final post

So what is sustainability? After ending the class after a few weeks of discussing the broad topic of sustainability, I have realized that my knowledge about sustainability has increased, yet my definition is pretty much the same. I agree with my first definition. Sustainability has the meaning of maintaining or keeping something at a certain healthy point. Not only does it mean to help keep our earth healthy and clean, but to find ways to maintain it at its point of "homeostasis." I have come to realize that sustainability doesn't have to be huge projects conducted nationwide in order to obtain a social change. Sustainability can range from making your own clothes to save on materials, to making toys out of car parts to keep it from piling up and littering the earth. I guess I underestimated the little things that go overlooked. I do have to say that I was really impressed with the can crusher used at the frat parties. I thought it was extremely clever because guys in general get a kick out of crushing and mutilating things for whatever reason. It was also efficient. All you had to do was just pop off the top and take the already crushed cans to wherever it is you take it and it's much easier. I was also interested in the article that talked about boimimetics. I thought that was super clever. And who would have thought that went into sustainability. Its all a balance. That's what I have come to realize at the end of this class. Everything has its natural balance and with pollution, consumerism and ignorance, we are throwing our earth out of balance. Everything has a level whether directly, or abstractly. If it is directly affected such as cars producing too much carbon dioxide which overhwelms the levels of oxygen, we as humans are affected by the gases. Then the human to plant ratio is out of wack as well. I may just be rambling on but it totally makes sense in my head. We as humans need to get the earth back into balance so we can live to our full potential as well as the other organisms on the earth. Sustainability whether through massive waves of change, or picking up one bottle at a time, we are helping sustain our earth. We need to stop focusing on what if everyone did this...and start focusing on what we as individuals can do.