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?

Re-evaluating Sustainability

My idea of sustainability has evolved. I don't want to say that it has changed, because I believe that part of what I said initially is true. I still believe that sustainability refers to being able to support all living things with one earth, but now I just have more to add to my definition. Sustainability is not a blanket term that can be applied like a cookie-cutter. After taking this class I believe that part of the reason the word is so impactful is because it can be altered based on different cultures, while still maintaining an implied goal to those different cultures. I think we really touched on this idea in one of our last classes, because we all got to discuss what sustainability meant to us and what the advantages and disadvantages were of having such diverse definitions.

Ok, so to add to what I started the class with, I think sustainability is putting an awareness into practice. An example would be being aware of conservation and more environmentally friendly options, but not discarding what you already have for the choice that makes you feel better. We talked about this in class, is it really any better to buy a 'green' cleaning product to replace an older one without using it entirely? Probably not. Being aware of the impact you have on the environment, the lives of living things around you, and the future environments (and consequently lives) of living things is extremely important, but it is only the first step. Taking what you have learned and what you are aware of and actually using it to change the way in which you live is what is more important. In the article "Two Meanings of Sustainability," Lester Brown, Christopher Flavin, and Sandra Postel say it best. To them, "A sustainable society is one that satisfies its needs without jeopardizing the prospects of future generations." The key word that is left out of this phrase is "want." Sustainability is not about materially satisfying our wants, but about satisfying our needs. In our consumerist society, I think we often confuse the two things. We are beginning to think that we need more and more items that we would survive quite sufficiently without.

I think that sustainability is better understood as a goal and a cycle rather than a word with one specific definition. We have so much stuff that we don't even know what to do with it all. Also, as evidenced in the "Stuff" book, we do not even pay attention to where things come from and how much effort is put forth in order to bring it to us. I think it would be truly amazing if we could overlook our wants and just focus on our needs. If we did that, maybe we would not only become sustainable, but have more time for the people around us and would be more appreciative of what we have.

I really enjoyed taking this class and all of our readings/discussions. I wish everyone the best of luck with figuring out how to make others more aware of the goals of sustainability and to put that awareness into action! :)

Remember the Idea

In my first definition of sustainability, I said it was the ability to preserve the world, the environment and the life in it. I think this is what sustainability should be, but isn’t always interpreted as. Sustainability has come to replace previous vague words like environmental, green, and organic to name a few. The problem with all of these words is the people interpreting them, the people who are going to ignore the intended connotation of the word in an effort to be labeled “green” or “sustainable” or whatever the word may be because that implies to everyone else that you are better than the competition. What I mean is that greedy people look for loopholes. For example, some juice companies will advertise their juice as “organic from concentrate” or “organic flavoring” but what do those phrases even mean anymore? I can’t imagine that organic flavoring is any better than regular flavoring.

The word “organic” no longer has very much weight because it has been interpreted and reinterpreted to fit various money-making schemes. Similarly, “green” has lost its connotative meaning just as “sustainable” will likely lose its power. Sustainable literally just means the ability to sustain. The “what” must be added. To sustain life? To sustain the environment? Those ideas are intended to be implied but they might be lost as the market tries to manipulate “sustainable” products.

In general, the vast amount of things sustainability can be applied to (like the 12+ types of sustainability named by Curran) makes using the word “sustainability” both a vice and a virtue. It’s nice because it can be applied to any situation. It’s bad because it can be misinterpreted, misleading, or manipulated. I think “sustainable” is better left as an adjective as Newton and Frefogle suggested. The reason it is so vague is because it is intended as a modifier – it requires the “what” as I said before.

I hate criticizing something without offering a solution, but frankly I don’t know what kind of word would perfectly encompass all of these new ideas about the environment. Maybe that word doesn’t exist yet. Maybe we don’t have one word to recall every subject Curran brought up, but the most important point is to remember those ideas regardless. We must hold on to the meaning – focus not on the dictionary or technical definitions, but rather on the idea, the lifestyle, and the movement behind sustainability and whatever new words we may begin to use in the future. “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.” (JFK)

What is sustainability?

I feel the more you learn about the various meaning that have been attributed to the word sustainability the more I realize that the inadequacy of any word to contain so much content. I came in with my own idea of what the word meant, but I discovered so many layers, both of ideas attached to the word and of complexity of to what I already thought I knew. I feel the basis of sustainability is understanding that everything is connected. Everything that we do affects someone or something else, both here in the present and in the future. Understanding the breadth of our actions means that we must be mindful of the things we do, trying our best to leave others at peace whenever possible. And the term others I feel also must take on a broader meaning when used in regards to sustainability. Others means the boy next door, the tree in your backyard, the lake you visited as a kid, and the people who make your clothes. While fully understanding the intricacies of our connection to the world is impossible, sustainability is a promise to seek these connections out and insure that what we do does not harm others.

