing program I joined, Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS), is an educational nonprofit that partnered with several high schools in lower Manhattan to teach sailing and maritime skills and offer for-credit classes.

To be honest, HRCS was one of the reasons why I went to my high school, Lab High School for Collaborative Studies. I had always struggled with math throughout my childhood even though I was very passionate about science and understanding the natural world. Even though other schools had better facilities or more class options, I wanted an interdisciplinary program that would foster a sense of community while encouraging an appreciation of STEM fields.

So when I learned that I had a chance to sail in my spare time while receiving academic support for math, I knew that this would be an incredible opportunity.

Skills and lessons 

HRCS is structured in three stages: Sailing by Numbers, Ocean Literacy, and First Mates. As a first year, the course Sailing by Number s delves into basic mathematical concepts in algebra and geometry while incorporating on-water sailing and boat-building components. The year ends with a sailing trip to Dyckman Marina, another HRCS port in Inwood Park. Students in this program earn 1 math credit and 1 gym credit. 

As a second year, the course Ocean Literacy focuses on ecology, environmental science, and meteorology, while implementing this knowledge on the water through more advanced sailing navigation. At the end of the fall, students will sail past the Statue of Liberty. My trip to the Palisades was truly an eye-opening experience in that it made me realize the built environment (e.g., New York City) and the natural environment (e.g., the Palisades) were co-equal parts of the human experience. At the end of the spring, students sail to Palisades Park and engage in water quality testing. Running my fingers through the water while the sailboat maneuvered the Hudson River coast for other vessels and marine debris reinforced this notion that humans are just one part of the Earth, and yet our impact was far more intrusive and toxic than it should be. Picking up litter and trash throughout the Palisade trails while interacting with a baby raccoon, deer, and other wildlife convinced me of the direct, positive impact humanity can have with fellow lifeforms if we set the intention and take action.

For the remainder of their time at HRCS, students have the opportunity to choose a series of specialty tracks — Skipper, Exploring, Racing, and Building — in First Mates . During my two years as a first mate, I was a skipper, explorer and builder because I wanted to gain a broad understanding of what I could learn about environmental problems, solutions, and their impacts.

As a Skipper, most of the time is spent on nautical skills and operating various forms of on-water-vehicles, including catamarans, dinghies, J24s and J40s. J24s and J40s are classic sailing boats with one main hull/body, with the numbers referring to the length of the boats themselves. A catamaran is a boat with two parallel-sized hulls and a wide-beam connecting the two. Meanwhile, a dinghy is a small vessel that allows sailors to get to and from the docks and the sailboats. One of my favorite pastimes while on the water was practicing emergency maneuvers around a substantial piece of marine debris (e.g., car tires, rotten wood with nails or metal, plastic bins, etc.) because I knew that it would have a direct impact on the health of marine life, as well as prevent any unnecessary accidents for other vessels. In other words, the notion of the Gaia Hypothesis principle — living and non-living organisms interact in a symbiotic manner that perpetuates life as we know it — was instilled before I even learned about it in an academic setting.

The Explorers are responsible for understanding the logistics of sailing expeditions and carrying out one themselves. There are instructors present during the preparation of and the trips themselves, however it is the Explorers’ responsibility to know what supplies to pack, which courses to set, what the weather forecasts will be (in real time), among other things. During one of our trips into New York City, we split up into groups along the Gowanus canal in Brooklyn — one of New York State’s 87 Superfund sites — to conduct water quality tests and monitor oyster growth and health. Gowanus was marked as a site in 2008 and restoration began in 2013, approximately two years before we went on this trip. Even though the Gowanus canal was an environmental and public health disaster for a long time, it was inspiring to see the rejuvenation of wildlife and revitalization of the built environment around it.

Builders have plenty of creativity to utilize woodworking and engineering skills to build a myriad of projects. In the past, students have built dinghies of varying lengths and shapes as a way to supply more vessels for the program. I worked in a group that brainstormed and prepared a self-catching marine debris contraption that we planned to place in the Hudson River right next to the HRCS boathouse.

The impacts

I had the incredible opportunity to explore my passion for social and environmental issues during my time at HRCS. More than that, I also learned practical skills while bonding with other high school students that I probably would not have met otherwise.

I had the opportunity to be a Skipper, Explorer and Builder during my four semesters in the First Mates program. As a Skipper, I gained my New York State Boat Operator’s License which gave me permission to operate any aquatic vehicle less than 65 feet in length. Moreover, I acquired plenty of experience on the water through hours of sailing, rigging, and derigging J24s. 

As I mentioned earlier, as a Builder I worked with a team that designed a rudimentary, pulley system device, made of twine and PCP rods, that would hypothetically catch marine debris in a passive way. Even though it never made it further than various models, the combination of physically designing and creating these models coupled with determining an environmental impact assessment encouraged me to take on a holistic approach to multi-faceted problems such as marine-debris collection in an urban environment. As a city kid, it was incredibly profound to have constant interactions with wildlife because it instilled a kinship to the natural world which, I believe, mirrored that of transcendentalist thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The fluttering wings of geese and seagulls wavering over the  mirage of blue and green waves on the Hudson reminds me of a quote by the former: “Every natural action is graceful.”

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612 Environment Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for interesting environment essay topics? This field is really exciting and worth studying!

🏆 Best Environment Essay Examples & Topics

👍 interesting environment topic ideas, 🎓 simple & easy environment essay titles, 🥇 easy environment essay topics, 📌 more topics on environment, 💡 good research topics about environment, ❓ environment essay questions.

Environment study field includes the issues of air, soil, and water pollution in the world, environment conservation, global climate change, urban ecology, and much more. In this article, we’ve gathered interesting environmental topics to write about. You might want to use one of them for your argumentative or persuasive essay, research paper, and presentation. There is also a number of great environment essay examples.

