What is the nature of “sustainable”? When you hear someone say that a process is sustainable, or if you hear about the sustainability of a particular enterprise — what comes to your mind?
What exactly do those words mean for you? Does they refer to the ability of a plant or animal population to regenerate so that they can be safely harvested again? Or rather do they mean that a particular business or economic activity is repeatable?
Today in class, I asked you to think about the aspects of an “environmentally sustainable society.” I was hoping that you would think about what that might actually look like. Think about it now, envision it in your mind and imagine for a moment what would change. What would change in terms of the ways that we live our daily lives? What might we need to moderate and what might we need to abandon outright?
Where do you stand on the continuum? Do you believe that the status quo is sustainable in and of itself? Do you believe that only minor changes are necessary and that even those can be postponed for a time? Do you believe that the human race, and beyond us that the entire planet, is hurling headlong toward a fathomless abyss?
What are your thoughts? What is your reasoning? Where are we starting from in this journey?
I think sustainibility is about preserving the world we have right now so the future can use it and that it is about not just “going green” but the little things in everyday life that help out the planet like picking up the piece of plastic next to your car in the parking lot or crushing your coke can before you throw it away, its little things like that, that help the earth and little by little i think it will become a sustainable society
I agree with both arden and fallon on this, so many people don’t seem to care about the future only the now and i think a big question is why? I feel like we are programed to want the best for our families and those who come after us, but why don’t people see it the same thing. We need to help at least our own families out and the best way to do that is to make our world more sustainable.
Elianah, I definitely agree with you all about this. It truly is a shame that even though the current environmental issues are being so highly regarded in the media that more people have still not connected the dots. Its like everyone has heard about the issues just not processed it enough to realize we have to actually do something about it. Its about time that people stop sitting back and listening and actually take action and make this happen.
i also feel that people want to help the planet but their mindset is ohh that someone else will do it later so why bother now, or that there are so many other things going on in their lives that they earth and society probably fall last. But if people start doing more of the “little things” then i think slowly but surely things will start to improve even more than they have
I REALLY agree with what Arden is saying about everyone doing their part and not just thinking that someone else is going to do it. It’s not like people have to do huge projects to benefit the environment. If everyone just did their part and did a small thing to help the environment, it would make the earth a healthier environment. For example, it isn’t a very hard thing to recycle (I do it at home everyday) and I think that if everyone recycled that would be one way that could really make our societies and the world a more sustainable environment.
A sustainable society to me is definitely not what we have now. For our society to become sustainable we would have to make drastic changes besides the obvious “lets go green” one. Our population is way out of hand, our water is becoming scarce (incredible to believe since the majority of our planet is water), and vegetation is decreasing. Our government is just as non-sustainable as the social part of our society. If changes aren’t done fast (reality check people, nothing lasts forever) we will be hurling headlong toward a fathomless abyss.
I believe laws and regulations need to be set for major corporations that are using up unrenewable resources. They need to be more involved in recycling all products that they use and reducing the amount of emissions being released. More people need to find ways to be carbon neutral especially by means of traveling smarter. Major energy companies are also predicting that natural gases such as shale gas and liquefied natural gas will be a large source of power generation. The use of more natural gases will definitely help in the long run.
I agree with Niko about creating laws. If companies would pay attention to the environment, it might actually benefit them as well as the planet. For a company that uses natural resources in some way, being greener might keep more of what their using around so they can eventually make even greater profits. Regulations for companies can only help not hurt.
I think rules and regulations on how companies rid themselves of waste and how they run their company environmentally is the ONLY way that a large percentage of companies will comply. If polluting is cheaper, sadly, companies will pollute.
I don’t think that we currently have a sustainable society. I think that we are working towards having one. But, I think that everyone would have to contribute to the process of becoming a sustainable society to make it possible. I agree with Niko and Jackson that there should be laws for companies that are not “being green” in the way they produce and dispose of their products. Making laws would help a lot because it would mean that more people are working towards a sustainable society.
I also agree with Niko and Jackson, being a carbon neutral environment is vitally important to becoming environmentally sustainable. If the major companies and corporations of today could be more like Ray Anderson’s company, I think that our resources will last a little longer than they would have. His “Mission Zero” was a great success, and I think that all companies should make goals like this.
I also believe that our society is not a sustainable one right now. For our society to be a sustainable one then everyone must participate. Many people do not realize that themselves, as individuals, can make a difference since our society is no where close to being sustainable. I agree with Niko and the fact that companies should have laws enforced against them with their unrenewable resource usage. Big companies need to look out more for the environment and start recycling their supplies. Individuals need to know that they can make a difference just by doing something simple, such as recycling, not littering, and watching their vehicle usage.