"Sustainability and me"

Now that this class has ended, I definitely have even more questions about sustainability than when I originally started. Is it enough to have my own personal understanding of what this term means? Or is it necessary to take it further and have clearer, more universal guidelines about what sustainability should and should not entail? Such questions usually lead me to more questions and sometimes I long for some cold hard facts. However, I wonder if the definition is out there waiting for me to "discover" it in the first place. While I believe it is important to ground the movement for sustainability in tangible ideas and plans, I also think it is important to remember that such issues are not static. The earth is continually moving and changing – I believe that our attempts to live harmoniously together must also be ever adapting and growing. As we talked about in class, is sustainability a final destination or is it an ongoing expedition?

Issues of “sustainability” pertain to everything around me – after all, there doesn’t seem much point to anything else if I cannot live and breathe in the world that I have helped create. As Derrick Jensen says, “If you have no planet, nobody can ask questions.” So how do we humans address such a broad, all-encompassing matter? Sustainability is not just an “environmental” issue – it concerns matters from animal welfare and economics to social justice and human rights. For developed, industrialized countries such as the United States, I do not think that sustainability is about prolonging our current standards of living for as long as possible - we are going to have to find a new way to live more equitably. However, what would that look like? Imagining that future can be rather bleak and scary – I know that I have grown rather accustomed to the many luxuries that my country provides. However, as illustrated by The Story of Stuff, such amenities come at a hefty price. The richer developed world may not be paying as dearly for our actions yet, but the environment and poorer developing countries are already bearing the brunt of such choices. I do not think we have the luxury to tiptoe around these issues - we can no longer afford for issues of sustainability to be divisive or ignored.

At times, the weight and breadth of these issues can be very intimidating and confusing. However, the longer the world waits, the more nebulous our future seems to get. Our little actions certainly add up - we have to start somewhere. But I think that "sustainability" demands more from us - it requires actions that reach farther than our individual lives. Our personal changes are certainly a step in the right direction, but I don’t think it can stop there. World-wide discussion of our species' role as responsible and compassionate stewards of the Earth *is* growing – a fact that heartens and motivates me. I want to believe that the world is starting to see how sustainability is an issue that concerns us all – an aspect that I hope can give it a strong, unifying power.

In conclusion, I liked the idea of sustainability being more of a verb than a noun. Not something to mostly just talk about, but something that we do. I think that the issues we face today are some of the greatest challenges ever to our creativity as a species – how can we look past the linear way so many things are done to fashion a new, cyclical, and “sustainable” way of living?

Sustainability?

I unwittingly assumed that I would have a better understanding of the definition of sustainability after this class, but the more I know the less able I seem to be to define it. A catch-all term, sustainability is used by environmentalists, corporations, and governments to mean a variety of different things. These definitions often contradict one another, but everyone is kept happy by the word because they can use the definition which they like the most. In the Curren article, ten different types of sustainability are outlined, each with a modifying adjective that would seem to dictate the definition more so than the word it modifies.

Because it is so amorphous everyone has their own definition of sustainability, and so attempting to take into account all I’ve learned here is my best personal definition of sustainability. When I think of sustainability “reduce, reuse, recycle” still comes to mind immediately. But this is simply a way of life incorporating a mindset of sustainability. Sustainability is a much broader word, including not only a path and way of life, but also a goal. Even the goal of sustainability is somewhat amorphous. This goal is a continuous goal as one must continue the practices used to “achieve” this goal once it is reached. But I do feel like sustainability can be a goal, just one that continues to compound each time it is reached. As Zoë mentioned in her first blog, infinity is a fitting symbol when describing sustainability. Basically, to be truly sustainable, a process must be able continue infinitely. But then when describing sustainability in the world at this point, we cannot call anything truly sustainable. We would like to put all our hopes on technology, but even this has a cost. Thus, this definition of sustainability is a bit unrealistic and idealistic in practice. Yet, we do need something to aspire to and the cyclical feel of infinity is perfection. To me, the word sustainability will never include being one with the land. This is probably because I have been influenced by traditional views of sustainability and the way in which past and present governments define it. We can and should base models off of nature’s perfectly cyclical processes while trying to live more in harmony with the land, but as much as I wish sustainability could include that oneness with the land I do not feel like it does right now. That is one of the problems with the word sustainability, although to some people it does mean achieving a better state with the environment we are a part of, to most, sustainability is almost solely focused on humans and looks at the environment as a place of resources- renewable and nonrenewable. Due to this fact we may never reach the full meaning of the word sustainability because without that appreciation and connection to the Earth we will not be able to connect all the dots. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is hope for humanity and this beautiful Earth which we live on. But I also think it will take a lot for us to change, and I worry that if the bar is set too high people will feel as though it is unattainable and thus not worth attempting to achieve. Then we will never reach our goal of “sustainability” (however you define it).

Home

The word "sustainability" now rests with me as a quality of a closed system, independent to and dependent upon itself, which allows it to continue to exist for an infinite amount of itme. In our world, that system is planet Earth. The processes and functions of nature have been fine-tuned by time so to produce no waste, and completely recycle its self in a way that will enalbe it to continue forever, should the blaance be kept. The great efficiency of nature is evident with the study of Biomimicry. This revolves around attempting to copy the abilities and designs of organisms in nature to produce more effiicient machine--even the most recent science is coming back toward the perfecction of nature, the thing we are abusing!