• Human Impact on Environment Another important action we perform to improve the situation with water is avoiding water pollution. It helps to keep the healthy and to reduce water pollution.
• Protecting the Environment Protecting the environment is the act of taking care of natural resources and using them rationally to prevent annihilation and pollution.
• Mining and Its Impact on the Environment The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the effects of mining on the environment. This approach is sustainable and capable of reducing the dangers of mining.
• Electric Car and the Environment Other factors that contributed to the rise in demand of electric cars included a rise in oil prices and the need to conserve the environment by controlling the rate of greenhouse gas emission. One of […]
• Environmental Concerns in the Modern World Loss of biodiversity which is the decrease of species in ecosystems is also among the major concern faced by human race.
• The Effect of Technology on the Environment At the present moment, humankind has to resolve one of the most complicated dilemmas in its history, in particular how to achieve equilibrium between the needs of people or and the risks to the Earth.
• Impact of Science and Technology on the Natural Environment He “is constantly aware of the influence of nature in the form of the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats, and the flow of energy and information”.
• Solution to Environmental Problems Environmental problems can therefore, be defined as the issues that result to the degradation of the environment because of the negative actions of human beings on the biophysical environment.
• Plastic vs Paper Bags: Production and Environment Though the production of plastic bags is frequently banned nowadays because of considerable harm to the animal world and marine life, the effects of this product on people and the environment seem to be less […]
• Impacts of Overpopulation on the Environment Other primary causes of deforestation are construction of roads and residential houses to cater for the increasing population. As the natural habitats are destroyed, many wildlife species have been displaced and many died due to […]
• Human Behavior Effects on the Environment However, while some people are doing all they can to protect the environment, some are participating in activities that cause harm to the environment.
• Bakhoor as a Harmful Incense for Health and Environment In this study, the researcher will conduct a scientific investigation to determine if, indeed, the use of Bahkoor in the United Arab Emirates is harmful to the environment.
• Overcrowding in Cities as Social & Environmental Problem Uncontrolled growth in the number of cities leads to the unchecked spread of pollution and the escalation of poverty. Atmospheric pollution is the most serious in cities, and its primary source is road transport, which […]
• Globalization and Environment Essay While this is the case, citizens equally have a role to play in addressing the issue of globalization and climate change.
• Poverty and the Environment The human population affects the environment negatively due to poverty resulting to environmental degradation and a cycle of poverty. Poverty and the environment are interlinked as poverty leads to degradation of the environment.
• Climate Change: Human Impact on the Environment This paper is an in-depth exploration of the effects that human activities have had on the environment, and the way the same is captured in the movie, The Eleventh Hour.
• Panama Canal and Its Environmental Impacts The construction of the Panama Canal has profound local environmental impacts which are based on socio-political management of the project that has demonstrated the infrastructural and ecological interdependence of its service as a global transportation […]
• Human Population and the Environment The fertility rate of a given species will depend on the life history characteristics of the species such as the number of reproductive periods in the lifetime of the species and the number of offspring […]
• Overconsumption and Its Impact on the Environment The purpose is to examine the statement’s applicability in light of global mineral production and consumption, emphasizing the Canadian resource industry.
• Humanity and the Environment Many key factors affect the relationship between population and the environment within a particular region, including the number of inhabitants, their living standards and needs, technological advancements, the population’s attitude and philosophy towards nature, and […]
• Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in the Development of Sustainable Environmental Initiatives 1 The questions that currently ringer in people’s mind include why the NGOs are increasingly participating in environmental conservation projects, whether their initiatives are different from those they initiated in the past, and what exactly […]
• Food Production and The Environment So all aspects of production – the cultivation and collection of plants, the maintenance of animals, the processing of products, their packaging, and transportation, affect the environment.
• Environment and Human Attitude Towards It Although the issue of attitude towards the environment can address most of the predicaments affecting humanity today, there are various actions and initiatives that can be undertaken to transform the situation and reduce people’s ecological […]
• The Concept of Environmental Ethics Environmental ethics is concerned with the ethical relationship of human beings with the environment. Human beings must relate ethically with all other living organisms.
• Mining and Environment in Papua New Guinea In line with this commitment, the company implemented some of its strategies as indicated in the 2017 report on its operations in Chile.
• Environmental Abuse and Its Adverse Effects The poor are often the most affected by environmental abuse, as they are the least able to protect themselves from the harmful effects of pollution and other environmental hazards.
• Urbanization and the Environment Due to urbanization, the number, the size, the kind and the compactness of cities, in addition to the effectiveness of their management of the environment are major concerns for attainment of the international sustainability.
• The Effect of Plastic Water Bottles on the Environment In addition, the proponents of plastic use have argued that recycling is an effective method of mitigating the effects of plastic to the environment.
• Tourism – Environment Relationships Relationship between tourism and the environment There is a great dependency of tourism on the environment as described by Holden and Fennel’s book The Routledge Handbook of Tourism and Environment.
• E-Waste Management in the School Environment Recycling Recycling is one of the best ways of managing e-waste in the school. Specifically, the school should roll out a comprehensive campaign on the need to dump the e-wastes in these bins.
• Green Buildings and Environmental Sustainability This paper scrutinizes the characteristics that need to be possessed by a building for it to qualify as green coupled with questioning the capacity of the green movements across the globe to prescribe the construction […]
• Environmental Pollution and Its Effect on Health In climate change, due to air pollution, the main force to prevent environmental disasters need to change the approach to the production of substances from fossil fuels.
• Human Impact to the Environment – Cuba Deforestation Issue One of the most significant aspects during the political eras in the nation that characterized the political development was the fluctuation in deforestation.
• E-Waste Management for the Local Environment The negative consequence of poor e-waste management, such as poor e-waste disposal, might cue the thoughts of the locals on the need to improve on their environmental awareness, thus joining the local environmental organization proposed.
• Environmental Pollution: Causes and Solutions The consequences that have risen as a result of neglecting to take care of the environment have now become a reality to the whole of mankind.
• Disney’s Representations of Nature At the end of the films, man’s relation to nature shows a strong sense of commitment to conservation. It is the swamp which ultimately leads Snow White to a teeming life of the forest.
• Fog and Its Effects on the Environment Depending on where and how the cooling effect takes place, the appearance and lasting duration of fog are affected and using this scientists have been able to categorize fog into various groups namely steaming fog, […]
• Construction Solutions in Saline Environment The researcher concluded that, indeed, salinity is one of the major causes of concrete disintegration and reduces the durability of buildings in saline environments.
• Are Electric Vehicles Better for the Environment? This article reviews and evaluates the energy efficiency and environmental impact of electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries. Electric cars meet these requirements and provide opportunities for people to create transport that is safe for the […]
• Importance of Environmental Studies for Society It is upon the people to take care of the planet and understanding how human activities affect the environment is a critical step in that process.