We definitely do not have a sustainable society. I feel as if the majority do not care about the environment and what becomes of it due to pollution. Their mindset is that it won’t effect us because we will be dead by the time consequences actually occur. I agree with NIko, if laws were established people would have more consideration to the environment. Even though it would be for selfish reasons, it would help work towards keeping a sustainable society.
I think laws would be really effective towards our society. The government has so much power today and any sort of provision that would lead to a more sustainable society should be discussed. If laws were put in place our society would be aware of what needs to be done, and what they can do to help. Also think about if all schools required students to learn about creating a more sustainable society. Not trying to brainwash kids, but inform them on becoming more responsible towards when it comes to the world.
I would like to point out an observation from three of the places I have lived.
Bulgaria: Their Black Sea Coast has become quite the tourist destination, but the resorts, run by the mob, are not looking at tomorrow. They are only interested in what money they can make today. In 2004 these resorts pumped waste directly into the water. They seemed not to care that this will ruin the beaches and their future business. Not to mention that because of the Black Sea’s anoxic zone very little of the sea’s volume can support life before we start polluting it.
Denver vs. Texas: In Denver everyone recycled. When we signed up to recycle we were given two bins that were picked up weekly by the trash company. Different trash companies competed for customers through their recycling programs. When we moved back to Texas a year ago the recycling program seemed more like an afterthought. We were given one bin, and that bin is only picked up on the second and fourth weeks of the month (five week month? too bad). But the over all attitude is different. We are one of 3 families on our street who recycle, so there is no incentive for the trash companies to start offering more recycling programs.
Cricket,
In Texas’ defense, Denver is a very liberal city. It’s government is liberal, and therefore the processes they have instilled will be farther along the ecological track than almost any city in Texas. I’m not trying to condone Texas’ lack of recycling, but it has only been five years since Gore’s Inconvenient Truth was released, and that was the real kick that got the public involved in environmental change. The past five years have seen an incredible amount of change -almost an unrealistic amount, to be honest- and it can’t be expected for that change to reach everywhere in such a short amount of time.
I find this word to be a fascinating one and thrilled that you ask it. My M.A. was focused on Environmental Sustainable Policy and it is a difficult topic to package into one definition. For a society to work towards a successful approach for environmental sustainability, it must also view the opposite facets of what a society needs to thrive and develop and that means considering economic and social development using sustainable measures and infrastructure. What exactly does sustainable mean? Honestly, I’ve begun to realize that this is a word that is overused and often misinterpreted. It has become a ‘pop culture’ word that the public and private sectors use to promote how forward-thinking they are without really knowing what it means. I’m a huge supporter of environmental economics and the continuous pursuit of approach that blends a mix of economic growth with simultaneous support and fostering for environmental and social stability and development.
When I think “environmentally sustainable” I think of an environment that’s in equilibrium, meaning that we take just as much as can be taken to keep a balance between our needs and the conservation of necessary resources. That means that us as humans are here to live off of the land but not in excess, so there is room for the environment to breathe and grow. To “sustain” means to keep things the way they are, so sustainable living is a desirable goal for now, considering the state our environment is in presently…but ultimately a goal toward constant improvement of the environment is optimal, so that we can give even more than we take.
@ Arden J: You make the comment of crushing a can before throwing it away. I truly hope your intent is to recycle your “can.” If it reaches a land fill, the bulldozers there can crush it if the trash truck didn’t.
@ Lauren G: Would you suggest the U.S. adopt single child laws (like China) to control our population, or force other growing nations to do likewise? In regards to water supplies, if many coastal communities would follow New Zealand’s lead and build desalination plants, much of the water needs could be eased. I fear for those of us in Texas, that if this drought continues the water issue will take on a new reality.
@ Niko P (and those who agree): Laws are not always the answer. One example are crude and gas refineries. Over 30 years ago laws went into effect which changes many regulations on the used and construction of these and other refineries. The old units are “grandfathered in,” but to construct or rebuild a unit would cost potentially more than the unit would ever produce. Because of these laws most companies have chosen to repair their aging facilities instead of build new. Because of this where we could have more modern processing units were left using 30 year old units.
We as a individuals, towns, states, nations and a planet, must work towards “sustainability.” But we must also refrain from reaching sustainability at the cost of progress. I am all for reasonable regulations, which allow companies to grow and expand, while countering the environmental they would have. Along with corporations, people should also attempt to reach zero impact and waste.
We must all be wary of apathy, of which I am guilty.
Galveston (where I live) doesn’t have a recycling plan, but we do have a recycle center that takes most metals, glass, paper and I think plastics. I keep thinking I need to get a few “green” bins to toss those products in but I keep failing to purchase them.
