The leading scientific principle that drives all environmental and ecosystem management decisions are sustainability. Sustainability is defined by Miller & Spoolman, (2009) as the “Ability of earth’s various systems, including human cultural systems and economies, to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.” Applying this definition to ecology, there are four scientific principles of sustainability that highlight how the ecosystem has naturally sustained itself for billions of years. The thought by environmental scientists is that if humans incorporate these principles into our life and society, we will be able to achieve the same sustainability through changes in our ecosystem (Miller & Spoolman). The four scientific principles of sustainability are:
• Reliance on solar energy: Provides energy which flows through our ecosphere.
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When a new road was being planned on a redevelopment project I oversee, one of those questions was “Does the route of this road affect any potential wetlands?” After a wetland assessment from our wetland specialists, the roadway was determined to be routed through a regulated wetland. Significant environmental measures were required to be implemented including acquiring a wetland permit, purchasing of wetland bank credits to un-regulate a portion of the wetland, and engineering control measures to ensure protection of the remaining wetland and existing habitats. In another instance, a 12-million-gallon retention pond required draining for new land development. During the project planning process, one of the environmental questions that needed to be asked was “will the draining of this pond destroy any aquatic wildlife habitats?” To address this issue, a wildlife assessment was completed and any fish, turtles, or other wildlife were appropriately
• Reliance on solar energy: Provides energy which flows through our ecosphere.
• …show more content…
When a new road was being planned on a redevelopment project I oversee, one of those questions was “Does the route of this road affect any potential wetlands?” After a wetland assessment from our wetland specialists, the roadway was determined to be routed through a regulated wetland. Significant environmental measures were required to be implemented including acquiring a wetland permit, purchasing of wetland bank credits to un-regulate a portion of the wetland, and engineering control measures to ensure protection of the remaining wetland and existing habitats. In another instance, a 12-million-gallon retention pond required draining for new land development. During the project planning process, one of the environmental questions that needed to be asked was “will the draining of this pond destroy any aquatic wildlife habitats?” To address this issue, a wildlife assessment was completed and any fish, turtles, or other wildlife were appropriately