Sustainability 2.0 Flashcards
What is sustainability?
Meeting our own needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Luxury vs necessity
Luxury = wants, you don’t needs
Necessity= for life, vital to live
Luxury examples
Newspaper/flyers
Food wrappers (unhealthy food)
Cardboard (ordering online)
Necessity examples
Food scraps ( from healthy food)
Sanitation, toiletries
Clean water
Clothes
Shelter
Buried treasure article the Dump
Luxuries from the dump: paper, plastic, metal, wood, glass, electronic
Necessities from the dump: food, textiles, personal items
The family read a lot and order take out, middle class family
Fast food meal, what it took to make it ?
Hamburger: feed animals then slaughtered , wheat, machines, transportation
Fries: potatoes water and fertilizer to grow potatoes, transport
Cola: syrup that’s mostly water, aluminum for packaging, shipping and more transportation
Fast food restaurant: former farmland, deforestation to have land
Workers and farmers: all get only 1%-2% of fam food, and minimum wage for workers
Components of sustainability
Environmental
Society
Economy
Need all 3 for sustainability
Environment, what’s affected?
Plants and Animals
Air, water, soil
Long term impact on Environment
Society, what is affected ?
People’s lives
Cultures
Other people benefit at the expense of others
Economy, what is affected?
Local, national, international economies
Are meaningful jobs provided?
Long term economic gain for people and communities
Working for a living, sweatshops, overworking and horrible working conditions
Factory Workers in China get 2% of the retail prices for jeans
Rest of money goes to advertising , corporate salaries, store rental fees, and
the middleman (manufacturers retailers)
To protect workers: International Labour Office, only work 8 hours per day
Lowest wage: $40/month
Horrible working conditions and results for people
There are toxic chemicals, lead, mercury, cadmium, benzene, toxic air
Working long hours
Cancer, leukaemia, bone marrow damage, damage immune system
Environmental impacts from factories in China
Factory waste discharged in rivers
Air pollution
Electricity from coal, more fossil fuels
Climate change and smog
Resulted in premature deaths
Economy from factories in China
The US and China make billions from textiles imports and exports
Don’t want to change or else they will lose money
What should a consumer do for good?
Make sure what you buy is support people and not causing any negative situations
People are getting fair wages and have a safe work environment
A better way article, ways to improve
Source locally to carbon emissions get cut down, limit planes and boats
Have recycling programs
Better payment of workers
Positive contribute to local economies
Quality of life and happiness
Quality is what’s important to you
Happiness is what you do for fun
Both: the quality of your life is if you do what makes you happy
Examples: quality time with family and friends, good physical and mental health, hobbies and recreation
Peace and security, savings (money for necessities)
5 steps
Extraction
Production
Distribution
Consumption
Disposal
Extractions
Deforestation
Habitats destroyed
More fossil fuels
Machines ruining the land
Ex: Amazon rain forest being burned down
Production
Health affects from factories, cancer, reproductive health challenges
Mental health affects
Child labour
Emissions from factories
Distribution
Emissions from transportation
Water pollutions from boats
Animals on boast transmit diseases
Consumptions
Overspending (debt)
Hoarding ( no room for anything)
More garbage
Money could be spend on necessities or donations
Disposal
Fossil fuels from burning waste going back into the air
Pollution in ocean
Animals affects from micro plastics
More habitats being ruined for pollution
System redesign
Biomimicry: using natural energy
Closed loop production: reusing/ repurposing products
Green chemistry: less pollution in air
Government accountability: more information and making them responsible for negative