House, I don’t think apathy is the correct word. Many of us, and you too, care about the environment. We WANT to make a good change. We WANT to become sustainable, but it’s a lot of work. As humans, we’re conservative creatures. Once we create for ourselves a community that we thrive in, we fear for change, even if the odds are great that it would improve our situation.
It’s not apathy that makes us not change, it’s our own nature and the inherent laziness of it (don’t take this as me calling you lazy). It’s so much easier to do everything we already know. It’s easier to allow processes to do the things for us.
“it really changes your perspective on how many resources you use on a day to day basis.” I really liked this comment Ian made. I don’t think humans comprehend just how much we use the enviroment to survive. Eerything we touch/use is from the enviromoent. Even if it’s not directly from the land/enviroment, its roots rely there.
To me, sustainability is marked by appropriate use of resources. If we use everything up with reckless abandon then we and future generations will be left with nothing. I think it is about educating people and really helping them to understand their impact and stretching each resources as far as possible.
I think a sustainable society can replenish its resources with little to no overall loss. Do I think we are hurtling toward a fathomless abyss? No. I believe we are becoming more educated and aware of the issues involving the environment around us and are creating ways to improve how we use our resources efficiently. It is important that we continue because I think today we are using more resources than we are replenishing.
There is a very small percent of Americans who are trying to be sustainable. The numbers are increasing but not to the point where I would say society is sustainable. I think the only way that’s going to happen is if some devastating, world-ending, resource depletion even took place that scared all of America into making an effort to be sustainable. People have no interest in it now. But, like Catherine said, people need to be educated. I think that would have a huge role in pushing society to be sustainable.
Sustainability to me is almost the same as everyone else. It’s being able to consume without using up a resource or hurting our earth in the process. Honestly, I can’t tell you what this would look like or how we could accomplish this. All I know is what I’ve seen from how things are now. I know the steps to getting to an environmentally sustainable society are going to be difficult but it all starts with an idea, right? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! These three words are a concept that everyone should know by now. I think they mean a lot more to me now then they ever have. If people think they can’t help or don’t have time to, they should at least try to abide by the three R’s.
After five weeks of class I really think I have gained a better understanding on becoming more environmentally sustainable. Like Meghan said it really starts with ideas. I’ve said it a lot in my previous posts on some other articles; but we really need to come together and create ideas on how to fix the world. Given it will take the cooperation of the ENTIRE world to fix the world. But little steps at a time make a huge difference in the long run. We need to educate and create ideas on how to become sustainable and it starts with educating those who arent.
I agree with Mason, I really have gotten a better grasp on what it means to be environmentally friendly and I have heard some great ideas on how we can make our world a better place. I don’t think it will take the entire world to fix what we’ve done, but at least the majority of it. There are some things we can’t even fix, like the damaged ozone layer in our atmosphere. That doesn’t repair itself and there is nothing we can do about it except prevent it from getting worse. But there is still an abundance of things that we can all do to help clean up our environment and keep it safe for generations to come. Like Mason also stated, we need to inform and educate those who don’t know how or what to do to help our planet, then we need to actually do it.
I think sustainability is about putting back in whatever you take out from the environment. It is also about preserving the world so we can have a better future than past. There are many great ideas out there to how we are going to become more sustainable. I would say the best of those ideas are the small ones, because in order for everyone to become sustainable we have to start small and grow those ideas onto people. Some ideas come off as to overwhelming to some people to try and make a difference. This is why I think we can become sustainable by doing the little things such as picking up a piece of trash. Hopefully we can evolve these ideas to not producing waste into the environment.
While I know this will sound highly impractical and probably very extreme I believe that if we were to have a truly sustainable society we would have to get rid of anything technologically advanced and essentially go back in time. The problem with technology is humans are enamored by it and it is very contagious. It is likely that without cutting all technology more would just develop and possibly have the same harmful effects on the environment as today’s. Again not very probable that this would actually happen and therefore unlikely that we will every have a truly sustainable society in this day and age.
@Kat, I disagree with you because if we were to do this, most of the human population would starve and die. As well it would destroy our economy. There are almost 7 billion people in the world and even now with all the technology there are millions starving. I don’t think technology is the problem but rather the solution. We just need to further research and develop more green technologies. My vision of a sustainable society is one that is allowed to happen through technology.
I believe that sustainablilty is where someone can keep on creating or doing something without it ever ceasing. I mean, to where somone never runs out of something either because they are being concious of their environment or they are dealing with something that can be recreated. In the world today, the status quo is not to be sustainable, it is to sell whatever you can and make a quick buck. There is a way to change this but I believe it starts with the major corporations being very public about turning green.