• The Nestle Company’s Environmental Sustainability Efforts What I like about Nestle’s environmental sustainability efforts: Nestle’s environmental sustainability efforts are concise and clear towards the company’s sustainability plans, that is, clear goals and objectives which are time bound. The company’s sustainability efforts […]
• Food Contamination and Adulteration: Environmental Problems, Food Habits, Way of Cultivation The purpose of this essay is to explain reasons for different kinds of food contamination and adulteration, harmful contaminants and adulterants and the diseases caused by the usage of those substances, prevention of food contamination […]
• Environmental Impacts and Solutions: Solid Waste The objective of solid waste management is to reduce the amount of solid waste disposed on land and lead to the recovery of material from solid waste through various recycling efforts.
• Expanding Oil Refinery: Environmental and Health Effects Thus, this analytical treatise attempts to explicitly discuss the environmental and health consequences of locating the proposed oil refinery near the human settlement of Utah. Therefore, refinery of oil and production of gases is expected […]
• Environmental Initiative: Reducing Plastic Waste In this presentation, it has been proposed to reduce the use of plastic products despite their wide popularity.
• Hairy Frog’s Adaptations and Environment It releases the claw by contracting the muscles in its rear feet and causing the claw to appear by piercing the frog’s skin.
• Environmental Assessment – Environmental Management Systems Additionally, a good EMS is usually structured in a manner that allows the identification of the impact of the organization on the environment.
• The Impact of Food Habits on the Environment The topic of this research is based on the issue of human-induced pollution or another environmental impact that affect the Earth and dietary approaches that can improve the situation.
• Negative Impact on the Environment The fact that human activity and industrial development negatively affect the environment is not debated because the sad reality shows that oceans, soil, and air are polluted, and many species are endangered. Overall, the main […]
• Importance of Recycling in Conservation of the Environment This piece of work looks at the different aspects associated with the process of recycling with much emphasis being given to the history of recycling and the facts associated with recycling process.
• E- Commerce and the Environment Introduction Reliance on the internet and mobile devices to do business leads to the so-called E-commerce. The term is hardly old, based on its adoption in the 2000s after the internet revolution. E-commerce is a real force in the present and future business world due to several facets. For example, the invention’s capacity to eliminate […]
• Technology Impact on Society and Environment It is possible to think of a variety of effects of technology. Availability of food also adds to the increase of people’s lifespan.
• Environmental Impact of Bottled Water The process of manufacturing the water bottles, such as the dependence on fossil fuels, is causing a lot of direct as well indirect destructing to the environment.
• Endangered Species: Modern Environmental Problem Some of the activities which cause danger to these species include the following; This refers to loss of a place to live for the animals and can also be expressed as the ecosystem or the […]
• Overpopulation Effects on the Environment In comparison to the population in 2000, the population in 2050 is predicted to rise by 47 percent. The aim of this research is to describe the effects of overpopulation on land, air, and food […]
• Network Organizations and Environmental Processes The contractor has the right to coordinate the work of the partners and determines the basic requirements for the fulfillment of the tasks set, but the individual characteristics of partners’ activities remain inviolable.
• A Study of the Brine Shrimps and Their Natural Environment Brine shrimps can be used as environmental indicators and this is because one of the fundamental requirements in the breeding them is a salty environment.
• Historical Relationship of the Choctaws, Pawnees, and Navajos and How It Is Changing the Environment To begin with, the hunting practices of this native group, as well as the invasion of the European into their land, led to a great decline in the herds of the white-tailed deer in the […]
• Plastic Reusable Bags for Green Environment Studies have also shown that the production process of these bags does less harm to the environment as compared to plastic or paper bags.
• The Importance of Saving the Environment Toxins and contaminants pollute the environment and consequently interfere with the health of man and other animals. In other words, the future is guaranteed if the environment can be safeguarded and preserved at the current […]
• Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences The essay will provide an overview of pollution and proffer solutions to combating pollution for a sustainable environment and health. Preventing pollution lowers the cost to the environment and the economy.
• Wood and Its Importance for Environment Support Despite the intentions to use wood in a variety of ways without thinking about consequences, wood has to be considered as a helpful natural resource with many positive impacts on the environment, human health, and […]
• The Aral Sea’s Environmental Issues Prior to its destruction, the Sea was one of the biggest water bodies, rich in different species of flora and fauna; a case that is opposite today, as the sea is almost becoming extinct.
• Culture and Leadership in a Safe Industrial Environment To begin with, staff involvement enabled the health and safety professionals to incorporate the expectations of the employees in the goals and objectives of the EHS program.
• Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges of Urbanization in Lagos However, the city’s rapid economic growth has led to high population density due to urbanization, creating social, economic, and environmental challenges the challenges include poverty, unemployment, sanitation, poor and inadequate transport infrastructure, congestion in the […]
• A Role of Human Beings in Protecting the Environment This attitude would be informed by the notion that humans are engaging in actions intended to transform the planet and the natural environment in order to suit them.
• Tundra Biome: Environmental Impacts on Organisms The major difference between the alpine and the arctic tundra is that the alpine grounds are not covered by the permafrost.
• Fish Farming Impacts on the Environment To begin with, according to Abel and Robert, fish farming has been generalized to have adverse effects on the environment, which ranges from the obliteration of the coastal habitats which are sensitive in the environment, […]
• Environmental Health Factors: Positive & Negative Additionally, it will expound on the impacts of nutrition, globalization, and observance of human rights to an individual’s health. Some of the positive environmental factors include adequate sources of nutrition, availability of safe water, presence […]
• Environmental Protection and Waste Management The analysis also focuses on the intellectual behaviour of people regarding the environmental effects of waste. There is lack of strong basis for scientific findings and current guidance is causing the environmental challenges to become […]
• Australian Fires and Their Environmental Impact Mass fires continued for almost six months on the territory of the country, which destroyed the region, commensurate with the area of some European countries. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the consequences […]
• Environmental Factors in the Emergence of the Egyptian Civilization Importantly, the physical composition of the land and natural resources alongside artifacts of ancient Egypt had a substantial impact on the country’s growth and development.
• Environmental Issues of Rwanda Extensive farming, as well as animal husbandry, is a common phenomenon in the country, hence leading to serious environmental degradation on the land. Deteriorating quality of water and extinction threat to wetlands in the country […]
• Environmental Impacts of Tourism The sphere of tourism is reliant on the environment of the sites in which the visitors are interested. The industry of invasive tourism continues to grow people are becoming more and more interested in traveling […]
• Carbon Taxes in Environmental Protection In addition, application of the strategy extends to the use of fuels and the amount of carbon emitted in the process of production.
• Moral Obligations in Environment Synergy between the four components of the environment is crucial to the stability of the environment. In this regard, the lack of moral obligation in human beings when interacting with land amounts to a violation […]
• The Impact of Green Energy on Environment and Sustainable Development Traditional methods of receiving the necessary amount of power for meeting the needs of the developed cites and industries cannot be discussed as efficient according to the threat of the environmental pollution which is the […]
• Food Web and Impact of Environmental Degradation In the course of this paper, ‘conservation’ refers to the preservation of natural resources that are, in any way, involved in the functioning of the food web.