In Society, many people push for sustainability and attempt practices that are "more sustainable." In reality, these people are attempting to grasp an intangible object. Sustainability's role in society has become a view where it has almost become a finish line--once it is reached people can stop running the race. In contrast to the thought of many, it is actually a state of mind that will probably be brought on when humanity is knocking at death's door. This mentality would dicates one's behaviors to things such as recycling anything used back through natural process of the Earth, while not harming the planet in any way. If humans are to reach this state, keeping the average American's lifestyle today would be impossible with the amount of waste and consumpton that goes on. One would probably even have to go to the extent of submerging them self completely into nature and "living off the land," but wouldn't it be kind of cool if everyone did that? I know I don't want to pay taxes and work all day!

If the Lifestyle Project and other student's activism projects showed me one thing about being sustainable other than it being a lifestyle, it is that in order to be more sustainable, one must also develop a more intimate relationship with your surroundings. This means going outside for natural light instead of using electrical lights indoors, or spending time with the people in your building in place of spending time with your television. Sustainability will certainly not be impossible, but will not be easy either, and will require the commitment of everyone to accept change in the sake of something bigger than themselves. When humanity cannot continue any longer and everything we rely on is gone, we will need to either form together or we will fall apart.

"Only when the last tree has been cut, the last river is polluted, and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money." -Native American Cree proverb

Sustainability is...

hard to define. It lacks a solid meaning beyond the idea that it is about meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Furthermore, the fact that it is “an adjective dressed up as a noun” (Newton and Freyfogle) reflects the misconception of what sustainability really means. Rather than sustainability being the goal that should be reached in the future, it is the ongoing method of how to reach that goal. However, the question of what is being sustained and who is doing the sustaining still remains unclear (Newton and Freyfogle).

Sustainability needs to continue and improve its development from a local all the way up to a global perspective requiring us to have a more efficient integration between our society, environment, and economy. As individuals, we need to become more aware of our consumption and waste, especially when “14% of our food is wasted,” (Pollan) and continue doing our part as our small actions do make a difference, although it’s a fact major changes will only be achieved through policy. Unfortunately, it is our industries and economy that are failing to undertake sustainable practices given that they have the largest impact on our own ability to become sustainable individuals. With a large percentage of our food products containing corn syrup from inedible corn (King Corn), the need for 600 gallons of water to create a single hamburger patty (Ryan), and the fact that the cost of an aluminum soda can costs more than the soda inside (Ryan) emphasize the need for these changes to occur.

Sustainability is greatly being affected by our consumption patterns. Creating a culture where material items are crucial for our daily needs, we use resources from every corner of the globe and make them travel great distances. Sustainable practices not only support ideas of using local products and using them to their full potential, but ultimately in reducing the amount of stuff we buy.

If sustainability would become an integral part of every individual there would be more public awareness and support to demand better lifestyles. As we saw in our own Lifestyle Project results and those of our classmates, sustainability has the power to encourage others to be more aware of their actions and instill the desire for new goals and better habits.

sustainability v2.0

Reflecting on my first post about sustainability, I now think I have the knowledge to expand on the concept in a more purposeful way. Sustainability is more than just an ethic. In order to be truly effective, sustainability has to be a means of existence.

Originally, I wrote that sustainability was about respect: to the planet, to others, and to future generations. That was all well and good, but respect is not enough. I respect my mother, but I don't always do everything she asks of me. It takes planning, commitment, and sacrifice. Sacrifice is the key ingredient, and thus the biggest barrier to true, worldwide sustainability because the average American consumer does not understand anything but consumption. It's consume, consume, consume versus reduce, reuse, recycle. In this regard, sustainability can move from the bottom-up, beginning with consumer ethics. But it must be strong, and there must be sacrifice in order for the "movement" to stick.

I also took a course called "Environmental Economics" this semester, and although it seems like an oxymoron, it really helped clarify what it means to be sustainable. The class also taught me about the limitations of our current systems (food, energy, everything) and the government in taking proper action toward environmental issues. Agricultural subsidies, capitalism, oil, everything promotes the ethic of "more is better." Again, this echoes back to the necessity of sustainable existence, and reformation of the broken system to include sustainable ideals and environmental incentives is how sustainability can move from the top-down, beginning with policy.

This post may seem like a bit of a rant, and it might actually be one. But please read it carefully, because I believe I've pointed out some of the things that environmental studies often misses: the economic side. It's all about incentives, and if you don't make it worth their while, the big producers will never listen. It's a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless. Supply and demand are two sides of the same flawed coin.  The world needs a change of currency, a change in the value system. That's how sustainability (or whatever we call it next) can happen.

Here's a side note that I think you all will enjoy. About two years ago I stumbled across something called the "100 Thing Challenge", in which you essentially pair down your belongings until you reach 100, then live with 100 things or less for a year. The man behind this movement, Dave, found it quite liberating to not be consumed by his material things. After reading many of his posts, I also decided to take the challenge. I haven't been able to reach 100 quite yet, but I think I have approximately 136 things right now. In my opinion, this challenge can be especially relevant to college students, since we don't necessarily have a permanent place to stay. Having fewer things has made my life easier, simpler, and a lot more flexible because my possessions aren't keeping me glued to the ground. I'll provide the link, and I seriously challenge you all to give it a shot. It sounds extreme, but it's actually very fun, and not as difficult as you'd think. If we are to truly live sustainably, we must first learn to live without stuff.

