1.6 Sustainability The photograph in Fig. 16 was taken during the Apollo 8 mission to the moon in December 1968. The foreground shows the surface of the moon. Earth can be seen 384,000 kilometres away in the distance. When people saw this photograph they realised how small Earth is in comparison to the rest of space. It is thought that photographs like this influenced people to start thinking differently about our world. People began to realise that Earth is a fragile planet and that it has to be cared for in order to ensure its sustainability. Sustainability is the ability of something to last into the
future. The actions that we take in our daily lives can affect sustainability. For example the amount of fish we take from the sea now can affect the amount of fish that will be there in the future. Scientists try to increase our understanding of the sustainability of our actions. Scientists also develop new technologies and new ways of doing things in a more sustainable way. For example wind turbines have become a familiar sight in our landscape. Using wind energy is just one way in which scientists are attempting to generate electricity in a sustainable way. People now realise that there is not an endless supply of raw materials on Earth. As a result, recycling has become an important part of our sustainable use of materials.
Fig. 16 Earth viewed from space.
Fig. 17 All
living things are dependent on each other.
Fig. 18 There are many wind farms in Ireland today.
Fig. 19 Recycling is important if we are to live sustainably.
Science has also shown us that all living things are dependent on each other and that our actions may have unforeseen consequences for life on Earth. Science helps to raise awareness of the dangers and tries to come up with creative solutions when problems arise. Issues of sustainability and energy will be explored throughout this book.