• Environmental Problem of the Ok Tedi Copper Mine In this case, the agreement achieved by the BHP and the government of Papua New Guinea cannot be discussed as ethically appropriate and effective because the decision to continue operations without the significant changes in […]
• Fast Fashion’s Negative Impact on the Environment And this is the constant increase in production capacity, the low quality of the product, and the use of the labor of the population of developing countries.
• Environment: Endangered Species Global warming also increases the risk of storms and drought, affecting food supply, which may cause death to both humans and animals.
• Islamic Architecture: Environment and Climate The work of Erzen explains that the development of architectural styles and methods of innovation in the various regions of the world is often the result of responses to the natural environment.
• Environmental Law in New South Wales The most important aspect of environmental protection is the use of laws, which define the interaction between human beings and the natural environment.
• Business Obligations With Respect to Environment The analysis focuses on the ethical concerns faced by Virgin Blue Holdings which is one of the major airline company’s in Australia, and how the management deals with these issues within the environmental setup.
• Environmental Perils: Climate Change Issue Many people have been lamenting over the issue of the climate crisis, For instance, Mindy Lubber, a former regional administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, delivered a speech in October 2008 at a […]
• Animal Testing and Environmental Protection While the proponents of animal use in research argued that the sacrifice of animals’ lives is crucial for advancing the sphere of medicine, the argument this essay will defend relates to the availability of modern […]
• Human-Environment Interdependence The problem of the environment change and the attitude of people to their own culture remains one of the most curious and urgent problems of modern time.
• America’s Major Environmental Challenges The government has to acknowledge that the US and the international community still require fossil fuels and therefore regulation procedures as well as policies governing new technologies like coal-to-liquids conversion plants have to be reviewed […]
• Natural Resources and the Environment For example, the use of natural gas, oil, and coal leads to the production of carbon dioxide, which pollutes the environment.
• Environmental Impacts of Cruise Tourism Many societies, nations, and communities have embraced the concept of sustainable tourism in order to benefit the most from it. The authors of the above article focused on the issue of cruise tourism.
• Impact of Emirates Airlines’ Operations on the Environment This makes it difficult for Emirates to develop policies that can have a direct influence on the environmental performance of the aircrafts.
• Water and Environment Engineering The village is situated in the Northwestern part of the state, near the seacoast. However, one of the village residents made an offer to the turtle and the latter allowed humans to use water from […]
• Application of Geography (GIS) in Biotechnology in Field of Agriculture and Environment According to Wyland, “the ability of GIS to analyze and visualize agricultural environments and work flows has proved to be very beneficial to those involved in the farming industry”.
• Wireless Power Transmission Implication for the Environment Designing the coils would form the trickiest task, since they have to be adjusted to the right frequency relying on the distance of the wire, the amount of loops in the wire and the capacitor.
• Impact of Full Moon Party on Environment The disreputable occasion in Thailand that attracts millions of tourists around the globe is known as the Full Moon Party. According to Uysal and Williams, the full moon party has shocking and direct effects on […]
• Approaches to the Environmental Ethics The ethical approach Victor expresses is the one that humanity has used for centuries, which made the planet convenient for people, but it also led to the gradual destruction of the environment. The benefit of […]
• Environment in the Novel “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn The arguments made by the gorilla have enabled me to understand that humankind should not be separated and categorized as superior to the rest of living organisms.
• Eating Habits and Environmental Worldviews The prioritization of organic food will be a significant contribution to sustainable food consumption with potential benefits in the long-term perspective of the planet and nature.
• The Impact of the Food Industry on the Environment The food industry is a vital and integral part of the functioning of modern society and the economy. In addition to recognizing and combating this fact, it is necessary to identify what is the most […]
• Environmental Policy Recommendation Furthermore, the policymakers need to be fully supported by the relevant agencies such as the ministry of environment to eliminate the existing and the projected obstacles that will prevent the full implementation of renewable energy […]
• Air Cargo Impact on the Environment Consequently, the intensity of emissions by air cargo is less than that of other forms of transport such as road and ship.
• Environmental Factors and Health Promotion: Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution This presentation offers some information about the damage of air pollution and presents a health promotion plan with helpful resources and evidence from research.
• The Genus Rosa’s Adaptation to the Environment Alternative hypothesis: The abundance and distribution of stomata, storage, transport, and floral structures have a substantial influence on the adaptation of the genus Rosa to its environment.
• Influence of Car Emissions on the Environment Emissions from cars are also damaging to the environment, destroying the surrounding through adding to the green house effect damaging the quality of the air as well as depleting the ozone.
• US Government and Environmental Concerns Although the levels of these six pollutants are consistently declining since the 1980s, the EPA admitted in their latest report that “ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution continue to present challenges” in numerous US cities.
• Environmental Impact of Livestock Production The implications of the article were concerned with the need to bring the attention of the public to the issue that the livestock sector requires the use of a large number of natural resources while […]
• Relationship Between Population and the Environment The results revealed after the statistical analysis was performed that there is a negative relationship between the population increase and the emissions of carbon dioxide in the case of developed countries while on the other […]
• Environmental Sustainability Audit: The Oman Environmental Services Holding Company The government used to handle the task of waste management in the Sultanate but with the establishment and legalization of Be’ah, the task of such is delegated to the said company.
• Importance of Environment Schlosberg believes that all the terms has only led to confusion with little help, he says “Yet all of these developments in justice theory, very little has been applied in environmental justice movement”.
• Human Impact on the Environment The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of logging on the forest resources in Uganda and offer recommendations that can be used to mitigate and manage the identified impacts.
• Impacts of Alternative Energy on the Environment The term “alternative energy” refers to energy sources other than fossil fuels, including renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy, as well as nuclear energy.
• UAE Laws and Regulations for Environmental Protection In the meantime, specialists point out that the activity of UAE’s focused on the environment preservation has become more consistent and efficient within the past decades. The principal governmental structure responsible for the problems of […]
• Ensuring Healthy and Clean Environment: Importance of Recycling Ensuring that we have air to breathe, water to drink and that we do not create a planet which becomes the very cause for the end of the human race.
• Capitalism and Its Influence on the Environment The characteristic will be determined by both benefits to the environment and the overall result for the company, as companies should implement the changes willingly. The results are expected to be a set of suggestions […]
• Social and Eco-Entrepreneurship for Environment Social entrepreneurship is a field that deals with the recognition of social problems in society and using entrepreneurial concepts, operations, and processes to achieve a social change.
• The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster and Environment When the accident occurred, coal mining was at the peak of its popularity, providing the country with half of the electricity generated nationwide.
• How Solar Energy Can Save the Environment? Over the past few decades, the level of greenhouse gasses in the environment has been on the rise. The only cost in the production of solar energy is making the solar panels.
