Water

I liked the approach taken in the water presentation to focus on ocean water.  Usually when we talk about water and environmental ethics we assume the water we drink, however, the group did a great job on presenting us with the environmental problems in the larger bodies of water we often forget about.  In fact, our world is made up of 2.7% freshwater and 97.3% salt water.  The ocean is used by humans for many things including recreational activities, tourism, energy, oil, and food through the fishing industry.    One of the biggest threats to the ocean environment is overfishing.  The fishing industry provides millions of people with jobs directly or indirectly.  It also provides the main food source for thousands of people living near the coast.  However, the current fishing practices being used are not sustainable.  Major fish populations are in decline and entire ecosystems are being affected.  Commercial fishing companies need to find ways to practice more sustainable fishing or risk extinction of their income sources.  If one species of fish becomes extinct, the rest of the underwater ecosystem will be affected.  Small family owned fishing companies should be supported as they are more likely to practice sustainable efforts.  Some of the other biggest environmental problems that the group addressed include ocean acidification, hypoxic dead zones and the great pacific garbage patch.  If we don’t find solutions to these problems soon, they may become irreversible.  The ocean is just as important to our well-being as freshwater drinking sources are.  Finding more sustainable practices for our ocean use are vital to a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

Shelter

The shelter presentation was given by my group.  Our main focus of the presentation was LEED Certification.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.   We felt that the nine categories which make up LEED touch on the most important points in sustainability and environmental ethics of shelters.  The nine categories included Sustainable sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Locations & Linkages, Awareness & Education, Innovation in Design and Regional Priority.  The research we did on our topic was a great learning experience.  My favorite quote was one from the U.S. Department of Energy, "buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States".  The numbers prove that a significant amount of energy is being wasted each year.  They really show how important LEED certification is if we want to become a more sustainable society.  LEED certification not only saves money by reducing energy use and waste but it is also environmentally friendly as it focuses on reducing the amount we interfere with non-human life forms and their habitats by using sustainable practices.  LEED certification provides people in any construction situation from new constructions and major renovations to existing buildings and remodeling with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building designs and construction solutions.  Currently, becoming LEED certified can be an expensive process as some of the green products required are more expensive than standard products.  However, the money saved and the environmental impact make it worth it in the long run.  Hopefully as the green movement continues to expand and sustainability becomes a norm we will see a drop in these prices so LEED certification can become affordable for everyone.