Today I am here to discuss the different directions taken when defining “sustainability”. Sustainability, a multifaceted concept, has gained many interpretations across various areas, reflecting the complex crossover between environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Within environmental science, sustainability often refers to the capacity of natural systems to endure and regenerate over time, encompassing principles of ecologically, preservation, and conservation. Things like the damage clothing manufacturing is taking on the planet and allowing laws and regulations to be put in place to keep companies mindful of the amount of chemical dyes we are putting into different bodies of water and the ecosystems that are disrupted by these chemicals. In contrast, in the realm of economics, sustainability is often viewed through the management of resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. The biggest idea that comes to mind here is advocating for consumers to participate in recycling and composting practices. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions we as consumers produce and helps society. From a social perspective, sustainability embodies notions of equity, justice, and community well-being, emphasizing inclusive development that fosters social cohesion. An idea that supports social sustainability would be creating a community gardening group. With the correct resources for the area, a garden will support the local biodiversity and also create a deeper relationship within the community that benefits human emotions rather than an Earth/ plant benefit. We have to be able to replenish or support the things we take from the Earth to “sustain life”. While, despite these different perspectives, a common thread underlying all definitions is the importance of achieving a harmonious balance between human activities and the capacities of the planet, ensuring the continued flourishing of both human societies and the natural world.   

Our class has been using “They Say, I Say” by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. This is an educational text meant to provide writers with tips to improve their research skills and academic writing. In a recent class, we were asked to discuss Chapter 13 of this book and highlight things that we as students related to or found interesting. Chapter 13 is titled Don’t Make Them Scroll Up: Entering Online Conversations. It begins this discussion of how the internet has influenced the way we have conversations and how we respond to different questions. Most of the time the internet is full of people’s anonymous opinions, which can be beneficial or extremely detrimental. This chapter focuses on having beneficial and constructive conversations rather than reading an immature comment section. In this blog post, I want to apply different tools from Graff and Birkenstein to real-life scenarios we could encounter on the internet. 

I do not think people would argue with the fact that the internet in combination with social media can be a very harmful place, but if we were able to teach children how to effectively communicate on these forums, it makes you wonder how beneficial that could be. The first suggestion Chapter 13 of They Say, I Say makes is that “not all online writers make it clear who or what prompted them to write.” Th.” This could be applied to social media interactions in that a person responds to a thread of comments without specifying who or what they are addressing. This leads to other commenters mistaking their words or assuming their perspective which could lead to hostility. The solution here would be for the commenter to address the exact person they want to address or begin a new thread explaining where and what inspired this idea.  

Another idea discussed in Chapter 13 of They Say, I Say is “Linking to what They Say”. Writers should be supplying articles and links within their texts to help readers understand the point they are making. This could also be very applicable when conversing on social media when someone may seem to be posting “fake news” or making a false claim. Submitting links to different articles and studies can not only help the original comment fix their understanding but also help other readers know the truth. This topic could be related to Donald Trump and his postings about the 2020 election being rigged. This was clearly “fake news” after he had lost this election and people began flooding social media and his comment sections with research and article links about why the information he was stating was false.  

The last section of this chapter is called “Juxtaposing Your “They Say” with Your “I Say”’. This simply means, allowing other readers to comment and respond to your idea. The way the conversation builds itself allows readers to see a “They Say” and your “I Say”. Different social media channels allow for different types of commenting whether it is just a thread or it is a way of “quoting” the original post. Quoting the post allows your “They Say” and your “I Say” to be present to all readers. A great example of this would be making a post about how much you love your teacher at school, but then having someone “quote” the post with the opposing side. This allows social media users to see where the “They Say” and the “I Say” originated from so they can informatively participate in the conversation.  

Graff and Birkenstein have a great way of presenting this information in an easy yet sophisticated way. I believe the suggestions in Chapter 13 could be easily taught to more social media users so we can have positive and beneficial conversations online. Do you think social media is a toxic or welcoming environment?  

Today I wanted to share a helpful research paper structure that we have been using toward our final research project here in English 3020. It revolves around the IMRD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. While organizing research papers and scientific writings, structure can be preferential or based on something specific in the field of study, but this structure allows the reader and writer to easily locate information within the academic article. In this discussion, we will go over the principal areas of the IMRD structure to properly organize your research into each of these categories.  

Introductions deal with presenting the idea to your audience. They should understand the topic you will discuss and your stance on the idea. Readers should be able to tell if you are against or advocating for a specific topic. They should also have a good understanding of the topic they will be reading about, otherwise they will be lost in the information rather than the structure. For our research project in 3020, we are describing a “Black Box” product, which is a solution toward a problem seen environmentally or within sustainability. This is something we would discuss in the introduction so the reader can be aware of what a “Black Box” product is and its purpose.  