Or http://www.guynameddave.com/100-thing-challenge.html, in case the image link doesn't work.

I've enjoyed taking this class with people who have different opinions about sustainability. It's refreshing, and I've learned quite a bit. See you all in Sustainability 201.

Here we go again

The first go at this I wanted to look at one very specific part of sustainability, reusability. Just as I’ve switched from “Global Warming,” to “Global Climate Instability,” I want to switch from using the word “Sustainability,” to... something else. Sustainability is a process of renewal that perpetuates itself. It is a adverb that has been nouned, and I think that it’s a good encompassing goal for now, but it still lacks the spiritual component of a total lifestyle change that is required to live a more balanced life. Ultimately Sustainability and my intensive discussion of Environmentalism over the past semester has lead me to a distinct conclusion: That one critical part of establishing an effective understanding of the land goes beyond that of passive participation in living on the earth, but active understanding and recognition of your place on it. In our post-industrial lives we live in streams of human information, awash in a see of people and cultures, but we often lack a connection to land itself. Without that component our view is unhinged and we are more ready to exploit the earth for it’s resources. So what is Sustainability?

Ultimately what I believe Sustainability aims to be is an alternate future. As it has been co-opted by neo-liberal/conservative voices it is simply one more aspect of the development of resource, however Sustainability at its core acts as a separate strand of thinking altogether. Now I believe Sustainability to be more than just another lifestyle that compares to products, but a real coalescing thing. One aspect that is far from discussed is the spiritual aspect that is required of it. This is a part of the environmental movement that focuses on individuals building closer relationships with the land itself. Not only enacting stewardship, but also creating a bond between people and land itself. It is this spiritual connection which is implicit in our occasional use of the word, but not an explicit goal of the word itself. So how do we inject this added layer of meaning to an oft used word? I don’t believe we can, and that is part of the reason I still wish to change it. As sustainability becomes more and more a brand and is co-oped by neo-liberal/conservative voices the more we find it hijacked. I don’t want to see this movement, like so many others converted into a commoditized brand before it can ever be affective, especially given its importance. So - what is sustainability?

Sustainability is not only the process of creating a self sustaining system which recycles wastes into creation, but also the development of societies which maintain and exalt these systems. It is achieving a relationship between man and nature as well as man to man that fosters a stable future.

Sustainability 2.0

This class has made me aware of the elasticity of the word "sustainability." I'm still somewhat unsure as how to exactly define it, but I feel as if a series of examples or circumstances help one to understand it best. For instance, will fossil fuels still be available as a source of energy a hundred years from now? Will people still know of all the plants and animals we know of today? Jensen's articles really helped me to understand the concept of sustainability. He states that it is a consequence of many aspects of our culture, mainly industrial expansion. As well, people in the future are not going to care if we "tried" to make things better. They will only care that they have water to drink and air to breathe. Thus, are our individual efforts causing any sense of change at all? This is the question that I still wonder. I think that the action of living sustainable is a definitely a step in the right direction. Living in this manner educates others, which can eventually lead to a snowball effect. If these habits reach leaders who control industrial processes, changes can be made to mitigate a large source of the problem. In essence, the basis of sustainability is stretching out our available resources throughout time so that they may be utilized for as long as possible.

Sustainability: Take 2

My thoughts on sustainability are ever changing, the more I learn about it the more I understand just how complex it really is. This class has really opened my eyes to not only other people’s actions, but my own actions. I know I have a lot more to learn about sustainability, but I have grown to really appreciate learning about it during this short class. Recently, I have met a lot of resistance toward the idea of sustainability or the idea of living responsibly from other people; which has made me want to become even more knowledgeable about this subject. I have learned through this, that maybe showing through example is quite possibly stronger than we think. Showing through example sparks a light in other people’s eyes; it allows them to question and want to learn more, but on their own terms. As Mary Anne Curran states in, Wrapping our Brains around Sustainability, “Sustainability is a destination that we aspire to reach with the selection of the sustainable pathways that we choose as we proceed along the journey” (6). Sustainability really is a journey, but not necessarily of right and wrong, but a journey of awareness, of the environment, of one’s self, and of one’s community. These different pathways that can be taken may vary for different people, but I do think that like Derrick Jensen states in Forget Shorter Showers, we need to remember “That humans can help the Earth as well as harm it”. Through sustainability, we should be able to meet our needs as humans, but without taking away the ability for future generations to live and succeed and without taking away the ability for other life forms to live and succeed.

