The Human Sphere

 The Human Sphere

Ch. 4 Economics (p.51) - 

The current economic system releases wastes into the environment faster than natural systems can process them and consumes renewable resources faster than they can be replenished. It consumes nonrenewable resources; once those are gone they cannot be replenished (Robertson 2017).

As I read this line, it was intriguing to learn how economics has played a contributing factor in releasing waste and consuming renewable resources as much as social behavior. It all comes down to social responsibility. From what I understand, the economy makes a negative environmental impact as it aims to improve our quality of life without considering how that can be done in a sustainable matter. The economy has the opportunity to improve the delivery of goods and services by emphasizing communities to: shop at local businesses and restaurants, and purchase clothing from thrift and second-hand stores.

Ch. 4 Reconfiguring the Growth Model (p.57) - 

Continued economic growth is as unsustainable as continued population growth. Either one will result in an Ecological Footprint that exceeds the planet’s carrying capacity. What is needed is an equitable distribution of goods and food in the developing world and an adjustment to consumption patterns in the developed world, from a condition of excess consumption to a condition of adequate consumption (Robertson 2017).

I agree with this line as it pertains to how the world's populations is growing and we are going through goods and food as if we are living off of more than one world. We must come to terms with limiting our consumption and being mindful of how much families consume to ensure equitable distribution. The pandemic helped set this limitation as stores required families to buy what is necessary to the amount of people in their household to make sure other families got their fair share of goods. If we maintained a family limit to a certain amount in stores it would be possible to reach the goal of going from an excess consumption to an adequate consumption.

 

Ecological Footprint

My Results

My Results

I was not surprised by my results as I am aware I need to make improvements in my consumption of food, mobility, and services. It is unbelievable to see that I and the human population consumes more resources than our world can supply. I personally did not realize the impact I have until I took the carbon and ecological footprint quizzes, and received results based on my strengths and weaknesses as I approach a sustainable lifestyle. The ways I can reduce my consumption of food is being mindful of where I buy my groceries and portion control to prevent waste. I grocery shop at my nearest Aldi and it wasn't until I searched it up that I realized it is not considered shopping locally. I am definitely open-minded to shop locally and I have always wanted to experience a farmer's market. I tend to balance between eating animal-based products and plant-based products on a weekly basis. I do admire what Aldi stands for as they promote sustainability into their grocery store by not providing waste through plastic bags. They recommend you bring your own reusable bag or buy one of theirs, which is a great habit to encourage to customers. The way I can reduce my consumption of mobility is to minimize my air travel, which the pandemic conveniently helped with. I personally go weeks without driving since I live on campus and when I do drive it is probably one to two times a week. I also ride the school shuttle twice a week to attend my in-person classes. The ways I can reduce my consumption of services by only using them when it is necessary. By incorporating these changes to my everyday lifestyle, I can reduce my footprint and be mindful of how I want to contribute back to the environment.

References

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge.