Analysis Perspectives On Sustainability - 1492 Words

Introduction The living standards in 2015 compared to one hundred years ago have changed immensely, from the size of houses, energy consumption, the necessary access to treated water. Higher standards of living have made way for higher and denser populations. Additionally, the impact on the environment has increased simultaneously with the growth of our wants and needs. This reflective essay will cover themes introduced and focused on throughout the course â€Å"Perspectives on Sustainability†, which addresses multiple aspects of how to live sustainably, how to reduce the negative impact on the environment and to create a shift in people s outlook regarding sustainability. The overall idea promoted in the course was the need for increased†¦show more content†¦In the guest lecture about food systems, there were multiple costs mentioned regarding â€Å"more oil dependant large scale farms producing huge amounts of one thing, which over-saturate local markets, secondly the emissions let out by the transportation of these foods† (Koch, March 12, 2015) The environment, or nature, and human interaction was a common theme found periodically if not centred on for each chapter, lecture and guest speaker, as it is a major player in the game of sustainability, it is the ground for human activity. As discussed in one of the first lectures, â€Å"realize that humans are not outside of nature, we are still a part of the cycle† (Latta, January 6, 2015). A guest lecture by Luisa Ramirez discussed â€Å"The Complexity of Conservation Approaches† and spoke about how the paradigm has changed, â€Å"humans should be outside of nature, it could be set aside with no interaction† (Ramirez, March, 2015). Nature is and was a major focus, and the realization that humans are directly related to it should be reinstalled into our shared consciousness. Community was one of the most common themes in the course, and it was discussed by a majority of the guest speakers. The community refers to society as a whole, to local communities or even to a street of people who band together for change, any relation to a group of people with