• Mercury: Environmental Concerns and Economic Value The environmental concerns tied to production of mercury Mercury is widely used in the gold mining. Mercury has been limited to use of obsolete technology and require the use of the high technology to reduce […]
• The Effect of Polymers on Environment vs Glass One of the first pioneers in the application of polymers was Joseph Priestley who in 1770 made a remarkable discovery that led to the use of natural rubber as an eraser.
• Nutrition and Its Impact on the Environment One of the crucial challenges is the need to find solutions that are effective for millions of different producers on the one hand and unique to each farm on the other.
• Greenwashing: Full Environmental Sustainability? For companies, to be 100% sustainable and ethical would mean that each time they are presented with a decision, they would make people or nature their priority.
• The Roles of Environmental Protection Agencies As a personal response to the argument; the individual’s involvement in environmental conservation is not enough as there is need for policy and regulation enforcement where he can only give advice to the federal government […]
• Papua New Guinea Environmental Analysis The following report aims at determining the suitability of Papua New Guinea as a target market for introducing our product environmental measuring equipment for monitoring and logging the quality of water in waterways around the […]
• Is Recycling Good for the Environment? Recycling is good for the environment and should be included in the daily routine of any person that cares about the planet and the future of our children.
• Water Cycle and Environmental Factors The phrase “water cycle” refers to the continuous movement of water from the surface of the Earth to the atmosphere, and then back to the surface of the Earth.
• Human Behavioral Effects on Environment Environmental cues shape human behaviors because they make people perceive a certain environment in a given way and behavior in a manner that fits that environment. In addition, environmental cues may force people to change […]
• Environmental Issue – Climate Change If the right measures are put in place, our environment will be regenerated and the continued alterations to the climate will eventually stop.
• Population Growth and Its Impacts on the Environment High population growth is destructive to the society and the environment. In the US and Germany, the rate of population growth is estimated to be 0.
• Environmental Management: Green Taxes The most common environmental tax is connected with the task of ensuring that these polluters are fined appropriately for their harmful emissions to the atmosphere.
• Environmental Pollution and Increased Birds Death The increase in the population of different animals may also cause the death of birds. This leads to the extinction of some animals and birds hence massive death.
• American Indian Environmental Movement in Arizona The presence of the ethnic-cultural minority population in the state largely contributes to its multicultural diversification and enrichment as even new generations prefer to live up to the unique values and worldviews passed to them […]
• Environmental Science: Smart Water Management Among the essential elements in human life is water, which is required for maintaining the water balance in the body and for cleanliness, as well as for many economic sectors, from agriculture to metallurgy.
• Packaging and Protection of Finished Goods and the Environment Moreover, the paper views what concerns the problem creates and identifies preventive measures so as to contribute to the development of safety in the environment and society.
• Microbial-Environmental Interactions in HIV & AIDS The virus manifests in two subtypes, HIV-1 and HIV-2, and the severity of infection depends on the type of viral attack.
• Environmental Sustainability on a Global Scale Compared to the world at the beginning of the 21st century, it required perceptional changes toward nature, biodiversity, and ecosystems, as well as reforms in agriculture and management of water, energy, and waste.
• Does Recycling Harm the Environment? Recycling is the activity that causes the most damage to the environment. Summarizing the above, it is necessary to state that waste recycling has a negative connotation in relation to nature and the environment.
• Industrial Meat Business and Environmental Issues According to Goodman, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of our food choices and their impact on animals, the environment, and society. By choosing to consume meat, individuals are complicit in the perpetuation […]
• The Environmental Impacts of Exploratory Drilling Overall, the purpose of this report is to identify the environmental impacts of exploratory drilling, the financial benefits of this activity, and the relevant political regulations.
• Globalization in the Environmental Sphere To date, the problem of globalization is relevant, and with it the question of the impact of globalization on the environmental sphere is also of great interest.
• Climate Change, Economy, and Environment Central to the sociological approach to climate change is studying the relationship between the economy and the environment. Another critical area of sociologists ‘ attention is the relationship between inequality and the environment.
• Participatory Action Research on Canada’s Environment This discussion shows that a nationwide recycling PAR is required to combat worries about people’s lack of interest in environmental stewardship to preserve the environment.
• Global Climate Change and Environmental Conservation There may be a significantly lesser possibility that skeptics will acknowledge the facts and implications of climate change, which may result in a lower desire on their part to adopt adaptation. The climate of Minnesota […]
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• Environmental Pollution and Human Health The effects of sprawl on health workers are discussed in the article by Pohanka. It is similarly essential to take social justice and fairness into account because the effects of sprawl on population health are […]
• Consumer Relationship With Pro-Environmental Apparel Brands The paper has presented a questionnaire to understand how consumers’ intention to buy from a pro-environmental brand is impacted by their knowledge of the effect of apparel and their overall skepticism toward climate change.
• An Environmental Communicator Profile The Environmental Defense Fund is an organization working to create awareness, research and resources to the effort of safeguarding the planet. In particular, much of the messaging is designed to encourage local action and the […]
• Technology’s Role in Environmental Protection: The Ocean Cleanup Proponents of The Ocean Cleanup technology emphasize the fact that the devices have the capacity to effectively address oceanic plastic pollution.
• Water Pollution as a Crime Against the Environment In particular, water pollution is a widespread crime against the environment, even though it is a severe felony that can result in harm to many people and vast territories.
• Human Activity: Impact on the Environment The evaluation is based on the principle that the human impact on the environment can be measured by the amount of land and resources required to support a particular lifestyle or activity.
• Genetic and Environmental Impact of the Chornobyl Disaster The ecological impact of the explosion on the lands surrounding Chornobyl comes first. Chornobyl remains the worst in human history due to radioactive contamination.
• Risk Factor Analysis and Environmental Sustainability This project was evaluated using a methodical process that included listing ten potential dangers, followed by a risk assessment matrix and an explanation of how the dangers would be managed.
• Negative Environmental Impacts and Solutions The diversity of the planet’s wildlife is among the crucial resources to conserve, and it is essential for non-domesticated species to proliferate and develop at their own pace, with minimal external invasion.
• Environmental Ethics of Pesticide Usage in Agriculture For example, pesticides are responsible for the destruction of the soil and harm to the overall ecosystem. The soil, water, and air resources are at a high risk of contamination from the toxins that are […]
• Carbon Offsets: Combatting Environmental Pollution I think that using other organizations or projects to offset an entity’s carbon footprint avoids the main goal of any present environmental protection efforts sustainability.
• The Formation of the Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the U.S.federal government that was established as a response to the debate in American society over environmental protection.
• Protecting the Environment Against Climate Change The destruction of the ozone layer, which helps in filtering the excessive ray of light and heat from the sun, expose people to some skin cancer and causes drought.
• Environmental Pollution: Waste Landfilling and Open Dumping The solution is simple and practical it is necessary to put efforts into further development of hard industries and stop financing the research of the issue that is useless.
• Thermodynamics: Application to Environmental Issues Cyclists would use at least 250 kWh per hour of energy walking, which is about 70% more efficient than the energy required for a car.
