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    Sustaining Unsustainable Abilities (1052 Words)

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    Vincy
    The document discusses the concept of sustainability and unsustainability. It argues that the primary victim of unsustainability is non-human nature as biodiversity loss and habitat destruction have led to the exile and extinction of many species. While sustainable development goals aim to address issues like poverty and health, the document suggests they may not solve problems of resource depletion and climate change if population growth and overconsumption are not curbed. It also questions whether certain goals around biodiversity preservation are truly achievable given human behavior and priorities. Overall, the document advocates recognizing our interdependence with ecosystems and orienting production and consumption away from practices that damage the environment.

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    Sustaining Unsustainable Abilities (1052 Words)

    Uploaded by

    Vincy
    25 views4 pages
    The document discusses the concept of sustainability and unsustainability. It argues that the primary victim of unsustainability is non-human nature as biodiversity loss and habitat destruction have led to the exile and extinction of many species. While sustainable development goals aim to address issues like poverty and health, the document suggests they may not solve problems of resource depletion and climate change if population growth and overconsumption are not curbed. It also questions whether certain goals around biodiversity preservation are truly achievable given human behavior and priorities. Overall, the document advocates recognizing our interdependence with ecosystems and orienting production and consumption away from practices that damage the environment.

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    The document discusses the concept of sustainability and unsustainability. It argues that the primary victim of unsustainability is non-human nature as biodiversity loss and habitat destruction have led to the exile and extinction of many species. While sustainable development goals aim to address issues like poverty and health, the document suggests they may not solve problems of resource depletion and climate change if population growth and overconsumption are not curbed. It also questions whether certain goals around biodiversity preservation are truly achievable given human behavior and priorities. Overall, the document advocates recognizing our interdependence with ecosystems and orienting production and consumption away from practices that damage the environment.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    25 views4 pages

    Sustaining Unsustainable Abilities (1052 Words)

    Uploaded by

    Vincy
    The document discusses the concept of sustainability and unsustainability. It argues that the primary victim of unsustainability is non-human nature as biodiversity loss and habitat destruction have led to the exile and extinction of many species. While sustainable development goals aim to address issues like poverty and health, the document suggests they may not solve problems of resource depletion and climate change if population growth and overconsumption are not curbed. It also questions whether certain goals around biodiversity preservation are truly achievable given human behavior and priorities. Overall, the document advocates recognizing our interdependence with ecosystems and orienting production and consumption away from practices that damage the environment.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    SUSTAINING UNSUSTAINABLE ABILITIES

    (1052 words)

    One might say that sustainability is the achievement of the SDG goals to the

    extent that it will promote greater social equality and economic prosperity. The

    underlying cause of unsustainability is the ecological injustice between species (human

    and non-human). The article further explains how vital our biodiversity and ecosystem

    services are in decision-making at all levels. Furthermore, the article favors an

    anthropocentric perspective insufficient to battle grave environmental challenges in our

    country. One of the definitions of unsustainability is an increasing pressure towards the

    natural environment as building materials, and energy resources are extracted in our

    ecosystem (AskAboutIreland, 2014). Multiple species are doomed to exile due to the

    human welfare that successfully benefits in extracting natural resources (Kopnina,

    2015). Humans sustain unsustainable abilities at the cost of nature, but it is not too late

    to recognize the world around us.

    The three things that I significantly learned from in the reading were that the

    rising numbers of endangered species are not worrying humans. We all need

    biodiversity to create a safe operating space for humanity to live in until the next decade

    or so. The evidence that Sumatran tigers and white rhinoceros are almost extinct does

    not frighten humans one bit. More so, plant cultivations, synthetic medicines, and

    electronic entertainment all contribute to human survival and the advancement of

    industrialism. Extinction due to habitat loss should not be practiced because it threatens

    non-human species in nature. The second thing I learned is that population growth is

    the leading cause of unsustainable global development. Population growth should not

    1
    be seen as a 'good thing' for businesses and economic growth. Economic growth has

    already harmed the planet's ability to support even the current population in the future

    (Kopnina, 2015). The article explains how population growth has caused environmental

    problems. The more people are born into this world, the more resources are required,

    causing the Earth's resources to deplete rapidly. (Mayer, 2018). Depletion happens due

    to biodiversity loss and deforestation, leading to my next learning, which is the impact of

    reforesting on our ecosystem. Reforestation allows the natural regrowth of woodland,

    wetlands, and grassland and lowers GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions by almost ten

    percent. It also promotes vegetation recovery that may benefit humanity soon.

