What is to come for our environment in the next 50 years? In my opinion we have two options. We continue to use and abuse it like we do today or we work with technology and come up with a plan to use the resources we have in a new and positive light. If we choose to continue to live our lives like we do now, in 50 years we could have no trees, we will have more pollution than ever before, and it could even get to the point where we do not have fresh food and water to eat and drink. However, on the other hand, if we do change some of our living habits there is no limit to how much better we can make the world we are living in. The majority of people today want to see change, but want others to change it for them. In my opinion our population knows that we need to change our habits in order to keep our environment healthy, but I do not think that a lot of them know what to do to help or some of them think that what they do won't effect the world as long as everyone else changes their ways. This means that we need to change the mental modes, which is the values, beliefs, and assumptions, of the population. I think that if we educate today's society and show them how easy change can be they will be much more optimistic about it.
I think we can first educate people on limiting consumption. The media is making our customers feel like they need so many different items and lots of time more than one of the same item. For example, in an article we read earlier this semester it discussed how the average person had at least 8 pairs of jeans. Is this really necessary. The article Limiting Consumption, I learned that right now we are consuming faster than we ever have before. This is partially because material good are cheaper, therefore, people can afford to buy more even if they do not necessarily need these items. In all reality, most of these items end up going to waste.
We also need to teach consumers on the future of our environment. Are our consumers thinking about what is to come for them, their children, or even their grand children? In the article Thinking Ahead, it discusses just how important this is. Most people today have the pessimistic attitude that they can't change the environment and at this time it is not affecting them anyways. One of the biggest things we can do is educate them and change this attitude to a more positive one. However, after reading Visioneering: An Essential Framework in Sustainability, I learned that people aren't going to change their mind and their ways over night. We have to make them believe that our vision and plan for the future is worth following. We have to make today's society realize that our needs can be met in ways that will not hurt the future. I think this can be done by teaching consumers to only purchase what is truly necessary and to recycle items when they are finished with them. If we successfully do these things I think we can become a more sustainable culture.
Kellee,
ReplyDeleteYour article this week made some very valid points about the consumption practices today. I do agree with you when you say that we need to change the mental modes of society in order to generate more positivity about the future. You pointed out limited consumption and education about the environment's future. Both of which are great starts to adjusting the attitudes of consumers. In my blog, I talked a little bit about how difficult it is to support the overconsumption of products being in the apparel industry. This is because our profit depends on convincing consumers to purchase items in excess in order to generate sufficient profits. How do you feel about overconsumption when you look at it under those terms? Great job this week!
Hi, Kellee! You have done a nice job of discussing the challenges we currently face and what the possible options might be. Beyond education, are there other characteristics of your vision that you are considering for your mid-term paper? Continue to build your "tenets," and utilize your chosen book and other required readings to support and discuss your ideas. Could you also speak to the mental modes that might support the type of education you describe? What would others have to believe to buy into your ideas? I am also not seeing a personal reflection on your own capacity for future consciousness?
ReplyDeleteMallory,
ReplyDeleteI agree that from a sellers stand point we do want to push multiple sales onto the consumer to gain more profit. I think that to help with overconsumption we could encourage customers to buy products that are more expensive, but that will last longer. This would still help keep profits up, but it would also help with overconsumption.
Great idea! Do you think consumers would purchase more expensive products though if they knew that it also had the dual-impact of being environmentally friendly? How could we promote and efficiently market to consumers that the more expensive choice is better in the long run? It'd be tough, but that's a good thought!
DeleteKellee,
ReplyDeleteYou raised a great point in your blog that we are targeted to consume more than we need, and Im happy to see your remembered my 8 pair of jeans article. It seems like your vision focusing on minimalism, and breaking down what we are consuming to bare essentials. Would you say thats accurate? I feel like education is an important component of changing peoples mental modes. Hopefully sooner than later people take actions. I think if you expand your concept youll have an interesting paper. Good job.