Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
Jen Weaver
SCI207
Mohamad Termos
February 6, 2012

    Christopher Lasch is credited with saying “environmentalism opposes reckless innovation and makes conservation the central order of business” (Brainyquote.com, 2012, p.1)  While I doubt that our predecessors would have seen many of their innovations as reckless, hindsight shows that we are fast depleting many natural resources in the name of convenience and consumerism.  In our present over-populated society, innovation in the production of paper goods, food, the consumption of fuel and rabid consumerism are leading to a deteriorating world.  Changes must be made towards sustainability and preservation of our natural resources.

    One production habit humans have related to material resources is the production of paper.  Paper is used for taking notes, letter writing, art, business correspondence, billing, reading materials, education and entertainment.  Even in this digital age, paper is still widely used for most forms of written communication, with individuals still choosing to print our electronic correspondence for record keeping and note taking.  According to Turk and Bensel, “you might live in a small apartment in the city, but your lifestyle requires forestland for the production of paper” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Section 2.3).

    Another production habit related to material resources is the production of food, which requires farmland, factories, stores and fuel to make the product accessible to the public.  Turk & Bensel share that “As populations transitioned from nomadic hunter–gatherer societies, to larger and more stationary groups, agriculture developed to help meet food demands” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Section 2.1).  Today, agriculture is a huge component of our global economy however very few people are involved in the production of food as compared to the consumption.  Furthermore, large quantities of food are wasted each year because it went bad, uneaten, or simply thrown away.  According to the General Manage of Toronot’s solid wast management department, their stats “show that a single family disposes of approximately 275 kilograms of food waste per year” (The Times - Transcript, 2011, p. F.3).  That’s 606.27 pounds of food waste, and one can imagine similar numbers throughout Canada and the United States as well.

    One consumption habit humans have related to material resources is the use of fuel.  Fuel is used to transport consumer goods as well as people and we are using up our petroleum resources at a record pace.  This is especially a problem in America given the prevalence of individual vehicles rather than mass transportation.  Currently, “three hundred million Americans consume more petroleum than 1.3 billion Chinese.  And driving an SUV is using a far more environmentally malign transportation technology than riding mass transit (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Section 2.3).  As we consume petroleum we are forced to dig deeper and create new wells to mine this resource we are producing more greenhouse gases and disrupting continental shelves beneath the sea (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Section 2.3).

    Another huge consumption habit related to material resources is the simple over-population of our world today, especially when seen in light of space on the planet, clean air and a healthy atmosphere with limited greenhouse gases.  Limits on family growth and population size are not popular topics in the United States as we want to be free to have children and facilitate our families as we see fit and many may see limits on population growth to hinder their freedom or to be discriminatory.  Each child has material needs and in America we over-consume much more than those in developing countries.  Not only are many families having more than two children, thus over replacing themselves in the global population count, but American consumerism is practically taught as a birthright.  Simply put, we have too many people and we buy too many things.

    Ongoing trends of population growth and over-consumption foreshadow a dangerous future for our planet if alternative strategies are not adapted soon.  “If we fail to bring population growth and over-consumption under control the number of people on Earth is expected to grow from 6.5 billion today to 9 billion by the second half of the 21st century- then we will inhabit a planet where life becomes increasingly untenable because of two looming crises: global heating, and the degradation of the natural systems on which we all depend (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Section 2.3).  Decisions must be considered in light of the greater good, such as increased access to mass transit systems in the USA to have fewer single occupancy vehicles on the road.  If this is not an option, perhaps we could better utilize fuel-efficient cars as a temporary solution.

    Additionally, effort made towards educating consumers about better production and consumption habits is also necessary, especially when it comes to instilling habits in our children.  It seems there is a lack of awareness by much of the population as to how our habits are negatively impacting our world and education on these matters is the first step towards improvement.  There are simple changes everyday people can make to better the world around them, such as carpooling, using electronic media rather than paper, and purchasing correct amounts of food so as not to waste spoiled produce.

    Taking a cue from Christopher Lasch, drastic changes are needed towards conservation as the central order of business to sustain and preserve our world as we know it.  If the mass populous made even small changes to their daily consumption and production habits, we could see drastic positive gains in our world.



References

Innovation Quotes. (2012, January). Retrieved February 5, 2012, from BrainyQuote
     website: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/innovation.html

Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA:
     Bridgepoint Education, Inc.(https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSCI207.10.1)

Whether you like it or not, don't waste food. (2011, November 26). The Times -
     Transcript, F.3. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from Canadian Newsstand Complete.
     (Document ID: 2520086421).