Environmental sustainability is about making decisions and taking actions in the interest of protecting the natural world, preserving the capacity of the environment to support human life, and ensuring that humans use the environment in ways that do no harm. the environment. It also calls into question how economic development affects our environment, vice versa. Environmentally unsustainable activities (long-term damage) include: Damage to tropical forests and wooded areas from logging. use of unsustainable agricultural practicesIn a recent Standard Charted Bank study measuring the long-term sustainability of 31 countries, South Africa came in last place. Furthermore, South Africa is one of the top 20 emitters of greenhouse gases in the world in 2006. This is mainly due to the country's mining. The heavy reliance on coal mines to provide 80% of South Africa's energy causes pollution and allows toxic chemicals to seep into surrounding land and water bodies. Poor spatial planning of human settlements, sanitation and waste management systems, stormwater management and declining life expectancy in recent years have also contributed to poor long-term sustainability and South Africa's high greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability (Comparisons and Tradeoffs) Economic development relies heavily on natural resources for food and energy production, which go into manufacturing, and to absorb waste and pollutants. There is therefore a strong dependence on agriculture. However, South Africa is not rich in agricultural resources; ...... middle of article ...... in 1995 showed that native plants and microorganisms grow naturally in hostile mining environments and how they can spread to potentially rehabilitate TSF and polluted soils. The program focused on the effectiveness of different types of vegetation in remediating groundwater and soil. Approximately 80 plant species have been evaluated in residue experiments; nearly 60 tree species are being evaluated as part of forest trials on TSF infiltration; and approximately 200 plant species will be used from the nearly 600 species that grow naturally on reef outcrops, polluted soils and tailings. The final phase of the research (2009-2012) will examine how phytoremediation plants might be able to produce materials. such as precious wood, fibers, chemicals, essential oils, dyes, gums and recoverable minerals and metals for secondary industries, and thus help local communities.