We can become Earth System Thinkers
By:
Natalia Salinas
Valentina De Pablos
This past Wednesday we had the opportunity to
have Malia Brown as a guest speaker in our Sustainability and the Future of
Fashion class. She centered her talk around three very important questions:
Must we change? Can we change? Will we change? The answer to all of these
questions is yes, we must change, we can change, and hopefully we will change.
There was a phrase she said that left us
thinking, “We are the only species causing our own extinction”. How is it that
everything we do and consume is affecting the earth and ourselves? From driving
a car to producing our clothes and food, all of it has an impact on the
environment. We may not realize it but the four spheres of the earth are
connected between each other and when one is affected, the consequences are
reflected also on the others. We are creating an excessive amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and deforestation, this
action apart from damaging the land and ecosystems living there, is also
preventing the heat from leaving the earth, ending up in the ocean. What is
better named as ocean warming, has other negative consequences for us like,
storms, water scarcity and flooding. So basically we are using more resources
than the ones we have available, we are destroying ecosystems on which we
depend and we are risking the only home we have and share.
Being earth system thinkers means to be aware
of the four spheres, how they work and impact our life, means being conscious
of the effect that our lifestyle has on the environment, how one small action
can impact the whole system, and finally being able to transform those actions
into a solution. We are also part of the system, we are connected to the four
spheres and it is our role to preserve them, create a sustainable life and to
spread the word in order to have a better future.
It’s important to remember to use our choice,
use our voice, and use our vote to make an impact and make everyone become
earth system thinkers.
Great job ladies! I really enjoyed how you not only said what was wrong but also how we got there and some causes and potential results. This really got your message across.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalia & Valentina-
ReplyDeleteI really liked the opening quote that you used. It also resonated with me when Malia said it, and tied into your post very well. Choice/voice/vote is a simple and effective way to remember how you can help impact the environment in every day life.
I think your blog creates a sense of urgency, but at the same time offers solutions that can help the planet because offering solutions is equally important as letting us know about the issue. Grear job!
ReplyDelete