Sustainability 2.0

The concept of sustainability is not just a mindset or way of protecting the environment, but a way of life that serves a number of arenas.  The social justice aspect of sustainability is something that really sticks out to me as an important element of the cause for a better earth.  Communities, and not just human communities, need to prosper in harmony with the land available to them.  When one country has a number of unsustainable practices which harm a third world country that has little negative environmental footprint for the benefit of the wealthier nation, an imbalance occurs that is just as bad as any economic, educational, or health imbalance between the two countries.  The fact that sustainability, a lifestyle of living in harmony with nature, can bring so many social justice issues to the table greatly raises the significance of the term.  I was reading a blog this morning on CNN.com about the Copenhagen climate conference, and I was appalled at how ignorant and backwards-thinking many (at least half of the responses) were.  The basic science is there, and the ignorance and denial that is so evident in the American public for the sake of protecting a wasteful way of life is astounding.  Environmentalists simply saying "down with capitalism" will not solve anything.  America is centered on capitalism.  We have to work with the system already in place to achieve any kind of solution that will bring a nation together.  This goes back to the concept of culturally adaptable versions of sustainability.  I think many Americans would be surprised how little their standard of living has to diminish to achieve a respectable level of sustainability, a level that doesn't achieve its success at the expense of another nation.  We need to re-evaluate the ways in which our consumption patterns relate the the natural world.  While the global economy is important in todays world on a number of levels and will remain intact, a shift to a MORE local economy is possible if we re-think our relationship with the local ecosystem and the resources available.  The blueprints for sustainable models of cities are available.  America just needs the incentives and trust from the public to embrace those models.  If we can fully accept the fact that the earth is all we have to fight for, we can start to embrace some of the sustainable practices that come about from accepting cultural differences and working in harmony with the local ecosystem.  Nothing would exist without it!  A healthy earth=healthy people.  

Sustainability 2.0

Through this class I can now proudly say that I am more aware of what sustainability is or what it means to be sustainable, and would gladly share my knowledge with anyone that might care to listen. Sustainability is a multi-faceted word. It’s meaning can hardly be confined within the boundaries of plurality. According to some, like Orr, sustainability has two basic parts: “technological and ecological”. He views technological sustainability as a means through which humankind can solve the environmental dilemmas at hand and ecological sustainability as a way of discovering what habits or actions got the us into these environmental dilemmas in the first place. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, however, speaks of “sustainable development”, which is that “humanity has the ability to make development sustainable—to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. And the list goes on and on! Many individuals, including some in our class, perceive this multi-definitiveness of “sustainability” as preventative of an overall understanding of the word. I do not agree with this. The fact that “sustainability” has so many different meanings gives it flexibility. In society, flexibility has always been proven as an efficient way of preserving a cause or movement because it allows the individual application on a personal level. For example, it seems that environmentally friendly clothing and apparel are all the rage these days. Some people buy wallets made out of recycling because they want to save the world, others buy them simply because they look cool. In the end, it doesn’t matter why they bought the wallet because either way they are supporting the recycling movement. Applying this concept to the word “sustainability”, it doesn’t matter how one interprets the word, if they are paying attention to the movement, the word has achieved it’s purpose. Because “sustainability” has so many applications, it can be seen as a gateway word. Use of this word might cause individuals to inquire more about the environmental movement. Therefore, sustainability is a word with many meanings lending it flexibility to interpretation and, as a result, greater awareness and acceptance of the environmental movement as a whole.

Sustainability: Take 2

What is Sustainability? 2.0

Sustainability is a process. This is not something that has an ultimate outcome and then it is over. True sustainability is a way of life and an ongoing set of choices. The word sustainable inherently has the word sustain in it, this means that the environment must be able to sustain itself. The reason the environment is so important is because this is the place where everything, not just humans lives. So it is important to maintain the natural cycles that allow change, yet sustain the ecosystem.

A common misconception about sustainability is that it is something that can be achieved. A society can become more sustainable, but unless the actions are ongoing then it is not sustainable. Sustainability implies the use of long term plans, goals, and actions that provide equal opportunities for future generations, indefinitely. The vagueness of the word sustainability allows it to be modified to different cultures, ecosystems, and ideas.

The idea of sustainability includes other initiatives such as conservation, preservation, and restoration. The ideas of conservation and preservation are essential, to observe how nature deals with certain situations, so that humans can re-learn how to mimic nature. This is also necessary to prevent further habitats and species from being destroyed. Once this re-learning has taken place, or at least started to, then restoration can begin. Restoration is possible even more important in striving to be more sustainable as a species. This concept encompasses the idea of trying to remedy past mistakes of overuse, or simply damaging the environment. Biodiversity is essential for maintaing or sustaining the ecosystem’s natural ability to adjust to change. Preserving the integrity of certain things such as soil and water systems is essential, because without maintaining the basics of an environment, the ecosystem cannot replenish itself.

Sustainability is also a mindset, overcoming the idea of human exceptionalism. This idea implies that humans are better than other species and that humans are isolated from the environment. However, through the use of machinery humans have actually had an even greater impact on the environment that many other species. With the ability to travel great distances, such as oceans away, humans have also been responsible for introducing many non-native species, causing native populations to undergo immense pressure. This extra pressure is simply due to carelessness and arrogance.

