Sustainability to Thomas Westfall

1)    In the beginning of the year, I use to think sustainability was just a term used to describe how durable/reliable an object or material was.  Now I know that Sustainability is a word used to describe the state of the world.  Is our world sustainable? Can our world last for generations to come and provide like it did for our generation?  Is the world durable enough to support the rising population?  Sustainability is a term used to describe everything  around us.  Each person makes up part of the world, so each person effects the world's sustainability.  I feel the main problem is at home; with more people being affected by Affluenza (constant WANTS and desires) the problem gets bigger.  Many people around the world, especially Americans, want and want no matter what the case.  People want material items just like their friends or neighbors.  Almost like the Jones'.  The problem is, the more items you have means more items will break or malfunction.  Then people will have to get it fixed or like many Americans throw it away and get a new better item.  Plus items they are making now are not easy to fix.  Items are made to be discarded if they break.  People everyday throw grills, chairs, and appliances to the curve because they don't get them fixed.  However, in their defense, our society today makes it difficult to repair or buy a new part for something.  A big part of Sustainability is reduce, reuse, and recycle, not buy, use, throwaway.  This year in APES I have learned it is the small day in and day out changes that sustain the world.  There is no million dollar idea to fix everything; it is the thousand dollar ideas that help the world and people live sustainable.

2)     People grabbing and taking because they can, not because they need too. Affluenza is a big problem in our country and APES has taught me that do what you can to help the world at home.  Solve the problems you can fix.  Don't fall victim to convince and use disposable things, take the extra minute and fill up a water bottle rather than grabbing a plastic one.  flickriver.com


 Nuclear Power is great way to produce a lot of clean energy, even though it can be quiet expensive.  I was surprised to find that the general public think contamination from Nuclear Power is the nation's second most worried environmental hazard.  However, the general public do not realize the safety and precautions drills Nuclear Plants go through.  Nuclear Power should not be the main alternate energy source, but we could use it more.   en.wikipedia.org


 In APES, I have learned a great deal about logging and deforestation.  Not that these go together.  I have discovered logging and even clear cut logging are not bad for the environment.  If companies take environmental cautions and replant the ground propitiatory, the forest will re-grow fine.  I originally thought logging and the destruction of forest was awful, but now I understand the renewable source of wood and the forest will be fine if logged smartly.   believetrees.wordpress.com