Reference no: EM133191725 , Length: Word count: 750 words

Discussion Question:

The increasing need for resource development is causing stress to the surrounding environment and surrounding ecosystems. As mentioned in lecture, the human population is growing rapidly, with a predicted increase to 9.5 billion in 2050. This will cause an increase demand of natural resources and the increasing use of land for human needs. It is no doubt that increasing environmental stress from growing resource development will also worsen climate change.

A major course of action to ensure better environmental protection for further resource development would be to conduct more environmental impact assessments, such as cumulative and regional assessments as mentioned in lecture. These assessments will need to include important factors such as monitoring programs, the discovery of many possible solutions to negative effects, and resource mitigation plans. As effects on the environment from resource development continues to worsen, the need for more in-depth, comprehensive, and solution-based environmental assessments will be needed. Much advancement needs to be implemented in present-day cumulative assessments in order to ensure environmental protection in an era where resource development is growing rapidly. More methodological tools and paths are being considered when conducting cumulative assessments. One of these methodological tools is Interactive matrixes, these matrixes predict total cumulative effects from human activities or resource development projects. An example is the Argonne multiple matrix, which can determine multiple sources causing environmental change, the interactions between the sources, and the cumulative effects. Technology like GIS should also be implemented further in cumulative effects assessments. This technology can provide information about temporal change from the current conditions to estimated future conditions, and it can also provide analysis on regional, local, and site-specific areas (Smit, B., &Spaling, H. 1995). Overall, advancements and further cumulative environmental assessments will aid in prediction of cumulative environmental effects from future increasing resource development, which will provide environmental protection as solutions will also be considered.

Sustainable development is something that needs to be further advocated and pressed for. Sustainable development allows for the consideration of long-term effects, and recognizes environmental thresholds that should not be breached to ensure resource development is possible. To determine ways in which to implement sustainable development, local projects need to be regarded while keeping in mind global environmental issues. The involvement of local communities to input their opinions and concerns towards future resource development projects is very important, and could lead to changes in the project to become more sustainable (Stefanovic, I. L., 2000). The World Commission on Environment and Development, or sometimes referred to as The Brundtland Report, states that development needs to become more sustainable in the future for economy, human health, and the overall environment. Sustainable development in resource development would appear as meeting basic human needs while also striving for betterment of human lifestyle, and also conserving wildlife and plant species (WCED, S. W. S., 1987).

Overall, the advancements of environmental assessments and the push towards more sustainable development will ensure better environmental protection with increasing resource development in the future.

Prompt Questions:

Question 1: How do you believe the local public can advocate for the shift towards more sustainable development in ways that would be the most impactful?

Question 2: What other ways can cumulative effects assessments be modified or improved to ensure the highest environmental protection?

Works Cited

Smit, B., &Spaling, H. (1995). Methods for cumulative effects assessment. Environmental impact assessment review, 15(1), 81-106.

Stefanovic, I. L. (2000). Safeguarding our common future: Rethinking sustainable development. Suny Press.

WCED, S. W. S. (1987). World commission on environment and development. Our common future, 17(1), 1-91.