Sustainability is a form of knowing. Especially a knowing of how the environment works and how to fit into the natural system, rather than trying to step outside of the environmental limits. Although these limits may seem detrimental to the human race, they are a way of keeping each species in check. With the industrial revolution, humans has been able to overcome many of these environmental limits. The only problem with this is that humans have overcome these boundaries with no regard to the consequences. Respect for the environment combined with knowledge of environmental impacts is crucial to sustainability because if you lack respect then there is no motivation to become sustainable. The earth is an amazing ecosystem that provides a tremendous amount of resources, which can be utilized by people. However, if the environment is not cared for then it will no longer be able to provide these resources for people and other living beings. This is what environmental sustainability is all about, maintain the environment in order to continue to be able to sustain life.

The New View (Sustainability 2.0)

I wish I had blogged earlier this weekend so our conversation, or should I say heated debate, over sustainability was still fresh in my mind. However, I can say my originial views of sustainability for the most part, still stand. They are more detailed though definitely. The layout of the class schedule helped me realize some of the different aspects of so-called "sustainability".

I guess since I'm vegan, I've always focused on eating in a way that I feel like lessens my impact on the environment. Even the food production week exposed me to new information though, with the King Corn movie. Man, that movie opened my eyes to something I would have never expected-that our country is based off of one vegetable. Like I've said in previous blogs, two of my siblings are allergic to corn. My brother is mildly allergic to corn, and he just decided to disregard his allergy and eat anything he wants and suffer from occasional migraines. My sister though, has extensive allergies and corn is on her "red list" which contain things that cause her serious health issues. While my brother has known the source of his problems for a long time, my sister just found her's out. So whenever I went home for Thanksgiving, I decided to give my sister's diet a try. Let me tell you, people think being a vegan sounds difficult, try living without corn.

Anywho, I definitely expanded upon my understanding of the different aspects of sustainability. For example, I always had a vague understanding that transportation=bad, but I honestly never thought much into solutions other than new alternatives to fuel and things along those lines. I really enjoyed the Rosenthal article about the German suburb that just didn't have cars at all. Who would've thought that could happen in modern society. During my technology fast, and I guess even being vegan, I felt so liberated not depending on things that everyone else seems to rely so heavily upon. I hope in the future I won't have a car, I definitely think if I plan it out correctly, its a very reasonable possibility.

And just to follow up on the discussion over whether we like the word "sustainability", I thought about it more, and my opinion still stands. I like the word sustainability. I know a lot of people were against the word because its so vague. If it truely is an environmentalist's goal to make the world a healthier place to live, then they should embrace a word that allows for personal interpretations. If someone takes it very loosely, and decides that simply recycling is going to produce a more sustainable environment, so be it! I feel like every drop sort of counts in the end, so no matter how you decide to translate sustainability into the actions you make in your life, its better than doing nothing. I think the ambiguity is its strong point, because it allows for the majority of the population to join the "sustainability movement". And I think environmentalists should be happy with this, even if some people are in it for shallow reasons, they're participating. Even if people are just doing it to be trendy, at least they're doing it.


In a perfect world, passing on my good habits is by definition "sustainability.

SU BIKE SHED, THE EPIC.

I am a bad person but I did actually work on this project, and really enjoyed getting a modicum of work done on it I feel mildly accomplished. Only somewhat though. Here goes:

Week 1 and then some

I suppose I should follow up with some back-story. I had heard about the bike shed as a freshman and had wondered what had come of it. All I heard were tall tales and rumors about a girl who had made it for her capstone, and then abandoned it and lost the key. I had brought it up in SEAK as a potential project, however it was tabled due to lack of interest. I didn’t give it a second thought until may of 2009. A group of folks from SEAK signed up to attend Power Shift, a youth environmental activism conference in DC. A lot was gained from the experience, but one panel in particular stuck in my mind. “Starting a Bike Co-Op." It was basically a round table discussion on the promotion and practical realization of how to start and manage a Bike Cooperative. A lot of good knowledge was bandied about, but thanks to our already awesome Pirate Bike program it seemed to be silly to try and rent bikes out to people. Especially with how bike-unfriendly parts of Georgetown can be. So I took notes, joined the google group and again let it sit on the backburner. Summer came on strong and I found myself living in Austin without a car, and then I did something that has since become an obsession. I bought a bike. For $100 I bought a ‘97 Specialized Santa Cruz. It was a hybrid frame meant for upright riding with tires on the skinny side, but it was no speed demon, still it was the fastest bike I’d ever ridden. I was taken. It made my morning commute fun and exciting and I from there it only got worse. It wasn’t long until I had built my first fixed gear bike and had dived headlong into the throws of a good sized obsession. The more I read about and obsessed over bikes the more I became enamored with bike culture, biker’s rights, and the state of bicycling in America. It was long after that I rode in my first Critical Mass. An event I would later attempt to replicate. The state of alternative modes of transportation in the states is a bit appalling. The personal automobile reigns king and anything else usually takes a back seat to them. Bicyclists, while not in bad shape, were far from protected well neither physically nor legally. Without proper bikes lanes, or at least broad shoulders, the idea of riding a bike on the road was daunting. Not only that but passing laws and enforcement of them is weak, nationwide. There are occasional bright motes of hope, progressive cities that have smart urban planning, but for the most part the idea of riding a bike for more than just leisure was a madman’s pipedream.

