The Future

Today I am going to share something a little different.  What follows is my response to one of the Discussion Questions for the Intro to Sustainability class I am taking as part of my MBA program.  The question asked: "Read the conclusion on pages 88-93 of the Challenge of Sustainability. In what areas do you think society in general, the United States, and you specifically need to focus your attention and efforts. What areas are the most crucial? In what areas do you think you can make the most impact?"

And here is my response...  I think it sounds pretty good, personally, but regardless, I wanted to share my thoughts with more than just my classmates....

I believe that the last paragraph in The Challenge of Sustainability really captures the essence of the sustainability movement, at least for me "Our fates are intertwined. We owe it to each other, and to our children and their children, to combine forces and ensure a sustainable future on earth" (El-Ashry, 2002, pg. 93). This is the mindset that everyone involved in the sustainability movement needs to adopt, because this truly is one of the keys to the success of the movement, as far as I am concerned. Remembering that we are all interconnected and that each of our actions can impact the outcome is crucial, not only in the planning and implementation, but in living it as well. We must not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, or there really is no hope for a sustainable future.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals will be crucial to the success of creating a sustainable future. In particular, I think some of the biggest challenges that need to be focused on are eradicating poverty and hunger, and creating better educational information. Until people have their basic needs met, they are not going to worry about anything beyond where are they going to get their next meal, or where are they going to sleep tonight, or will they even wake up in the morning. The future for them is counted in hours, not years. To ensure that as a society we are doing our best to meet the needs of the neediest will greatly improve the chances of a sustainable future. Education is another key, and with that comes improving literacy and ensuring equal access to educational resources, regardless of class, gender, religion, race, income level, or any other characteristic so commonly used to divide rather than unite, to withhold rather than share, and ultimately to hold down certain portions of society.

As a country, we are doing a fairly good job of responding to international needs for assistance, yet we neglect the people in our own backyard, who are often just as needy as those we are assisting in other countries. Removing the inequalities among our citizens and putting everyone on an even playing field when it comes to opportunities and information is crucial. Yes, some will resist, simply because they do not want to be a part of the solution, but many are not a part of the solution simply as a result of circumstance. By overlooking these segments of society, we are overlooking our full potential. It is going to take the collaboration of all segments of society to design, implement, and maintain a sustainable future, not just those with access to the education, information, and resources.

Much of what we are trying to accomplish through the development of a sustainable future will be for nothing if much of the world is left trying to catch up to the developed nations. Resources will continue to be depleted, population growth will continue to explode, pollution and degradation will continue unchecked, and access to the essentials of life - clean water, adequate food resources, medicine, a renewable source of energy - all of these will cause the plan to fall apart if everyone is not included in the conversation.

I believe that for the United States, taking a leadership role in the global efforts is essential, we should be seen as helping to lead the way, not trying to catch-up depending on who the current political leaders are. Rely on sound science, economic models, and plain old ingenuity, not whichever way the political winds are currently blowing. All citizens need to be allowed to participate fully in the process, as whatever is decided at the top will most greatly affect those at the bottom. Inspiring change, not forcing change, will be a much easier way to bring about the needed changes and make sure that they become a permanent reality, and not just a passing fad. We need to be leaders in the search for alternative, renewable forms of energy, we need to provide adequate funding to the necessary research, and stop basing our decisions on who is better able to line our pockets. We need to create an educational system that fosters creativity and collaboration, not one that simply ensures that everyone gets a high enough score on standardized tests. We need to ensure equal access to information and resources to people from all walks of life, not just those who can best or most easily afford it. We need to lead the way to change, not let change happen without us.

For me personally, I think one of my biggest impacts can be on working towards the educational aspects, to help ensure the information is reaching everyone, that the messages being sent are consistent, and that the people who need to hear the message the most are actually able to listen. Combined with my background in environmental biology, my interest in environmental issues, particularly on a personal level, and what I will hopefully learn from and take from this program, I think that the opportunities for me to help make a difference will become much more of a reality. Yes, I can do my part in leading by example, making changes to my personal lifestyle, and applying what I know to how I live, but I think for me one of the things I want to do is help to make a difference by making sure that everyone realizes their connection to and role in the overall movement.

Reference

El-Ashry, M. et. al. (2002, September). The Challenge of Sustainability. Washington, DC: Global Environment Facility. Retrieved from http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/publication/The.Challenge.of_.Sustainability.pdf

A Chill in the Air

There is a chill in the air tonight, but the chill I am feeling the most is not coming from the wind or the changing season, the chill I am feeling tonight is coming from within. I said goodbye to someone today, a co-worker, a friend. I have done it before, and I am sure I will do it again, but that does not mean it will ever be easier, or that it will hurt any less. I am not one who easily makes friends; I took one of those dumb quizzes on Facebook and it said that my strongest emotion is that I am shy. I am quiet. I only come out of my shell around familiar people. This could not be closer to the truth! I have gotten better at this over the years, but overall, I am still shy. It takes quite a lot for me to open up to people, to let people in. Friends are not something I have had many of; sure, I have had co-workers that I get along with, but true friends, those have always been a rare commodity for me. So, when I finally do open up and make a good, close friend, part of me knows I am setting myself for eventual heartache.

That brings me back to today… We had worked together for just over three years, she had become one of the best associates in my department, and one of my closest friends. She is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met, the kind of person I would want for a girlfriend if I were lucky enough to find one. Smart, beautiful, a wonderful person. And today she left. She is pursuing a love of her own, a life of her own, and this is something she has to do. No matter if we like it, no matter how many tears were shed today, this is something she has to do, for herself. And it will happen again. Soon, very soon Sooner than I would like, in fact. They always say we will keep in touch, we will still be friends, and eventually that turns into the occasional text or message on Facebook, a card at Christmas or on a birthday, but over time, it fades away, it always has, and what is to keep that from happening again this time? Or next time? Or the time after that? Time can’t stand still, people have to move on to newer and better things, I just wish I was not always the one left choking in the dust, hoping that when it clears I will still have someone left. But I usually know better. Eventually I will open up to someone again, find some new friends, or grow closer to some of those that are still here, but in time, they too will be gone, and I will be here waiting, wishing, wondering…

Life has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride lately, and although I love to ride them, this one is leaving me feeling a bit overwhelmed and queasy. I made the decision to go back to school, a decision I do not regret, but that does not mean I am feeling completely confident in my decision. Work takes a lot out of me, and now I have school to look forward to 7 days a week, for the next 17 months. I know it is in my best interest, I know it can only help to open more and bigger doors for me down the road, but it is taking a lot of getting used to. I don’t sleep as much these, not that sleep has been a friend of mine in quite some time anyway. I am not used to this new online format completely yet, to taking a class without ever seeing another student or the instructor. Not yet used to having videos and papers as a lecture, to communicating with classmates on discussion forums instead of face to face. Things have changed a lot in the last 15 years, and yet some things are still the same. I am still searching, looking, trying to figure out for sure who I am, where I want to go, and what it will take to get me there, should I ever actually reach wherever it is I am trying to go.

The walls go up, I knock them down, and then I put them up again. They keep out the hurt, they keep in the pain. These walls are not physical walls like those of my apartment, but they might as well be, because they leave me feeling trapped, trapped like a fly in a web, wondering if, when, how I will break free. I do manage to break out long enough to work and to spend time with my family now and then, to run the necessary errands and escape into the outside world, but the escape is always temporary. The walls always call me back to them, a call I can’t seem to resist, like some seductive Sirens, pulling me back within. Will I ever knock these walls down for good, to replace them with a bright, open expanse of happiness and life spread out before me? Or will the walls always win?

There is a chill in the air tonight…