What are your personal sustainability values?
The basic cellular respiration equation states that cells use oxygen and glucose to produce carbon dioxide, water, and most importantly, energy to sustain the organic forms of life. Beyond the cellular level, mankind has accelerated the rate of carbon dioxide emission and the increased the use of energy and water without necessarily replenishing the sources.
Carbon emissions, natural resource depletion, and water scarcity are some of the biggest problems facing today's society. They are more intertwined than any one group might hope, and there is no single solution that can address every aspect. Tzeporah Berman, an environmental activist, said at my faculty's alumni event that environmental groups often get hung up on the details, clouding the appeal of the low carbon future.
From the past environmentally-charged event that I have attended, there has been one clear message: the solution lies in collaboration. It has worked before on smaller projects specific to different sectors, and it is now time to scale up those solutions to address the quintessential challenge that mankind faces today. Although I may sound more idealistic than I usually like to be, it is important that different groups set aside their differences and work towards the solutions that are based on science.
There are two movies that exemplify collaboration between groups from different ends of political spectrum: X-Men: First Class and Watchmen. In both movies US and USSR both go to a brink of a nuclear war until they realize a common enemy. Before the irreversible effects of the climate change become more widespread, we must enact, educate, and act to prevent the future crisis from becoming a reality. Otherwise, if we wait until a catastrophic event wakes us up, it will have been too late.
I doubt if humans will evolve in time to adapt to the atmospheric changes that may come, where the notion of "survival of the fittest" becomes quite literal. Future mankind may be able to adopt technologies that allow them to live in harsher environment, but that is not the future I want my descendants to inherit. If you have ever appreciated the beauty of nature, take action now to preserve it for the future generations.
Day 56 (October 11)
Day 57 (October 12)
Carbon emissions, natural resource depletion, and water scarcity are some of the biggest problems facing today's society. They are more intertwined than any one group might hope, and there is no single solution that can address every aspect. Tzeporah Berman, an environmental activist, said at my faculty's alumni event that environmental groups often get hung up on the details, clouding the appeal of the low carbon future.
From the past environmentally-charged event that I have attended, there has been one clear message: the solution lies in collaboration. It has worked before on smaller projects specific to different sectors, and it is now time to scale up those solutions to address the quintessential challenge that mankind faces today. Although I may sound more idealistic than I usually like to be, it is important that different groups set aside their differences and work towards the solutions that are based on science.
There are two movies that exemplify collaboration between groups from different ends of political spectrum: X-Men: First Class and Watchmen. In both movies US and USSR both go to a brink of a nuclear war until they realize a common enemy. Before the irreversible effects of the climate change become more widespread, we must enact, educate, and act to prevent the future crisis from becoming a reality. Otherwise, if we wait until a catastrophic event wakes us up, it will have been too late.
I doubt if humans will evolve in time to adapt to the atmospheric changes that may come, where the notion of "survival of the fittest" becomes quite literal. Future mankind may be able to adopt technologies that allow them to live in harsher environment, but that is not the future I want my descendants to inherit. If you have ever appreciated the beauty of nature, take action now to preserve it for the future generations.
Day 56 (October 11)
Day 57 (October 12)