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• The Effects of Gold Mining in the Amazons on the Environment and the Population
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• Pesticide Resistance for Environment and Health
• Environmental Protection: Pollution and Fossil Fuels
• Environmental Anthropology and Human Survival at The Arctic Biome
• Environmental Problems: Care of the Planet
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• Cats’ and Dogs’ Influences on the Environment and the Ecosystem
• Is Tap Water Better and Safer for People and the Environment Than Bottled Water?
• Environmental Impact Assessment as a Tool of Environmental Justice
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• Environmental Policy’s Impact on Economic Growth
• Business Ethics in Decisions About the Environment
• Marine Environment Protection and Management in the Shipping Industry
• Environment: Miami Area Analysis
• Agriculture: Environmental, Economic, and Social Aspects
• Toxicity of Mercury: Environmental Health
• The Impact of Atmospheric Pollution on Human Health and the Environment
• Analysis of Culture and Environmental Problems
• Science and the Environment: Plastics and Microplastics
• Impact of the Exxon Valdez Spill on the Environment
• Aeon Company and Environmental Safety
• Impending Environmental Disaster in Van Camp’s “Lying in Bed Together”
• Resolution of International Disputes Related to Environmental Practices
• Environment and the Challenges of Global Governance
• Reducing Personal Impact on the Environment
• Coal Usage – The Effects on Environment and Human Health
• Ancient Egypt: Geography and Environment
• Environmental and Genetic Factors That Influence Health
• Limits on Urban Sprawl. Environmental Science
• Geography and Environmental Features of Machu Picchu
• The Green New Deal: An Environmental Project
• Climate Change: Causes, Impact on People and the Environment
• Restorative Environmental Justice and Its Interpretation
• The United Nations Environmental Program and Sustainable Development Goals
• Property Laws Facilitate Environmental Destruction
• The Go-Green Programs: Saving the Environment
• Measuring Exposure in Environmental Epidemiology
• Environmental Marine Ecosystems: Biological Invasions
• Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Analysis of Environmental Samples: a Literature Review
• Environmental and Global Health Issues: Measles
• Fabric Recycling: Environmental Collapse
• Environmental Research – Radon Gas
• Environmental Justice Movement
• Racial Politics of Urban Health and Environmental Justice
• Environmental Discrimination in Canada
• Environmental Worldviews & Environmental Justice
• Flint Water Crisis: Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism
• Environmental Injustice Among African Americans
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism
• Building a School in the Polluted Environment
• India’s Environmental Health and Emergencies
• Climate Change: Sustainability Development and Environmental Law
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism in the US
• Avocado Production and Socio-Environmental Issues
• Environmental Philosophies and Actions
• Bipartisan Strategies for Overcoming Environmental Disaster
• Pope Francis’s Recommendations on Environmental Issues
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Fracking: An Environmental Study
• Non-Govermental Organizations in Environmental Changes
• Green Management and Environmental Auditing
• The Environmental Movement in the US
• Mega-Events and Environmental Sustainability
• Health and Environment: The Impact of Technology
• Environmental Health of Patient With Respiratory Illness
• Dubai Aluminium Company Ltd: Environmental Policies
• Environmental Science: The Ozone Layer
• The Current Environmental Policy in the USA
• Aspects of Environmental Studies
• The Environment and Its Effects
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• Environmental Effect & Waste Management Survey
• Great Cities’ Impact on Ecology and Environmental Health
• Geology and Environmental Science
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• Environmental Management for Construction Industry
• Airlines and Globalisation: Environmental Impact
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• Eco-Labels: Environmental Issues in Business
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• The Introduction of Environmental Legislation
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• Environmental Law: History, Sources, Treaties and Setbacks
• Environmental Microbiology Overview
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• The Environment Conditions in the Desert
• Purchasing Trees Online for Environmental Protection
• Water Scarcity: Industrial Projects of Countries That Affect the External Environment
• Rayon and Its Impact on Health and Environment
• Opportunity Cost and Environment Protection
• Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Analysis
• Environmental Studies: Climate Changes
• Environmental Degradation in “Turning Tides” by Mathieu D’Astous
• Architecture and the Environment
• Global Warming: Negative Effects to the Environment
• Environmental Planning: Dam Construction
• Agriculture and Environment: Organic Foods
• Environmental Protection With Energy Saving Tools
• Environmental Politics Review and Theories
• Social Development: Globalization and Environmental Problems
• Macondo Well Blowout’s Environmental Assessment
• Tasmania’s Environmental Degradation and Restoration
• Environmental Species and Ecosystems
• Sheffield Flooding and Environmental Issues Involved
• Maquiladora Industry and Environmental Degradation
• Religious Tradition Solving an Environmental Problem
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• Global Warming and Environmental Refugees
• Root Causes of the Current Environmental Crisis
• Environmental Ethics Concerning Animal Rights
• The Politics of Climate Change, Saving the Environment
• Environmental Deterioration and Poverty in Kenya
• Fear and Environmental Change in Philadelphia
• Global Warming Issues Review and Environmental Sustainability
• Environmental Issue: Whaling
• Biodiversity Hotspots and Environmental Ethics
• Impact of Mobile Telephony on the Environment
• How to Feed Everybody and Protect the Environment?
• Geographical Information System (GIS) in Environmental Impact Assessment
• Population and Environment in South Australia
• Mitigation Strategies and Solutions in Environment
• Environment and Consumption as a Social Problem
• Population Grows And Environment
• Human Population Ecology: Human Interaction With the Environment
• Environmental Policies Made by the Finland Government
• War in Modern World: Effects on the Environment
• Kenya and Brazil: Comparing Environmental Conflict
• The Influence of Global Warming and Pollution on the Environment
• Genes and Environment: Genetic Factors and Issues Analysis
• Human Impacts on the Environment
• Global Warming: Causes and Impact on Health, Environment and the Biodiversity
• Florida Wetlands: Importance to the Health of the Environment
• Environmental Issue in Canada: Kyoto Protocol
• The Positive Impact of Environment on Tourist Industry
• Environmental Preferences and Oil Development in Alaska
• Environmental Issues in Hamilton Harbor
• Environmental Problems From Human Overpopulation
• Aboriginal Environmental Issues in Canada
• Nuclear Energy and The Danger of Environment
• Environmental Sociology. Capitalism and the Environment
• Genes, Lifestyle, and Environment in Health of Population
• Los Angeles International Airport’s Environmental Impacts
• Environmental Policy: Water Sanitation
• UAE Medical Waste Culture and Environmental Impact
• U.S. Environmental Policies: The Clean Air Act
• Pollution and Federal Environmental Policy
• Fossil Fuel Combustion and Federal Environmental Policy
• The Impact of Mining Companies on Environment
• Emiratis Perceptions of Environmental and Cultural Conservation
• Shipping and the Environment
• Environmental Security in Gulf Council Countries
• Environmental Pollution Analysis
• Preserving the Environment and Its Treasures
• Humans and Humanists: Ethics and the Environment
• Restaurant’s Environment-Friendly Rules
• Mosquito Control Strategies in the Urban Environment
• Energy, Its Usage and the Environment
• Carbon Dioxide Environmental Effects in 1990- 2010
• Hydropower Dams and Their Environmental Impacts
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• Biology and Environment Issues
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• Natural Storms and Environmental Studies
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• The Perception of Healthy Human Environment
• Changing Environment and Human Impact
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• Health and Environment in Abu Dhabi: Graphs’ Description
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• Globalization as to Health, Society, Environment
• Pollution & Climate Change as Environmental Risks
• Whaling and Its Environmental Impact
• The Knoxville City’s Environmental Pollution
• Environmental Technology and Its Disruptive Impact
• Data Analysis in Economics, Sociology, Environment
• International Environment Management and Sustainability
• Environmental Studies: Energy Wastefulness in the UAE
• Environmental Risk Management in the UAE
• Business and Its Environment: Greenhouse Emissions
• The US Foreign Policy and Environmental Protection
