What does sustainability mean? Sustainability is becoming one of the largest concerns of our modern day society. As the human population grows, especially in Third World countries, but around the globe as a whole, the demand increases for jobs, food, water, shelter, land, energy, and sanitation (Our Common Future, p.46). The rapidly growing demand for these basic and fundamental necessities present new and unprecedented challenges through which we must meet these demands. In order to do this, we must invent new and innovative solutions, as Einstein said, “the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result,” the old solutions of yesterday, will not, and cannot, be implemented to solve the problems
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Currently, my definition of sustainability, with respect to the necessities I mentioned above, is to not take more than what can be replenished at a natural rate. In regards to the physical state, I would consider sustainability to be the slow yet steady progression through which growth is always attainable, and risk is managed such that major setbacks are either prevented, or avoided altogether. One way I think of this, is through the example of drinking and driving. It is not sustainable to drink and drive, at some point, the driver either receives a DUI and loses their license, or worse, they injure themselves or others to the point of causing fatal injury. My personal experience with sustainability comes in the personal physical form. I raced motorcycles for 13 years while growing up and endured many injuries; some of which I am still recovering and rehabbing today. Through my experiences racing, I learned that in order to maintain the sustained growth and development of my skill, many sacrifices in my “normal” life would have …show more content…
We as humans are hard wired to focus on our own self-interests and individual desires, similar to how countries on the grand scale focus more on the efforts of their own interests, desires, and sustainability. This presents a great challenge though, as we grow by the billions of people, we are not many countries, but one small interconnected and interdependent world. Becoming a singular sustainably developed globalized economy, world, ecosystem, etc., will require global committees to create and institute “critical objectives for policies founded in sustainable development (Our Common Future, p.46).” From all the readings, one of the ideas that resonated with me the most, was the idea to solidify the sustainable development of our world by transcending the original conceptual equation of impact. This equation, Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology, developed by Paul and Anne Erhlich (Ray Anderson’s TED Talk, 2009), over time, transforms into the 3rd revision of the impact equation, or as Ray Anderson refers to it, “The New Civilization Equation.” This revitalized equation, and new idea incorporate future technology,
Currently, my definition of sustainability, with respect to the necessities I mentioned above, is to not take more than what can be replenished at a natural rate. In regards to the physical state, I would consider sustainability to be the slow yet steady progression through which growth is always attainable, and risk is managed such that major setbacks are either prevented, or avoided altogether. One way I think of this, is through the example of drinking and driving. It is not sustainable to drink and drive, at some point, the driver either receives a DUI and loses their license, or worse, they injure themselves or others to the point of causing fatal injury. My personal experience with sustainability comes in the personal physical form. I raced motorcycles for 13 years while growing up and endured many injuries; some of which I am still recovering and rehabbing today. Through my experiences racing, I learned that in order to maintain the sustained growth and development of my skill, many sacrifices in my “normal” life would have …show more content…
We as humans are hard wired to focus on our own self-interests and individual desires, similar to how countries on the grand scale focus more on the efforts of their own interests, desires, and sustainability. This presents a great challenge though, as we grow by the billions of people, we are not many countries, but one small interconnected and interdependent world. Becoming a singular sustainably developed globalized economy, world, ecosystem, etc., will require global committees to create and institute “critical objectives for policies founded in sustainable development (Our Common Future, p.46).” From all the readings, one of the ideas that resonated with me the most, was the idea to solidify the sustainable development of our world by transcending the original conceptual equation of impact. This equation, Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology, developed by Paul and Anne Erhlich (Ray Anderson’s TED Talk, 2009), over time, transforms into the 3rd revision of the impact equation, or as Ray Anderson refers to it, “The New Civilization Equation.” This revitalized equation, and new idea incorporate future technology,