Environmental sustainability concepts and implementation

Environmental Sustainability in the United States

Recognizing the need for more fuel-efficient and environmentally sustainable practices, a growing number of public and private sector organizations are taking the lead in making it a priority to develop and implement these initiatives in recent years. One public sector organization in the United States that is modeling the way for others is the United States Navy which is tasked with conducting worldwide operations using a fuel-hungry fleet of modern vessels. This paper provides a definition of environmental sustainability, and examines how this concept is being applied in the U.S. today and compares this to sustainability on the global scale. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Analysis

By definition, environmentally sustainable practices are those that take into account the needs of future generations and use optimal combinations of the resources that are available in steady state systems (Elkins, 2008). For instance, according to Elkins, "The basic meaning of sustainability is the capacity for continuance more or less indefinitely into the future" (p. 70). Other authorities provide comparable definitions. For example, the dictionary entry for the term states that environmental sustainability is, "The maintenance of the factors and practices that contribute to the quality of environment on a long-term basis" (Environmental sustainability, 2012, para. 1).

Although the environmental impact of organizations varies dramatically, one organization that has historically had an enormous impact on the environment is the United States Navy. In response to growing concerns over its fuel-hungry fleet, the Navy's top leadership has taken steps to develop and implement environmentally sustainable practices at sea as well as in its onshore facilities. The U.S. Navy's Environmental Sustainability Development to Integration (NESDI) program is sponsored by the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division and managed by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The primary goal of the NESDI program is to identify opportunities for improving Fleet operational readiness (NESDI program, 2012). This program is described by John P. Quinn, Deputy Director, Chief of Naval Operations, Energy & Environmental Readiness Division as being part of the Navy's goal to reduce energy use and environmental impact in sustainable ways in the future. According to Quinn, "The U.S. Navy is a national leader in the transformation of energy use to achieve a more sustainable future. For ships, planes and installations, the Navy is implementing a Spartan energy ethos wherein energy is valued as a strategic resource, and conservation and efficiency are central considerations" (2012, para. 3). Pursuant to the NESDI initiative, the Navy has launched the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning that is intended to improve the environmental sustainability practices of the Navy at sea. According to Quinn, "The objectives of CMSP are to support sustainable, secure, efficient and productive uses of the nation's oceans, coasts and Great Lakes, thus taking into account current and future requirements of economy, commerce, recreation, conservation, homeland and national security, safety and welfare" (2012, para. 4). The results of this initiative will be shared with other international stakeholders that have a major impact on ocean-going operations (Quinn, 2012).