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Sustainability 2.0

I see quite a bit more in the word sustainability from before this class began. Before I saw sustainability as just conserving enough of our resources for the next generation. Now, I don't think is good enough. For something to be sustainable, it must be sustainable for forever. Every generation must have enough resources to. I liked what Zoe said at the beginning of the year. Sustainability must be infinite. Also, I have changed my mind about the word. I thought at the beginning of the semester that it just meant that businesses must be closed loop. I still agree with this. It is important for conservation that businesses and people must conduct their lives in a way that everything used is used again so that this can go on for infinity. However, I now think that respect for the earth must be included in the connotation behind sustainability. This is the only way our lifestyle will ever be sustainable. I don't think this comes to mind when people hear the word sustainability, especially not when it is on products. Sustainability must not leave room for over consumption and right now it does. I still however, think this word is a huge improvement upon other words associated with the environmental movement. With the word sustainablity, you can catch the lie. If a product says it is sustainable but travels thousands of miles, the contrast can be obvious for those who are educated. This is different from products that just simply claim themselves to be green or environmentally friendly. Overall, I think it is a good word for this movement. It can capture in everyone and leave room for the definition needed for the moment.

Sustainability 2.0

How I view sustainability now is similar to the way I did at the beginning of this course but has become much more of a realistic way to live my life. My definition has not really changed except for the fact that I now understand that the word sustainability might be too broad, or maybe its just that there are so many different things that go along with being sustainable one would think it to be too broad. I think that it is a good word to be used if you think about all the different things that are necessary to be considered living in a sustainable manner. Sustainability is a continuos cycle that never ends, it is not something that you simply get to and then stop. I really liked the video we watched about all the different projects that are attempting to copy-cat nature in order to make the world and businesses more sustainable. I also liked Jensen's article about decreasing the negativity and trying to increase positive out looks, I think that instead of looking at it as what am I giving up or loosing it should be more of how am I helping the bigger picture? I have truly enjoyed this class and have learned a lot, in the beginning I was very skeptical and after the life style project I have truly changed my life to more sustainable practices. Thanks everyone for your insights and good luck in life!

sustainability 2

I have to say that after reviewing my first blog, I pretty much still agree with my comments. But after all of our readings, I understand now why I always refrain from using the word sustainable. It without a doubt means something different to everyone. But the word does have its place in the environmental conversation. It is like the backbone to the idea of preserving nature. And for every place, person, plant and creature there is a different way to obtain the balance behind the idea of sustainability. So, the word itself is unavoidable. Maybe we do need to come up with a better word. I don't care much for land health. Perhaps ecologically minded? Whatever the word, there is still a process to achieving it and that is sustainability.

Sustainability endgame

So, here we are, at the end of things, and it has been a fun trip. Seeing how the term sustainability has changed for different people has proven what is good about the word, that is, once established as a value, becomes more than a dictionary-definable word. This is where it differs from Environment, as it is more flexible and related to lifestyle, and Green, which is a trendy label that may or may not fall by the wayside, or worse, breed a negative reaction. For some, it is a career choice, something that will be an umbrella term concerning the industry they work in. For some, it is an education issue, where their greatest interest is in spreading the gospel of green, and hopefully without alienating the pagans that we want to convert. For everyone, it is a lens through which we check ourselves, trying to improve, and lessen our impact on the earth we tread. Even for people whose careers will not be remotely related to the sustainability, the lens will be there, and, when asked to contribute, these people will take sustainability into consideration. This, in and of itself, will be a great deal better than previous generations. I do not believe that we, in our generation, will even closely achieve sustainability, but if anything has been shown by our study of history, it took us since Industrialization to create this mess, and it won't be fixed by any quick cure-all. It takes generational change, and future generations can't get further if we don't start the trip for them. So, while a classroom journey has ended, the book is about to be ours to write, and let's write it well, so that when we've done our best to save the world, we've saved it not for ourselves, but for others. I just, and yes, I am this much of a nerd, thought of Frodo giving Samwise the book at the end of the Trilogy and saying, "the Shire has been saved. But not for me." Isn't that a wholly sustainable attitude?