4.7 Strategies For Sustainability

Recycling is important because it helps to reduce landfill waste. When items like cans are thrown in the trash, they end up in landfills where they take up space and contribute to pollution. Landfills can contaminate soil and water sources, leading to environmental damage. By teaching her son to recycle the can instead, Marie can contribute to reducing landfill waste, which in turn helps to decrease soil and water pollution.

Increasing the size of industrial farms is not a strategy for increasing Earth's sustainability because it leads to negative environmental impacts. Industrial farms often rely on intensive use of resources such as water, energy, and chemicals, which can contribute to pollution, habitat destruction, and depletion of natural resources. Additionally, larger farms often prioritize monoculture practices, which can lead to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. Therefore, increasing the size of industrial farms is counterproductive to achieving sustainability goals.

Wilderness is best described as land protected from human use because it refers to areas that are left in their natural state, without any significant human development or interference. These areas are typically protected by laws and regulations to preserve their ecological and aesthetic values. Wilderness areas are important for conserving biodiversity, providing habitat for wildlife, and allowing for natural processes to occur without human disturbance.

Zoning refers to the process of dividing land into different sections or zones for specific purposes or types of use. This allows for better organization and control of land development, ensuring that different areas are designated for residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational purposes. Zoning helps to regulate and manage land use in a way that promotes efficient and sustainable development, while also protecting the interests and needs of different stakeholders in a community.

Recycling is the strategy that most directly helps decrease our dependence on landfills. By recycling materials such as paper, plastic, glass, and metal, we can divert them from ending up in landfills. This reduces the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of in landfills, conserves natural resources, and reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal. Recycling also promotes the reuse of materials, which helps to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of new products.

Composting and crop rotation are effective strategies to improve soil fertility. Composting involves the decomposition of organic materials, such as food waste and yard trimmings, into nutrient-rich compost. Adding this compost to the soil can replenish nutrients and enhance its fertility. Crop rotation involves growing different crops in a specific sequence on the same piece of land over several seasons. This practice helps prevent nutrient depletion and reduces the risk of pests and diseases. By implementing composting and crop rotation, the mayor of Detroit can address the issue of destroyed soil fertility and promote sustainable agriculture in the city.

To decrease the negative impact of urban sprawl on rural areas in the future, zoning and wilderness protection should be implemented. Zoning refers to the regulation of land use, ensuring that urban development is properly planned and controlled to prevent encroachment on natural rural areas. This can help preserve the ecological balance and prevent further destruction. Wilderness protection involves designating certain areas as protected wilderness, safeguarding them from development and ensuring their preservation for future generations. By implementing zoning regulations and wilderness protection measures, the negative impact of urban sprawl can be minimized, allowing for the conservation of natural rural areas.

Planting only one crop at a time would not have a positive environmental impact because it can lead to monoculture, which is the cultivation of a single crop in a given area. Monoculture can deplete the soil of nutrients, increase the risk of pests and diseases, and disrupt the natural biodiversity of an ecosystem. On the other hand, recycling this can, designating land as wilderness, and using biological pesticides rather than chemicals all contribute to reducing waste, preserving natural habitats, and promoting sustainable farming practices, which have positive environmental impacts.