Sustainability means to meet the needs of today populations without compromising the needs for the future generations, in this article we are looking at examples of economic and environmental sustainability.
An example of environmental sustainability is the PPosada Amazonoas eco-lodge in the Amazon rainforest Peru, environmental sustainability has been achieved here by maintaining a low level of development, only small numbers of people are allowed here at once here in the groups of 40-50, instead of cutting down the rainforest is used for adventure and education, the lodge its self-has been created using local resources that are biodegradable.
However even though environmental sustainability has been achieved is has come at a cost, the level of development here is is very low and people still rely on subsistent farming to survive, to develop further economic development may have to be improved which may have hindered its environmental sustainability in order to see an increase in things such as GDP per capita and a general improvement to standard of living.
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| https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/09/f8/f3/c0/refugio-amazonas-main.jpg |
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| http://www.viaja-peru.com/images/photos/refugio_amazonico.jpg |
Video on the Lodge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BD-uwrvCbs
China is an example of economic sustainability, in the last 50 years china has gone from a poor communist country to the seconds largest economy behind the USA however i will soon overtake the Unites states to become the world leading super power some say that by 2018 it will overtake USA china's economy has grown at a staggering 8 to 10% each year compared to the USA which in 2012 grew by 2.2%, it has undergone rapid urbanisation and around 140 million Chinese people have moved from rural to urban areas in hope of a better life with higher wages.
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| https://nexvucapital.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/china-gdp-1980-to-2012.jpg |
China has become economical sustainable with only 12% of its population living in poverty compared to in the 1980s where this number was at 88% also between 1981 and 2008, the proportion of China's population living on less than $1.25/day is estimated to have fallen from 85% to 13.1% its per capita income in increased fivefold between 1990 and 2000, from $200 to $1,000. Between 2000 and 2010, per capita income also rose by the same rate, from $1,000 to $5,000, moving China into the ranks of middle-income countries, these numbers are evidence that China has allowed its people to have a better standard of living.
HOWEVER china hass developed and created economic sustainability at a cost, the cost is its environment, therefore, china is not environmentally sustainable, 7 of the 10 worst polluted cities are found in china cities such as chongqing which is the world fastest growing city, 70% of chinas rivers and lakes are polluted and 30% of china is effected by acid rain caused by coal burning power stations realising sulphur into the atmosphere, this lack of environmental sustainability will later hider its ability to develop further as its finds it hard to find the resources in order for it to move on.
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions |
China is so low on resources that it is beginning to by up land in other countries and source its resources there, places such as Australia have banned China from purchasing land in its country however in the developing world and LICs countries such as south Africa but these countries welcome the income even though it is damaging it in the long run.
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| Countries in Africa where mining interest of China-based companies exists, the evolution from 2006 to 2015. |
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| Evolution of major mining/mineral processing assets in Africa with China-based companies’ interest, cumulative numbers. Source |
To conclude whereas the pasta amazonian eco-lodge has managed to become environmentally sustainable it has done this at the cost of development to the local people, they could easily chop don the rainforest in there land and make a much larger income, unlike China which has increased its countries livelihood but in the process destroyed much of its beautiful environment which will later take its toll as it wants to develop further.
By Ben Garrett
Cool fact the 3 gorges dam in China stores so much water behind it (39 trillion kilograms of water) that it slows the rotation of the earth and increase the length of day by 0.06 microseconds making the Earth only very slightly more round in the middle and flat on the top. It would shift the pole position by about two centimeters (0.8 inches). This effect would extremely small.
reference
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2016/04/29/global-economic-news-china-will-surpass-the-u-s-in-2018/#747cccff224a
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-04-13/once-and-future-superpower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_China
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions
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