Environment

We explain what the environment is and what its general characteristics are. Also, what are renewable, non-renewable and perpetual resources.

What is the environment?

The environment is understood as the various natural and social components that interact in an interconnected system. From a natural perspective, the environment is made up of elements such as air, water, soil, flora and fauna. These components, in turn, They relate to each other in a delicate balance that sustains life on the planet.

The social components of the environment are related to human activities and interaction with the elements of nature. Humans depend on natural resources (such as food, water, and energy) to meet their basic needs.

The relationship between the natural and social components of the environment is complex and dynamic.. For example, deforestation of a forest can lead to loss of biodiversity, soil degradation and altered weather patterns, while affecting water availability and the health of local communities.

Environmental problems, including climate change, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and soil degradation, require a sustainable approach for their mitigation and resolution. It is necessary that States and companies implement environmental conservation practicespromote the development of clean technologies and adopt policies that focus on caring for the environment.

Environment or environment? Although it is widely disseminated, talking about “environment” is incorrect. The error arose from a poor translation at the Stockholm Summit in 1972, when a summit secretary, who only spoke Swedish and English, wrote a glossary in Spanish for Spanish-speaking journalists. The woman forgot the comma when she looked in the dictionary “environment: environment”. With the frequent use of the erroneous term, the Royal Spanish Academy ended up accepting “environment” as a translation of environment.

Environmental problems

As a consequence of the overexploitation of resources and the lack of care for natural and ecological cycles, the main environmental problems of today occur:

• Climate change. It manifests itself in the increase in the planet's temperature and in the intensification of extreme phenomena such as droughts, heat waves and storms.
• deforestation. It is the disappearance of large areas of native forest. In general it is produced by the expansion of the agricultural frontier.
• Soil degradation. It manifests itself in the progressive loss of soil fertility and productivity.
• pollution. It is the presence of toxic substances and pollutants in the environment that can affect human beings, ecosystems and the climate.

Elements that make up the environment

The elements that make up the environment can be differentiated between biotic and abiotic.

• Biotic elements. They are represented by all living beings. It includes plants, animals, insects, microorganisms and fungi. From the social point of view, it also includes all people.
• Abiotic elements. Air, water, rocks and all elements that do not have or have not had life constitute the abiotic elements of the environment. Abiotic elements also include all elements built by societies such as buildings, streets and urban infrastructure.

natural resources

During its history, human beings have used what the environment has offered them to obtain everything they need for their survival: water, food, housing, clothing, leisure, communication.

Natural resources are all those elements of nature to which human beings put some type of use. They can be classified into:

• renewable resources. They are capable of reproducing in a certain socially acceptable time. Used correctly, they are always available for extraction and use. They include all crops and animals that are raised to obtain raw materials.
• Non-renewable resources. They have their origin in geological processes, which is why their formation takes place in very different times than the time it takes for society to use them. As they take millions of years to form, the existence of renewable resources can be considered fixed and their reserve tends to be depleted as they are used. They include minerals and hydrocarbons such as oil and gas.
• perpetual resources. They are those that society uses but whose existence is so great and their renewal is so constant that they are inexhaustible. They include solar energy, Earth's radiation, sea water, air and wind.

Caring for the environment

Companies that extract resources and transform them into manufacturing, states and societies in general play a fundamental role in the way natural resources are used and how the waste generated by these activities is managed.

Companies depend on natural resources for their production processes and generation of goods and services. The exploitation of these resources without considering their renewal times can lead to the overexploitation of ecosystems.the loss of biodiversity and the pollution of air, water and soil.

States play a fundamental role in regulating and supervising business activities to ensure that they are carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner. However, The relationship between companies and States can be complexsince sometimes economic interests can influence political decisions and the application of environmental regulations. This can lead to a lack of effective control over business activities and inadequate management of natural resources.

Societies also play a fundamental role in the link between human activities and nature since The consumption patterns and lifestyle of societies have a direct impact on the use of natural resources and the generation of waste..

Although individual actions have less impact on the deterioration of the environment than large polluting industries, It is important that each person can rethink their habits and behaviorssuch as reducing the use of plastics and incorporating recycling practices, avoiding unnecessary electricity consumption and saving valuable resources such as drinking water.

The concept of environment

The concept of environment comes from ecology, a science developed during the 20th century as a branch of biology and that studies the relationships between living beings and their environment. It was coined by German biologist Ernst Haeckel, who defined ecology as “the study of the relationships of organisms with their environment.”

Since then, the concept of environment has been used to describe the set of physical, chemical and biological factors that influence living beings and determine their distribution, abundance and behavior. For this reason it is very common to assimilate the concept of environment with that of nature.

As studies progressed during the 20th century, Research on the environment increasingly included the importance of social factors, economic and cultural in the understanding and management of environmental problems. This led to an expansion of the concept of environment, considering not only the physical and biological components, but also the social and human aspects that interact with the natural environment.

The environmental movement

The environmental movement emerged in Europe in the 1970s. and since then it has expanded globally, generating a significant impact on awareness and action around environmental issues.

Concern about air and water pollution, and the degradation of natural ecosystems led to the creation of organizations and movements dedicated to environmental protection. One of the most important events was the Stockholm Summit, where for the first time the limits of economic growth and the need to adopt a more sustainable approach to the use of natural resources.

The environmental movement quickly expanded to other countries around the world, motivated by growing public concern and awareness about the environmental impacts of human activities.

Today, the environmental movement continues to be very important worldwide. The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution and other environmental challenges remain critical issues on the global agenda. Political denunciation, collective action, environmental education and the search for sustainable solutions are some of the main actions of environmental movements.

Throughout history, environmentalism has had very important figures worldwide. Some of the most notable are:

• Wangari Maathai (1940-2011). She was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in reforestation and promoting sustainability in Africa.
• Vandana Shiva (1952-). She is an Indian philosopher, physicist and writer. It stands out as a reference for ecofeminism in its fight for the conservation of biodiversity and the production of healthy foods in a sustainable way.
• Berta Cáceres (1971-2016). She was a Honduran who fought to defend the environment and against the privatization of access to river water. She was murdered in March 2016.
• Chico Mendes (1944 – 1988). He was a Brazilian activist who opposed deforestation and the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the Amazon. He was murdered in December 1988.

International Environment Day

International Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly. It commemorates the beginning of the Stockholm Summit, which took place between June 5 and 16, 1972 in Sweden.

The Stockholm Summit was the first time in history that the authorities of the countries of the world met, motivated by the concern that the impact of economic and productive activities on the environment was beginning to generate.

Every year International Environment Day has a specific theme that highlights a relevant environmental problem. Problems such as water pollution, climate change or the extinction of species are usually addressed. Every June 5, countries hold conferences, conventions or events related to the theme of that year, and symbolic activities such as lighting buildings and monuments with green lights.

References

• Arriols, E. (2019). Why is World Environment Day celebrated? https://www.ecologiaverde.com/
• Atresmedia (sf). The ten most influential environmental activists in the world. https://compromiso.atresmedia.com/
• FAO (2018). Soil pollution is contaminating our future. https://www.fao.org/
• Reboratti, C. (1997). Environment and society. Concepts and relationships. Ariel.