Minor thoughts: What is the most effective management for Australia environmental sustainability?

As population grows, environmental sustainability becomes the first priority agenda for Australia government. Many reports have recently pointed to climate change as the key environmental threat that force primarily to a circle of dirty air in the coast and air sheds called pollution halos, and water resources (Morton et al. 2009, p.1). Newton (cited in Henderson, 2007, p.135) observed that as urban areas grew, more energy and carbon dioxide emits which causes pollution everywhere. In addition, that phenomenon will impact to water quality for living use (Blanch, 2008, p.113). Initiatives will be important to take action for a sustainable future. Through carefully planned management, building eco-cities and improving integrated water management systems could be enhanced to ensure Australian environment will sustainable.

The most leading environmental risk in Australia is pollution halos with population growth as a major cause.As the population continues, many central business, industries, transportation, and apartments increase which contribute to the level of carbon dioxide emissions and energy waste. Cities are more like greenhouses where the heat is trapped making the weather change extremely. As a result, temperature rises and the average climate becomes warmer. Evidence shows that pollution halos threat in major metropolitan cities due to the growth of industries and transportation energy (Peter cited in Henderson, 2007, pp.133-135). To solve the problems, building eco-cities could be an alternative way in reducing pollution halos in cities.

Biello (2011, p.2) defines that an eco-city refers to an area which able to minimize amounts of energy use and emissions efficiently. The research reports that several major focuses could be maintaining old buildings with efficient energy use such as skyscrapers, houses or churches that was built in the 1970s, replacing black roof with white since white roof can easily reflect sunlight in summer, and installing solar-thermal for water heaters. The systems would be benefit to translate pollution halos into primary energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the climate change which less costly rather than building new ones. Evidence shows that by creating eco-cities program, countries could have sustainability not only by conserving and limiting gas emission but also by diversifying energy supply such as natural gas to have better air quality (Biello, 2011, p.3). The report suggests that industries could translate liquid waste into solid for animal meals or generate electricity by burning methane from landfills. Therefore, it is mainly of Australian Government to accommodate engineers, city planners, and local citizens to be part of eco-cities program (Biello, 2011, p.2).

The following major environment risks that threaten Australia’s sustainability is water resources. Evidence finds that water resources across the country is now rating as one of the most significant challenges particularly in business and communities (Environmental sustainability: an industry response, 2011, p.30). According to A sustainable population strategy for Australia (2010), since the climate change has occurred, there are impacts of increase and decrease rainfall which let Australia experienced two significant conditions, one area relatively scarce of water but in contrast another has over exploitation. Another report notes that one area is concern in the degradation of water supply in that the river, wetland, and floodplain health threatened. Related to population, on the other hand, another place is continuing over-exploitation of plentiful groundwater resources (Morton, et al, 2009, p.2). One outstanding strategy could be maintained by integrated water management systems in which the key area includes the role by agricultural and technical sectors.

A sustainable population strategy for Australia (2010) insists that Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) should work together with the agricultural and technical sectors to meet efficiency gains in achieving sustainable use of water. The report recommends that mixing all water supplies such as groundwater, storm water, recycled water, and desalination and supplying water from dams could be involved as solutions. It will be essential for agriculture in managing techniques to curb water use, for rebating rainwater into harvesting and for translating water dams into toilet use (Biello, 2011, p.23). Consequently, a properly coordinated approach and leadership within planners is needed so that the systems could serve all of Australian cities evenly.

In conclusion, it is obvious that any sustainable environment solution above will require better attention and contribution from all sectors of Australia to take account. Through initiatives from government, planners, and locals, climate change that lead to unsustainable pollution halos and the water resources could be diminished. Hence, building eco-cities and improving integrated water management systems would be the most effective management for Australia environmental sustainability.