The Proper Way of Thinking

What exactly is a system?  A system is set of interconnected components or networks; the system has the ability to maintain itself through a series of feedback loops.   What the hell does the mean?  The easiest way to explain what a system is, is through the use of an example.  Think of music.  If thought of a in a linear point of view, it’s basically listen to and discarded when it is no longer useful.  From a systems perspective, music from the past inspires music from the future.  There is no waste; regardless of whether the music discarded by users was good or bad it allows future generations of musicians to learn from it. 

The text talks about the different components of a system, the stock and the flow being the most fundamental.  In simple words, the stock is the stuff that goes into the system (can be tangible or intangible).  The stock constantly changes over time based on the flow.  The system is said to run itself through the use of what is called a feedback loop.  The feedback loop is the corrective actions taken to main the system. 

A Harsh Reality

The video above focuses on the linear view we have towards consumer products and their production. It focuses on the wasteful and inefficient ways those products are created. It even goes as far as saying companies plan on making their products inefficient which leads to their subsequent failure. One example the speaker brings up regarding the cyclicality of product was that of shoes for women. I’m sure I can’t speak for all women but from the women I know, shoes generally have a life span of 3-4 months. The shoes are bough, used, and they inevitably end up in the dark corners of their owners’ closets never to be seen again. The reason given to justify the discontinued use by the users is generally influenced by societal factors. It is considered taboo to wear shoes that are out of fashion. The video also mentions the use of non-recyclable materials in the making of products intended for short-term use and to be discarded afterwards. The video also mentions excessive mining of resources from third world countries, the depletion of oil, and the cutting down of rain forests. The only solution provided seems to be cutting back on unnecessary consumption and slowly integrating towards more efficient means.
Although I can’t possible dispute the fact that we’re depleting the planets’ resources at much higher pace than the planet is producing resources, I also disagree with parts of the video. Companies in the past may have been able to get away with placing sub par products on store shelves but with increasing competition that task is made almost impossible today. This is especially true for electronics. Obviously technology is getting better, but to say companies make products such as laptops with the intent of that product breaking down in a couple months seems far-fetched. The idea of reduced consumption seems laughable to most people. We are raised with the mentality of always wanting more. To say we should cut back on unnecessary consumption sounds insulting and demeaning. It implies a level of selfishness that we don’t consciously think about. Unfortunately, too many people think the way I do. The goal for people that think like me is to one day own a beachfront mansion and drive an exotic car. A solution like cutting back, simply said doesn’t comply with my individual desires.

Fountain of Knowledge

Technology can either be a very destructive addiction or an instrument of infinite wisdom.   We as technologically proficient people have always had the ability to learn just about anything we want online, yet most of us spend most of our time on our computers/laptops/tablets/phones getting caught up on the adventures of Rick Grimes from the Walking Dead.  Professor John Seely Brown spent some time explaining how to use technology for our own educational betterment.  Brown talks about the efforts of major universities that attempted to create a learning environment with lecture videos from professors at those schools.  The major difference between the actual class and the online lecture is the involvement of the participants.  Obviously if you’re not in the class, it’s kind of difficult to be actively participating in discussions.

The idea of posting lectures online from major universities is a great one, it benefits all parties involved.  The Internet has certainly evolved over time unfortunately (, this evolution hasn’t been 100% positive( at least in my eyes).  Due to the limitless amount of things we can do online, most of spend our time on social media sites, looking for celebrity gossip, and steaming videos and music.  Of coarse the idea has sparked the interest of at least a few people, Brown stated that a couple of the videos had made iTunes top 10 videos viewed.  The idea of using the internet as primarily a learning tool has been around for a while, who knows, maybe it will even become a reality one day.

Is Long-Term Sustainability Feasible?

To discuss the whether long-term sustainability is feasible, first you have to know what sustainability is.  I think of sustainability as the maintainability of resources that are fundamental to our daily lives and the maintainability of human life.  The most basic of which include food, water, and clean air (although more resources such as oil should also be included).  From my knowledge and experience, economic forces, and human wasteful activities constantly threaten these resources.  An oil crisis is a topic I constantly see bombarding my news feeds, I can’t remember a time when I saw a person go out of his/her way to throw a plastic water bottle in a recycle bin when one isn’t immediately nearby.  Although it seems we are headed in the right direction with the invention cars that either run on hydrogen fuel cells, or just electricity, we are still a long ways away from making this this planet a sustainable environment.  The introduction of these new technologies can cut down on certain things, but they do not solve all the problems. 

A sustainable environment can only be achieved in my eyes from collective cooperation of citizens from all nations.  Keep in mind; the topic is sustainability across the globe, not just the United States.  Although it seems like I have a very gloomy view of what the future hold for this planet, I actually have a very optimistic view.  Not enough people are on board with the idea of sustainability of this planet, more and more people are joining everyday.  There is a compounding effect taking place as more people begin to join the movement.  As I’ve statement before, the introduction of vehicles that run on something other than gas is a step forward.  I’m beginning to see more recycle bins all over the place.  People are starting to pay attention.