• The Environmental Impacts of Transnational Migration in the US
• Contrasting Environmental Policies in Brazil
• Air Pollution Effects on the Health and Environment
• How Does Environmental Security Affect Sustainable Development?
• Environmental Sustainability in Clean City Organization
• Environmental Crisis: People’s Relationship With Nature
• Gene-Environment Interaction Theory
• Environment: Tropical Deforestation Causes in Indonesia
• Sustainability Principles of the Natural Environment
• Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Environmental Impacts
• Garbage Sorting in San Francisco – Environmental Study
• Nuclear Power & Environment
• Environmental Studies: Artificial Leaf
• Environmental Justice and Air Pollution in Canada
• Environmental Studies: Green Technology
• “Global Environment History” a Book by Ian G. Simmons
• Environmental Studies: Photosynthesis Concept
• Environment Destruction: Pollution
• Big Coal and the Natural Environment Pollution
• Externalities Effects on People and Environment
• Environment Protection Agency Technical Communication
• Maori Health Development and Environmental Issue
• The Role of Man in Environment Degradation and Diseases
• Mars: Water and the Martian Landscape
• Greenbelts as a Toronto’ Environmental Planning Tool
• Environmental Studies: The Florida Everglades
• Solving Complex Environmental Problems
• Environmental Studies: Saving Endangered Species
• Environmental Stewardship of Deforestation
• Environmental Studies: Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability
• Whaling as Unethical Environmental Problem
• Assaults on the Environment as a Form of War or Violence
• Brazil Environmental Issues
• Environmental Studies: Water Contamination in China
• Environmental Impact – Life Cycle Assessment
• Environmental Hazards and Human Health
• BHP Waste Managements: Environmental Justice
• Saving the Environment With Eco-Friendly Amenities
• Population Growth Impacts on the Environment
• The Adoption of Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
• Air Pollution: Human Influence on Environment
• The Sustainable Hotel Environment
• Research Effect of Environmental Disasters on Human Reproductive Health
• Analysis of Love Canal Environmental Disaster
• Kuwait’s Desert Pollution
• Importance of Environmental Conservation for Public Health
• Global Warming and Its Effects on the Environment
• Citizen Participation in Global Environmental Governance
• Environment and Renewable Energy
• World Government and Environmental Conservation
• Materials and the Environment
• Health and Environment in Abu Dhabi
• Effectiveness of Carbon Tax in Environmental Sustainability
• The Effects of Human Activities on the Environment
• Natural Catastrophes and Environmental Justice
• Environmental and Health Concerns of Hurricanes
• Environmental Protection: Liquid Waste
• Asthma Environmental Causes
• Environmental Security as an Approach to Threats Posed by Global Environmental Change
• Noise Control Act of 1972
• World Bank’s Transformation of Human-Environmental Relations in the Global South
• Environmental Conditions in Tunnels Towards Environmentally Sustainable Future
• Changes and Challenges: China’s Environmental Management in Transition
• Corporate Environmental Policy Statements in Mainland China: To What Extent Do They Conform to ISO 14000 Documentation?
• Jiangsu Province Environmental Analysis
• Environmental Impacts of Air Pollution
• Science in Environmental Management
• Quality and Environmental Management
• Modern State as an Impediment to Environmental Issues
• Emirates Airlines Environmental Consciousness
• McDonald’s: Human Rights and Environmental Sustainability
• China’s Energy and Environmental Implications
• Knowledge Management Assessment in Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi
• Environmental Issues and Management
• Green Computing: A Contribution to Save the Environment
• Environmental Issue in China
• Environmental Studies: Life Cycle Analysis of Milk
• Working for the Environment
• Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Standards
• Transportation Standards and Environmental Regulations
• Environmental Damage From the BP Oil Spill
• A Robust Strategy for Sustainable Energy
• Chesapeake Bay Environment Protection
• Environmental Disasters and Ways Companies Cope With Them
• Eco-Friendly Food Product Production and Marketing
• Environmental Science & Technology
• The Concept of Corporate Environmental Responsibility
• Remediation of Metals – Contaminated Soils and Groundwater
• Environmental Policy in UK, Canada, and India
• Eco and Cultural Tourism: Extraordinary Experience and Untouched Natural Environment
• Effects of Conflict or Nuclear Materials on Environment and Society
• MLC and the Environmental Management Accounting
• Environmental Degradation in Lithgow’s Waters
• Environmental Risk, Risk Management, and Risk Assessment
• Evaluate Human Resource Issues in Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
• On the Rescue Mission: Preserving the Environment
• A Cost Benefit Analysis of the Environmental and Economic Effects of Nuclear Energy in the United States
• Reducing the Energy Costs in Hotels: An Attempt to Take Care of the Environment
• The International Relations Theories in Addressing of Environmental Issues
• Learning of Environment Sustainability in Education
• Natural and the Environmental Protection
• Silent Spring and Environmental Issues
• Economic Growth and Environment Relation
• The Environment, Resources, and Their Economic Effects
• Coyotes as an Environmental Concern in Southern California
• Environmental Health Practice
• Fossil Energy and Economy
• Eliminating the Conflict: Tourism and Environment
• The Process of Constructing the Hotel and Environment
• Tourism and Environment in Conflict
• Tourism and Environment
• The Effect of Genetically Modified Food on Society and Environment
• The Effect of Nuclear Energy on the Environment
• Wind Energy for Environmental Sustainability
• Acidic Rain Effects on the Environment
• Organisms in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments
• Concept of Environmental Ethic in Society
• The Needs of People and the Needs of the Environment
• Effects of Oil Spills on Aquatic Environments
• Impact of Plastics on the Environment
• Current Environmental Health Issues
• The Fossil Oil Energy Effects on the Environment
• Environmental Impact of Medical Wastes
• Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Material
• The Trends, Opportunities and Challenges of Environmental Sustainability
• 21st Century Environmental Perils
• Human Interaction With the Surrounding Environment
• The Relationship Between Psychology and the Preservation of the Environment
• Environmental Injustice in Modern World
• Environment and Species in International Relations
• Effects of Classical Body to Environmental Thought
• Thailand Issues: Environment, Child Prostitution, and HIV/AIDS
• Environmentalism and Economic Freedom
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Experiencing and Transforming the Environment
• Identity: Discourse of Environment
• Bottled Water Effect on Environment and Culture
• Environmental Issues of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Facility in Nevada
• Corporate Responsibility to the Environment
• Nuclear Power and Its Effects on Economy, Environment and Safety
• Would Evolution Proceed More Quickly in a Rapidly Changing Environment?
• Who Must Take Care of the Environment?
• Why Can Air Pollution Harm the Environment Dramatically?
• Why and How Should We Account for the Environment?
• Why Animals Change Their Colors in Response to Environment?
• Why Don’t Languages Adapt to Their Environment?
• Why Are Environmental Ethics Important in the Preservation of the Natural Environment?
• Why Are Industrial Farms Good for the Environment?
• Why Is Mountain Meadows Basin Very Important for the Environment?
• Why Do People Harm the Environment Although They Try to Treat It Well?
• Why Do People Use Their Cars While the Built Environment Imposes Cycling?
• Why Protecting, Our Environment, Is So Important?
• Why Need to Study the Environment?
• Why the Oil Industry Continues to Harm the Environment?
• Why Is Population Growth’s Effect on the Earth’s Environment?
• Can Cleaner Environment Promote International Trade?
• Can Ecolabeling Schemes Preserve the Environment?
• Can Employment Structure Promote Environment-Biased Technical Progress?
• Can Green Taxes Save the Environment?
• Can Social Media Help Save the Environment?
• Can the Market Take Care of the Environment?
• Can the United States Help Improve Their Perishing Environment?
• Which Human Activities Affected the Natural Environment of the Amazon Basin?
• What Are Our Responsibilities Toward the Environment?
• What Are Plastics, and How Do They Affect the Environment?
• What Are Some Ways That the Environment Affects Human Health?
• What Are the Effects of Acid Rain on the Environment?
• What Are the Effects of Motor Vehicles on the Environment?
• How Has Consumerism Shaped the Environment by Influencing?
• How Does Crude Oil Pollute Environment?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IvyPanda . (2023) '612 Environment Essay Topics & Examples'. 30 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "612 Environment Essay Topics & Examples." November 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/environment-essay-examples/.

