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What are the Different Types of Sustainable Policy?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

Some policies focus on immediate needs and concerns. A sustainable policy is one that is put into place with the present and the future in mind. These policies are generally developed with consideration to the various aspects that may be affected instead of only focusing on the obvious element. There are many areas of life where sustainability can be applied. These include development, agriculture, and energy.

Sustainable development usually focuses on ways to meet current needs and demands without jeopardizing the ability for people to do the same in the future. This area of sustainability can be vast because there are many types of development. It can also require policy makers to look outside their immediate environments. A dam that is constructed in one place can have negative effects on the lives of people a great distance away or on generations to come. Sustainable development attempts to prevent this from happening.

Hydroelectric power generating stations like the Hoover Dam can provide sustainable energy far into the future because they consume no fuels.
Hydroelectric power generating stations like the Hoover Dam can provide sustainable energy far into the future because they consume no fuels.

A sustainable policy that involves agriculture is likely to focus on food security. This is typically one of the most important issues that governments must address. A government’s current manner of raising and obtaining food is generally only considered sustainable when it allows that government to secure food but does not prevent others from doing so. Policies in agricultural sustainability may regulate land use so that soils do not become infertile. It may also prevent the export of goods to prevent a domestic food shortage.

As energy is imperative to the body, it is also imperative to the world. In the global sense, energy typically refers to sources of power for things such as transportation and heat. Each sustainable policy in this area generally focuses on preventing people from depleting their energy sources. To do this, a country may require that a certain amount of additives be added to fossil fuels to extend quantities. A country may also require that a certain percentage of energy be produced domestically to reduce reliance on trade partners.

Sustainable environmental policies tend to focus on keeping the Earth in a condition that is livable and will be livable for forthcoming generations. An environmental sustainable policy may focus on pollution issues such as limiting greenhouse gases and water contamination. These policies may also limit how much and how fast natural resources are consumed.

Policies may also be developed to make living sustainable. These may attempt to address the habits and behaviors of individuals. Adverse effects can result from the general population just they can be produced by industries and governments. A sustainable policy in this area may regulate an issue such pregnancy when population control seems necessary.

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    • Hydroelectric power generating stations like the Hoover Dam can provide sustainable energy far into the future because they consume no fuels.
      By: William Warby
      Hydroelectric power generating stations like the Hoover Dam can provide sustainable energy far into the future because they consume no fuels.