Breanna Barbeau

Prior to taking this class, sustainability meant being able to use things for a long period of time.  Now I realize that it isn't quite that simple.  Being sustainable means that we, as the caretakers of this planet, must understand how to use the resources we have in a manner that will not degrade their limited supplies and will not cause damage to our environment.  We must use renewable resources cautiously, for if we take them more rapidly than they can be replenished, they will quickly become unsuable to our generation and many more to come.  Knowing that some of the key non-renewable resources used globablly could be gone in a matter of 50 years should scare us into using more sustainable methods.  However, we continue to take as much as we want, more focused on our economies and personal pleasures.  We are especially unsustainable when it comes to fossil fuels.  Because our economies and every day lives are driven by the use of coal, natural gal, and oil, companies must get their consumer a large amount of product as fast as possible.  Therefore, sustainability is not often a priority, and neither is the environment.  Devoloping countries that are on the brink of being developed, such as China, are also largely contributing to the problem.  Because they are new to the world of factories and cars, China is not yet concerned about being sustainable just yet, claiming that the U.S. had a chance to develop without environmental concern, so they should be able to also, as demonstrated by the Kyoto Protocol.  If we want our grandchildren to live comfortably on a clean earth, the average person has to be educated on the issues we face and try to help the problem.  Everyone can reduce, reuse, and recycle, which contributes tremendously to sustainability.  If we want to continue to support the world's quickly increasing population, we must use our resources wisely.

This picture, to me, opens the eye to how unsustainably we live.  Instead of attempting to reduce, reuse, and recycle, tons and tons of trash get buried underground to slowly biodegrade.  If we do not change our ways, we will all eventually be prisoners in a world full of trash.

I was surprised to find out that one of they key factors in developing a country lies with womens' education.  When more women are empowered with knowledge, we see more women being independent, contributing to the economy by working, and limiting the size of their family with contraceptives.

Industrialization has really damaged the envorionment.  The vast development of factories has especially been hurting air quality.  Smog is polluting the air we breathe, and is most dangerous to the most vulnerable members of our community: babies and seniors.  Factories need to learn how to create cleaner emissions and make it their mission to be environmentally efficient.