It had been a while and I had engaged in three or so weeks of e-mailing, asking around, and trying to figure out where the darn thing was but I found it. The bike shed. It’s across 29, right behind Bob Mathis’ office, in a garage. With his blessing a duplicate key was made the week after Homecoming and I finally got access to the Bike Shed, previously called Giracion, and got a feel for it. It was dirty, unused, and unfinished. It had been unoccupied for a year and the physical plant had stored old limestone bricks, shovels, and other garden tools in it - however it was well furnished. It came equipped with everything needed to fix and build a bike. Almost all the necessary tools, minus screw drivers and a bike pump, were there. Not only that but there were a few rusting old Mountain Bikes in desperate need of salvage, repair, or just plain junking. It took two hours but Jenna, my girlfriend, and I, had it cleaned out to where it was somewhat manageable. We only had one repair stand and the floor was unfinished. Unfortunately for me the easiest thing to fix, a flat, would be impossible, as there weren’t any kits to be found. We lucked out though, as we were finishing up, the man who runs the pirate bikes pulled up in a golf cart loaded for bear with Pirate bikes in need of repair. Steffi, the student worker who repairs them, was getting the rundown of what to do and how to do it. We made small talk, and then thankfully, we were granted partial access to some of the supplies on that side of the garage. As a bonus I was offered a job next semester fixing bikes, but that’s beside the point. With the space cleared out and a to-do list made Jenna and I ate lunch, there was so much to do.

Week 2

Part of the reason I wanted to start the bike shed back up again was to have a place where I could fix and build bicycles. My roommate was tired of having my toolkit eat the only table in our room, and I was tired of having three or four half-finished projects taking up most of the space in front of the tee vee. The other reason was to promote bike culture, and more appropriately alternative modes of transportation. Not only that but a quick google search revealed the closest bike shop to Southwestern was in Round Rock. Unfortunately for those of without a car, it’s a bit hard to walk a broken bike down I-35. Thanks to the pirate bike system, and an unfriendly bike infrastructure the idea of renting out bikes seemed less than feasible. Rather I wanted to be able to provide the folks who do have bikes on campus a place to have them repaired for free, as well as a place to learn more about the machine between their legs.

The most important things for the bike shed was funding and action. Jenna and I had got the ball rolling, but we couldn’t make real progress until we had money. The floor needed finishing, we needed screw drivers, and the shed would have difficulty existing without a revenue stream to support the need for small parts. I looked to the SEED grant to help fill that gap. So, per the grant’s application, two things had to be done: A budget, and a mission statement. Steffi and I drew up a rough budget, we would need small parts for the easiest fixes, things like chains, cables, ferrules, and bolts. The little parts that wear out quickest and need replacing most often. We figured in more stands, and another tool roll or two so more than one person could work at a time. It came out to be a bit much, not even factoring in the floor. It was a rough estimate, and we aren’t professionals, just hobbyists. Next came the hard part, trying to describe, in detail the real role of the bike shed.

What follows is a rough draft of that essay:

The SU bike shed will act as a functioning bike workshop able to provide the means to fix bicycles on campus in a cheap and reliable manner. It will also exist as a support method for the promotion of bicycling here on campus both as a utilitarian activity and as leisure one. The Bike shed will hold workshops on how to maintain and repair bicycles as well as providing a helping hand in supporting bicyclists on campus. Many people have bikes here on campus but there does not exist a bike shop within a reasonable distance and the Bike shed would offer most of services available at a normal bike shop as well as empowering people to continue repairs without us. Potentially we would also rebuild/ repair bicycles for sale back to campus, or donation.

The Bicycle Club that would oversee the operation would run the bike shed the shed. The Shed would hold monthly rides around Georgetown for fun and fitness as well as supporting other events. The SU bike club will also provide a once a month workshop, and an open weekly workshop time in which any person can use the tools available at the bike shed with the supervision of Shed managers. These workshops would encompass aspects of proper bicycle fit, proper riding techniques, wheel tensioning and building, repair and rebuilding of hubs, as well as brake line replacing and how to patch and repair tires and tubes, as well as headset and bottom bracket installation. These workshops would be led by a knowledgeable student and would hopefully encourage students to maintain and utilize their personal bike in a more knowledgeable manner. Hopefully we would also be able to sponsor and hold off campus road and mountain bike rides providing a modicum of support and sponsor bike culture on campus.

Funding would initially go toward the finishing of the shed, completing the flooring, and then would go towards expanding the number of tools and work stands so that the shed would be better equipped to handle individuals. Then we would begin the workshops and providing support to the bicycling community of Georgetown as well as Southwestern.

And that’s essentially what I want to do with the space. Ultimately the Bike Shed is simply a jumping off point for the promotion of Bicycling as a whole.

