Asking the Big Questions

The term sustainability is one which is being thrown around on a regular basis lately. It goes hand-in-hand with the “going green” theme of today’s society. According to the Brundtland Commission (1987), sustainability is the use and development that meets today’s needs without preventing those needs from being met by future generations. Or in other words, don’t start projects or create ideas today that will be detrimental to future generations.

In Nathan Shedroff’s presentation, called Sustainable Innovation, he explores the elements which makes sustainability possible. These being design, sustainability and business. Before recently, individuals usually concentrated on just one of these elements. However, now a comprehensive understanding of all three are the only way in order to make sustainable innovation successful. Shedroff presented the material in a very outright, simple form. This communicates that reaching sustainability is a straight-forward subject that needs to be addressed head on.

Shedroff posed some questions during his presentation which I am going to ponder. These questions are actually quite complex however, so a definite answer will be hard to reach.

--What would a more sustainable world look like??

When I think of sustainability, I think of recycling and less waste. Using old shipping containers for houses and recycling products to use for flooring and decorations. I also think of less physical waste that we produce as a society--composting, reusing materials and products instead of just throwing them away to buy the new thing. Moving towards a sustainable planet will take a conscious effort from each and every person.

--What would a more meaningful world look like??

I feel like this is a more subjective question being that the term “meaningful” is interpreted differently by different people. In this way, if carried out by all, we would all care for our planet more in our own special way because of the special meaning it carries for us individually.

--What would a post-consumerist society look like??

This is a more straight forward topic but in my opinion would be the hardest to change in Western society. However changing this would actually solve all the majority of the problems of sustainability. The mindset of society would have to be completely changed. Society would have to move from always buying the new in thing and disposing of products that still work and instead find happiness in things other than continuously buying material things.