Last APES Blog

The textbook definition for sustainability is the ability of earth's systems, including human cultural systems and economies, to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely. According to me, sustainability is living on this Earth while not exploiting the natural resources available and preserving the resources for the future.

One problem that was brought to my attention when I took APES this year was the "tragedy of the commons". Had I not taken APES, there is a very small chance that I would have become aware of such a big problem.The tragedy occurs because each user of a shared common resource or open-access resources exploits the shared resource because one does not own it. The cumulative effect of this exploitation works to exhaust or ruin the resource. Unfortunately, developing countries and industrialized nations participate in such activities whether that be by dumping trash in the ocean or testing missiles in the sky. If a person owns a resource, then he or she most definitely wants to protect it in order to make it most profitable to them. However, when no one owns the resource, then no one takes responsibility for caring for it and instead want to exploit it to make it most profitable to them. There were many other problems that we discussed in APES but this problem stuck out to me because we see this tragedy going on in all places that belong to the public whether that be a park or a school. This is one problem which I know can be solved because this problem has been caused by humans. Therefore, I am hopeful that if us, as humans, begin to take responsibility for the resources we use and try to not to exploit them, then there is a possibility that the problem of the "tragedy of the commons" could be solved.If we continue to live with the mindset to exploit what does not belong to us, then we are not only setting ourselves up for trouble in the future but we are jeopardizing the future of the Earth.



This image to me is the perfect example of the "Tragedy of the Commons". It is an image of San Diego's Balboa Park, which was trashed after Earth Day celebrations in 2008. Because this is a public park, no one took the responsibility to go dispose their trash in an appropriate location. There was no one to enforce that the trash be dumped in the appropriate location, and this trash is the result of the "tragedy of the commons". The irony of the picture is that this trash was left behind after the Earth Day celebrations, which, to me, is a little shocking because Earth Day is a celebration of trying to preserve the Earth. To me this image is disheartening, but I am still optimistic because I feel that the word is slowly spreading about the destruction we are causing to the environment, and so hopefully, 10 years from now, students taking this class may not have to learn about the "tragedy of the commons" because the problem will be extinct.

Another problem is that we often do not realize the importance of things we have always had. As a girl living my entire life in America, I have never realized the importance of education because it was always given to me. However, one thing that I feel that prevents our society from living sustainably is the lack of education especially amongst women. From this course, I feel the message that will remain with me for many years is the importance of the education of women. Educating woman empowers women. When women are empowered, they feel a greater sense of duty instead of just doing the daily chores and giving birth. As a result, this can lower fertility rates and ultimately slow down the population growth.



This image creates a very powerful message. Clearly, the women in the village are attempting to read in this image. I chose this image because I think that if this picture would mirror the women of the world, then nothing could stop the human race from becoming more sustainable. This picture serves to provide the hope that perhaps there will be a day where all women will be educated so that their talent will not be undermined. In many industrialized nations, the man to woman ratio is about equal. However, there are many developing countries where females are still suppressed. The image shows that it may take time, but, gradually, the women will be empowered through education. The education of these women will lead to lower fertility rates, slowing population growth, and ultimately reduce the environmental degradation.

Had I not taken environmental science, I probably would have never encountered the problem of affluence. From my childhood, I had always heard of problems of poverty and how there are many kids in the world that they do not even get 3 full meals. However, the problem of affluence was relatively surprising but it was very true. At the beginning of the year, we did a worksheet which talked about how we would need 4 to 5 Earths in order to support all of the resources just the United States. Affluence is a part of countries that are built on high levels of consumption and unnecessary waste of resources. Affluence, I believe, is worst than poverty because we have to exploit the resources of the Earth to get products because we, in America and other countries, are victims of the mass advertising industry. Even though the United States does not support the largest population of the world, we consume 100 times as much as the average person in the world's poorest countries. There may be some positives to affluence such as cleaner air, cleaner water, etc. in the United States, but this does not outweigh the harms we are causing.



This is a picture of old cell phones that are thrown in the trash, and they now sit at the dump. The image shows how we are all victims of the advertising of mass industries and one of the causes of affluence. From the thick cell phone, to the green light cell phone, to the keypad cellphone, to the touchscreen cell phone, technology is rapidly coming up with something newer and better. We try to stay updated by purchasing these products and fuel the negative effects caused by affluence. This picture, to me, serves as an eye opener for us to try not to be the victim of the industries because at the end we are hurting the environment by practicing unsustainable behavior.

Overall, I have learned about problems that I do not think I would have ever encountered from any other class. After taking this class, I have realized that I, too, contribute to the unsustainable resource use. Due to my conclusion, I learned to take little steps to try to cut down on my habits that would hurt the Earth. Slowly, as education and awareness spreads about the harms that we do to the Earth, and as people realize that we only have ONE Earth, we will become a more sustainable society to preserve this wonderful place for future generations.