The next section is the Methods section of the IMRD structure. This is where you will focus less on the data being discussed but more on the research you conducted. Readers will have a better perspective on the writings you used and why you chose to use certain information from them. This is also a great area to add different units of measurement discussed throughout your paper so your audience will understand it and not have to decipher their meanings while reading the research. A specific idea I had mentioned in this portion of my paper was the survey I want to conduct and how I am going to gather the research for it.  

The second to last section is the Results portion of the paper. This area should be filled with specific details discovered when being researched. Here it is less about its importance and analyzing the findings, but more about being straightforward in the results of different studies conducted or researched recorded. This is also a beneficial area to include different informative figures used to better support your claim being made within the introduction. It is important to remember not to analyze information too deeply in this area, that will be done in the next section. In this area I would be able to talk about the results I gained from conducting a survey, but not yet how it applies to my original idea.  

  The Discussion section is a substantial summary to the entire research paper. The beginning of this section should be dedicated strictly to explaining what the research you conducted means. For my research specifically, I would discuss the importance of me conducting the survey and how the information I found applies to my original idea. Focus on the significant findings and how it is all able to come together cohesively and support your original stance and opinion. Discuss future research you wish to conduct and how this research would also apply to your original topic would also be beneficial in this section of the paper. The second half of this section should be dedicated to summarizing your  main idea and giving acknowledgments where deserved.  

With this structure, writers and the audience are able to easily disect these variations of academic writings and easily located information in different areas of the paper. I also believe this is a great structure for people beginning to learn how to write academically. It allows for little to no error when placing specific details in specific sections. I hope you find some sort of application for this structure in your next academic writing.  

Hello Audience, my name is Megan Hoskins, and I am a Fashion and Retail Studies major. I am taking this class to better communicate my arguments against the harmful practices of the fast fashion industry.  

Today I wanted to take a deeper analysis of the differences in beliefs of the environment throughout different generations. I will reference a story I mentioned in my Writing for Sustainability class discussions, that deals with my experience working in retail and fast fashion. The company I was working for began charging customers for paper bags instead of making them complimentary. The reactions were most neutral with Gen Z, they understood the amount of waste these bags annually produce and knew there was a way they could make an impact on this. Many of them replied, “Oh no thank you!” When asked if they wanted to purchase a bag and continue to carry their new top in the tote bag they had with them or in another bag from a different store.  

I had a different experience with an older woman who when asked if she would like to purchase a bag for $0.10. She said “You are charging for bags now? As if you guys do not make enough money from your clothing?” My customer service response was “Yes! It is a part of our new sustainability efforts throughout the brand.” She looks at me slightly puzzled and asks “What is sustainability?” My coworker had to handle the rest of the conversation with the customer as I was completely puzzled… A woman twice my age had just asked me what sustainability was. 

In Writing for Sustainability, the first week of classes we were assigned a reading titled “The Formation of Environmental Beliefs” by Julia B. Corbett. Upon remembering this scenario that happened to me it brought me to the question “How differently do generations vary in their beliefs of protecting and preserving the environment?” Believing in the importance of the environment does not credit you as someone actively protecting it. While many Boomers and older generations “believe” they are environmentally mindful, they are not actively making a difference the way that Gen Z. An article from Forbes describes this idea by quoting Yossi Sheffi “Although several surveys show that most consumers say they want sustainable products, sales data show that only a small percentage are willing to pay more to buy sustainable products.” This is an idea that Gen Z has spent much of their lives living through, protecting the environment is going to be an investment, as is everything else in today’s economy.  

While perspective is one thing, behavior is another. Gen Z is known to be able to recognize an issue with climate control and want to take more personal actions toward fixing the issue, whereas Boomers will recognize the problem but are not as likely to vote for proposals on things such as reducing or eliminating fossil fuels. Many things affect the beliefs of different generations from political beliefs and social media exposure. We see younger generations becoming more environmentally conscious with liberal perspectives on the future of the climate. Older generations are more conservative when it comes to investing in potentially beneficial proposals. Gen Z is more commonly expressing their emotions and fears about the news of climate change on social media, creating different fears and anxieties within the generation. Seeing that environmental beliefs are more than just a learned behavior; it is interesting to see the different dynamics among the generations. Do you also notice this division? Or do you see equal opinions within generations about climate change and sustainability efforts?