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IvyPanda . "612 Environment Essay Topics & Examples." November 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/environment-essay-examples/.

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Japan's security environment at its 'most severe and complex,' policy report says

The security environment around Japan is at its “most severe and complex (point) in the postwar era,” as Tokyo and its allies grapple with multiple challenges from China, North Korea and Russia, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday in its annual diplomatic policy paper .

But some of the strongest words were reserved for China.

“China is attempting to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea, including over the Senkaku Islands, and is continuing and strengthening military activities in the area, making the security environment around Japan the most severe and complex in the postwar era,” the report said.

China has repeatedly sent government ships into the waters near the Japanese-administered Senkakus, which are also claimed by Beijing, where they are known as the Diaoyu. It has also clashed with the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea, of which Beijing claims a broad swath as its own territory.

Perhaps most alarming for Japan, however, has been China’s military moves near self-ruled Taiwan in recent years. Those moves have included large-scale military exercises around the island, which China claims as its own and has vowed to unify with the mainland, by force if necessary.

In its report, the ministry emphasized that “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” is a crucial element of regional security.

But the report also noted that Japan aimed to craft a "mutually beneficial strategic" relationship with China “based on common interests,” making it "constructive and stable" through dialogue. It was the first time in five years that the paper referred to a “mutually beneficial” relationship between the two Asian powers.

That echoed an agreement reached by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last November, when the two leaders met in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

On improving South Korean relations, the paper called the country “an important neighbor” and pledged to “broaden our partnership and cooperation in various fields, and to open up a new era of cooperation.”

“In light of the challenging security environment in the Indo-Pacific, there has never been a time when closer cooperation between the two countries is more needed than now,” it said.

"The ROK is an important neighboring country with which Japan should cooperate in dealing with various issues of the international community," it said, using the acronym for the South's formal name, the Republic of Korea.

Tokyo’s often-fraught relationship with Seoul has improved in recent years, with Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol helping to repair ties that had been sent into a deep freeze over history and trade issues.

But despite the flowery words in the diplomatic paper, thorny issues remain for the relationship, including the Japanese-claimed island of Takeshima, which is also claimed and administered by South Korea, where it is known as Dokdo.

The paper outlined Tokyo’s position on the rocky islands by calling them “Japan's inherent territory in light of historical facts and under international law,” echoing what was said in last year’s report.

The move prompted the South Korean Foreign Ministry to summon a Japanese diplomat on Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency reported , after Seoul said earlier that it "strongly protests" the claim.

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