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Oppositon between sustainability and environment
I just "made a walk in the Internet" and found a video, made in May 2009. Brazilian poll institute Vox Populi gone to the the streets and asked young people: What sustainability is? People used to be nervous in front of a camera, so most of them, had difficulties even to pronounce the word (sustentabilidade, in Portuguese).
Only one answered correctly: sustainability is the intelligent use of all resources without no damage on environment. Most of people associate the concept with economics and the money needed to supply our daily necessities. But the most impactant fact appears in the second minute of the video: when asked about the environment importance, all agreed. So, for them, environment and sustainability are dissociated concepts.
The second cliche is about education. Again, all of them agreed that education could be a good way to people understand what sustainability means. But none said how is the best way to implement this new education. I really don´t know what is the best way to make people realize that we are part of environment. Do you have any suggestion?
(If you want to know more about sustainability discussion in Brazil, see also this post)
Comments
We have many false concepts about sustainability and, as you said, education is probably the most important part of the process to pass over this stage. Maybe, the best question is, like a friend said: “Instead of think about let a better earth to our children, let the better children to our earth”. Don´t you think? Unfortunately, just a few people really have a concern about that question.
I think for many of the people the answer is hard. Not only for the young. I have explained that in one of my personal posts, because of our daily life. And to your question about the education, there is a big whole in our systems, because nobody really knows what to tell the students except “recycle” and “keep clean”. It must be presented as a possibility not only to a better lifestyle, but also business, international cooperations between youth organizations, smart architectural and technological decisions and ect.
Both of you are right, Lucy and Beatriz. We must realize that sustainability perpasses our lifes. It has to be impressed in all productive systems and ending only with the recycled products.
Its about changing habits and leave behind most of our today lifestyle. It will be a hard road.
Best regrads
Charlie
Living the present time without compromising the future. This is sustainability in a few and simple words. But it is SO difficult! And because it’s difficult to practice, it’s difficult to understand. All we have to do is think in terms of personal life. When you have your banking account in red, are you still able to think green in the same pace?
The question is very good.
There is much water in the human body… If water is polluted the body is polluted.
If the air is polluted we let us become sick.