    I was confused about the way the author explains the sustainable development

    goals. It is confusing for readers like me to interpret whether the author agrees with the

    goals or not. The author stated that the SDG goals are unlikely to lead to economic

    prosperity and great social equality while supporting childhood and maternal mortality. It

    is also unclear that conventional sustainability does not offer any alternative in the

    present state of inequality and poverty. As for as I know, traditional sustainability meets

    human needs, improves living, and provides financial aid that makes environmental

    protection possible. I do not understand why conventional sustainability does not help

    fix inequality and poverty when the main aim of conventional sustainability is to

    recognize poverty as one of the environmental problems that should be addressed

    (Korten, 2010). Lack of education and economic opportunities for the poor is a top

    priority in this sustainability. Another vague statement I found is that the 15th goal of

    SDG, which is "Life on land," is impossible to achieve because of the terms 'sustainable

    use'. It is indeed hard to restore any terrestrial ecosystem because of how humans

    2
    behave in this world, but it is certainly not impossible to achieve. We need to support

    sustainable forest management and foster any product or technology to optimize

    resource efficiency. The mentality of saying impossible to a goal that can be achieved is

    preposterous.

    First and foremost, I used to think that human and non-human nature are both

    mainstreamed in sustainability thinking to address any concerns regarding poor people

    and wildlife. After reading the article, I now know that the first victim of unsustainability is

    non-human nature. The only thing mainstreamed about the concerns of women, poor

    people, and enslaved people is based on human nature. For non-human species,

    concerns are highly disregarded by humans because of their mentality on how the world

    works. They are deemed 'uncharismatic' due to the agencies' lack of funding (Hance,

    2020). I used to think that if we reached the goal of zero poverty in all nations

    worldwide, it would solve environmental problems, health, and economic suppression.

    After reading the article, I now know that if all people are lifted out of poverty, there will

    be more consumption and a more significant resource crisis (Kopnina, 2015). If poverty

    is the only thing that is solved, then present challenges such as depletion of resources

    and climate change can still impact how we live. I used to think that the word

    'sustainable use' means conserving and using your resources wisely for the

    environments' sake. After reading the article, I now know that the word 'sustainable use'

    is highly anthropocentric (human-centered). Meaning that unless the victims of

    unsustainability (i.e., population growth, production, and consumption) are addressed,

    the practice will most likely not happen, and the issues will continue until it is fixed.

    3
    The three questions that I would like to ask about the reading article are: Will we

    be able to pursue sustainable development if population growth is the only thing that is

    addressed? Why or why not? How is afforestation a benefit and a detriment in our

    planet's ecosystem services? If you were a part of the United Nations, are there any

    SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) that you would like to change or revise? I

    would appreciate having these questions answered to learn how we can further

    implement sustainable development.

    To sum it all up, unsustainability happens because of false consumption and

    production of resources, and also due to population growth. The article explains how

    humankind should supposedly recognize the ecosystem, especially non-human species

    undergoing extinction. The readers should note the recommendations on the paper to

    be able to address non-human and human victims of unsustainability. Individuals should

    radically re-orientate production and consumption away from those who support

    unsustainability. The UN should manage population growth; people need to stop seeing

    this as a 'good thing' for their companies and businesses. We should embrace

    ecological justice between all species. As the article stated, our planet is the actual

    victim of unsustainability; economic growth should be the least of our worries.

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