Jeffrey Sachs Chapter 1 and What is Sustainability?

Jeffrey Sachs gives a great summary of sustainable development through exploring social justice issues, economics and environmental degradation. Sustainability is difficult to define and almost everyone involved in the discussion have different definitions of what sustainability means to them. I think that it was very important that Sachs discussed how the term sustainable has progressed throughout time and how that has impacted sustainable development.

I personally believe that sustainability is rooted in the interconnectedness between all living beings and the earth itself. It is about recognizing the limits of the earth, acknowledging societal, economic and environmental systems and utilizing resources sparingly. I think that sustainability is about striving towards well-being for all inhabitants of the planet, as well as the earth itself, not necessarily economic growth.

We discussed the definition of sustainability in capstone and came up with a really good class definition that I wanted to share:

Sustainability fosters the interconnectedness of social, environmental, and economic systems in order to encourage resilience through diversity and justice through conservation of resources, recognizing environmental limits to promote well-being for all inhabitants on earth, present and future.

I chose Bhutan for my research project because I think that Bhutan offers a very beautiful and hope-filled alternative way of life. I am excited to learn more.

The Bet Reactions and Reviews

Reviews of Paul Sabin's The Bet

PDR

This review was very positive. For the most part, it provides a very good, thorough, summary of the novel. The author liked how Sabin used the bet in order to further explore the current conflict over climate change and economic growth.


Peach

This review was also very positive. The reviewer comments on The Bet being well written and researched, providing an overall very educational piece of literature. In addition to that, the reviewer also greatly appreciated the background surrounding the environmental movement.



My Thoughts

I think that The Bet would have been a good book to read for an audience that is not very knowledgeable about the environmental movement in the United States. I thought that the book was okay. Sabin provided a good overview but was very repetitive.

Prior to having read The Bet, I was very familiar with the environmental policies and organizations like the EPA, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring etc. However, I was only vaguely familiar with Paul Ehrlich and his theories and had not heard of Julian Simon at all. So in that sense, I think it was beneficial to learn about both of the figures theories and their lives. I also felt as though the historic context surrounding politics was really interesting. I liked learning about the political policies, Presidents and figureheads as The Bet was taking place.

I just feel as though the book did not necessarily arrive at some vastly insightful conclusion. I think that overall, it was important that Sabin showed that both Ehrlich and Simon are at opposite ends of the spectrum and tried to present a balanced perspective. However, I was also thankful that he denounced some specific ideas of each of theirs in the final chapter.

Arctic Ice Shrinks to Second Lowest Level on Record

I just read the "Arctic Ice Shrinks to Second Lowest Level on Record" article from the New York Times. I thought that this article would be much longer than it was, especially considering such a concerning, widespread topic. The article was relatively informative but I'm really disappointed about its short length. I think that it would've been really useful if the author included background surrounding climate change and the ways in which the ice melting impacts the ecosystem.

Dakota Access Pipeline

A small piece written by Nathaneal Johnson summarized the current stage of the Dakota Access Pipeline which was featured in the Briefly section of Grist Magazine. I think that the article summarized the recent loss regarding the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their case against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to that, Johnson did a good job observing the fact that some of the building itself was put on hold and the idea that there is now a broad discussion surrounding the need to reconsider the way the government acknowledges (or doesn't acknowledge) Native American rights. I would have liked to read a couple more sentences of summary regarding the completely unjust situation as a whole but all in all, I think that Johnson did a good job with the article, especially considering that he specializes in Food Journalism for Grist.

Malthus, Ehrlich and Population Growth

I agree with Malthus in the overarching idea that over population is an environmental problem. I believe that there are areas of the world, like the United States (generally speaking) where the quality of life needs to become more equalized, especially if population is going to continue to grow. Ehrlich agreed "he argued passionately that Americans needed to value a simpler life..." (Sabin 21). However,  I don't necessarily agree with a lot of Ehrlich's points such as blaming the people living in ghettos for their situation (Sabin 57) or coercion for birth control purposes. However, I do agree with both Malthus and Ehrlich in claims for reduced consumption and a more equal distribution of well-being for all. 

Source:

Sabin, Paul. The Bet. Yale University Press, 2013. 

Passaic River Clean Up...Is It Worth It?

Washington Post article, "Can the EPA clean up one of America's most toxic rivers?" spurred on many realistic (but discouraging comments) regarding environmental clean up. Though I truly do understand where many of my class mates were coming from, I cannot help but feel as though we still must try. Especially because the river is used for many community activities, like fishing. Senator Cory Booker seems to agree with me in his EPA address:

The Passaic River and most other Superfund Sites are a result of irresponsible business practices. We must transform the business sector and instill much more stringent regulations for this behavior. It was stated in class that businesses continue to pollute the river, corporations of that nature should receive harsh fines and repercussions. In conjunction with that, I believe in the current efforts to clean up the Passaic River.