We therefore have a task to preserve the land and environment for the generations yet unborn.
However, due to the massive improvement in technology and industrialisation, there are many things that operation of many organisations does to destroy the environment. As Shakespeare puts it, the world is a stage and all of us are actors. When we are done, we will pass on and everything we have toiled for will be handed down to our children and grandchildren. If we exhaust all natural resources today, what will we leave for our children?
This conference organised by Bath Spa Engineering focuses on sharing ideas and concepts relevant to environmental protection and sustainability in our operations. As stakeholders from various backgrounds we need to have an intimate understanding of the UK Government’s definition of sustainable development: “Enjoying a better quality of life without compromising in the quality of life of future generations” (Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2006).
After the Second World War, industrialisation seemed to have taken a different turn. This kind of trend has led to a number of indicators that point to the fact that rapid action must be taken to avert any loss of natural resources to future generations. De Bruyn (2000) identifies the following:
1. Exponential Growth: The world’s population has doubled over the past 30 years. This is usually attributed to the fall in infant mortality, better health care, less wars and improvements in the quality of life. It seems populations are going to increase exponentially into the future. This leads to higher demands for natural resources.
2. Increasing Pollution: The continuous increase in populations around the globe and the concurrent increase in the quality of life around the world means demand for goods has also increased.