Greening the Ghetto by Majora Carter opened my eyes to many different ways of looking at sustainability. Her talk focused on the minority area of the South Bronx and how the citizens had greatly suffered from big business taking precedent over the well-being of the people who live there or the sustainability of the area. She emphasized the importance of investing in sustainability for the mutual benefit of humans, specifically minorities, and the environment. In her talk, she mentioned the inequality of the area and how environmental issues and economic and equality issues often go hand in hand.
Using Nature’s Genius in Architecture by Michael Pawlyn focused on the methods used in nature to make a strong, efficient world. He used examples such as a spider’s web, a fiber stronger than any ever manufactured by mankind. He also mentioned the complete sustainability of nature. Resources do not run out in such a fashion that the current way of life will suddenly cease to function in an environment because everything is recycled. Pawlyn emphasized the fact that in order for human civilizations to be successful, we must mimic nature, creating a world where what we use is not left to litter the Earth but to reused, in the same sort of way that the Earth reuses its own materials.
These two talks made me think about my own career and life styles quite a bit. I hope to go into conservation research so sustainability is not my main focus but it’s the other side of the same coin. Much of my lifestyle and interests are in sustainability and these types of factors, such as the effect on minorities and the wasteful attitude of many humans, have a large impact on my lifestyle and how I hope to live in the future. In my career, I hope I can help spread this idea of humans working like the planet for the benefit of us all.