Week 3: The Event

This is a story on how not to put together an event. This is also a story in what not to do. Unsure of how to promote the shed effectively I used SEAK as a means to get at that. The CPS nuclear energy event had dropped into our laps and a lot of SEAK’s attention had been drawn there, but there was an open weekend in which we had arranged and very poorly advertised a critical mass ride which I had hoped would get a few bicyclists out. I had talked about it with a few of my friends, but I hadn’t whole heartedly promoted it as it should have. The Facebook event was made, and the expectation was laid out on thursday at the SEAK meeting, but when the time came... It was me and two extra bikes. So, after giving it twenty minutes for stragglers I set off on my own ride. I had spent the morning fixing up my fixed gear, the back tire had gotten a nasty gash in it after a run in with something sharp, so I’d be damned if I didn’t have a bit of fun anyways. As I rode down Maple, toward San Gabriel I started to think about bicycling, the shed, and a few other things. It was relaxing, and it felt good to move my legs. The roads I took were narrow, back roads, with small shoulders however I didn’t encounter any driver that was particularly averse to me being on it. Bicyclist’s rights were important to me, especially after a ride three previous weekends ago when I attempted to go south on Austin Avenue and found myself without space on the road (the shoulders were tiny) and the cars going about fifty miles an hour. However Bicyclists rights to a back seat to Bike infrastructure. I found myself on Farm to Market 971, and as I got progressively more lost the more I thought that it was critical that bike routes be established not simply as leisure lanes, but as important aspects of alternative transportation. I had read a few articles that had come out, mostly in the New York Times, on the resurgence of Bike culture on the east coast, mostly New York, after the city drastically restructured it’s streets to accommodate Bicycle specific lanes. Since then the city has progressively become more and more People friendly. Fewer cars meant a more human city. As I rode through Georgetown on a beautiful Saturday afternoon I slowly realized something, there was no one out. I made a quick cut through a subdivision to try and get away from traffic, but there wasn’t a soul on the street, and the street even had sidewalks (A seeming rarity these days). I reached North East Loop, a somewhat largish road and found the shoulder to be acceptably wide, and the road to be nicely empty. It was a good day. The one thing I could think as I struggled up a hill was about the litter and how I hope the glass shards wouldn’t ruin my tires, is how odd it must look to the various trucks and SUV’s that pass buy, some college kid in rolled up jeans on a silly bike with yellow rims struggling to get up a hill with a gradient of no more than 11 degrees.

So what did I want out of the shed and bike culture? I suppose what I wanted in the end was bizzaro world. I wanted a nation of people who rode their bikes everywhere. Where the Highway was an empty strip of endless tarmac waiting for some kid to bomb down it on steel frame trying to get somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I like cars and I appreciate the technology behind them but the Dream is dead to me. As someone who has always been slow on the transportation train I slowly realize now that Personal Automobiles are not only wasteful, but silly. Bicycles provide an efficient and beautiful means of transportation that no car could ever hope to match, both in efficiency and beauty. I admit beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the efficiency thing is real. Bicycles are the most efficient means of transportation on the road, period. In terms of converting energy to motion the Internal Combustion Engine is sorely lacking. However how do we make a bike nation? Is it possible for us to rely only on bicycles and public transit? What are the social and environmental impacts? These questions rattled around my brain as I showered after getting home. I needed a meal and a sit down.

The Wrap-Up:

Ultimately my Activism Project wasn’t as successful as I would have liked, but it’s ongoing and persists. I have no intention on giving up on the shed, and want to plan another Critical Mass as soon as the weather eases up next spring. I still love bikes, and I still think that this campus is capable of supporting a great cycling community. I look forward to holding regular weekly rides around Georgetown and getting campus informed on how to fix their own bike and giving them the tools to do it. Combining the Shed, and this class did remind of something that I’m still dealing with. I’d love a cycling nation - much more than a driving one - but what of the environmental impact? As we read through “Stuff” the author talks about the make up of his Mountain bike, some 26 (very heavy) pounds of aluminum, rubber, and plastic. I started thinking about my own bikes and bicycle building as a whole. Bicycles are traditionally made of Steel, however Aluminum, Carbon Fiber, wood, bamboo, and Titanium as well as Scandium and bad taste have all been used as materials to build bikes before, and each comes with it’s own supply chain. As a product bikes require the use of toxic brazing or welding, as well as significant energy inputs to create the alloys and chemicals that are needed to bond together any of the aforementioned materials into a sturdy and long-lasting product. As it stands the wooden bikes that exist require more work to become something worth riding (wood offers a strangely soft ride which makes going fast/getting speed hard) and has to undergo chemically intensive treatments to make it long lasting. Despite the lack of Oil inputs, a definite saving grace for the bicycle footprint, the bike itself relies, somewhat, on a global market for it’s parts. It requires numerous alloys and rubbers manufactured abroad and shipped here to sustain itself as a viable means of getting around. Bike tubes aren’t made of rubber that’s grown in the US of A. Tires require a significant petroleum input for them to be as efficient as they are. Not only that the Kevlar or Aramid bead requires specialized materials as well, not to mention the necessity of rubber or cork grips. On a large scale I suppose there are a lot of questions that are waiting to be answered, however I know this. The Bike Shed’s a-comin’. If you need a fix, talk to me, I’d love to help. Also, do me a favor and get out and ride.

Getting Fresh

I mentioned this in class, but I thought I'd post it here for those interested. Joel Salatin will be right here in Austin on Dec.5 to take questions and talk about the movie "FRESH" (about local food movements), which will be screened at the event. Follow this link:

http://action.freshthemovie.com/o/5958/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=8735