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Students:Kateřina Racková: Difference between revisions
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Age: 24 | Age: 24 | ||
Education: International development studies, Department of development, Faculty of science, Palacký University in Olomouc... (half completed, only diploma thesis needs to be done) | Education: International development studies, Department of development, Faculty of science, Palacký University in Olomouc... (half completed, only a diploma thesis needs to be done) | ||
Interests: advanturous travelling around developing countries, technology, nature | Interests: advanturous travelling around developing countries, technology, nature | ||
Experience: ERASMUS at Sheffield Hallam in the UK: Environmental studies; voluntary projects in Morocco in 2010 and in Ghana in 2012; teaching English and Geography to students of all age groups ranging from | Experience: ERASMUS at Sheffield Hallam in the UK: Environmental studies; voluntary projects in Morocco in 2010 and in Ghana in 2012; teaching English and Geography to students of all age groups ranging from pre-school to high school | ||
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Sustainability is an ambiguous concept starting with the basic definition of sustainable development invented by Gro Harlem Bruntland in 1987 in the document "Our common future". According to this document sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generations to meet their needs. This definition is very anthropocentric therefore I prefer definitions which contain | Sustainability is an ambiguous concept starting with the basic definition of sustainable development invented by Gro Harlem Bruntland in 1987 in the document "Our common future". According to this document, sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generations to meet their needs. This definition is very anthropocentric, therefore I prefer definitions which also contain the environmental aspect. | ||
In my view all the aspects need to be harmonised. Development should be socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally friendly. Fundamental changes are necessary in order to prevent human race from extinction as our current development is | In my view, all the aspects need to be harmonised. Development should be socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally friendly. Fundamental changes are necessary in order to prevent the human race from extinction as our current development is definitely not sustainable. Non-renewable resources are being depleted, our industry and agriculture consume more energy than they produce, and together with households they produce an enormous amount of waste and pollution and therefore overload ecosystem services. | ||
Humans need to learn how to live within the Earth`s carrying capacity. The best way how to do that is to let us be inspired by nature. The most perfect and sustainable technologies we try to invent already exist! In addition to technological aspects we also need to change our values and lifestyle from consumer culture to non-materialistic one. | Humans need to learn how to live within the Earth`s carrying capacity. The best way how to do that is to let us be inspired by nature. The most perfect and sustainable technologies we try to invent already exist! In addition to technological aspects, we also need to change our values and lifestyle from a consumer culture to a non-materialistic one. | ||
Personally I at least try to recycle, save energy, buy ecologically produced food and use | Personally I at least try to recycle, save energy, buy ecologically produced food and use things until they break. I am always happy to learn about new sustainable initiatives, therefore I am looking forward to our sustainability field trip to Germany where I hope I can get further inspiration for my efforts to live sustainably. | ||
The best solution is to combine this bottom-up approach with top-down approach. What the world needs most in the present is political will, | The best solution is to combine this bottom-up approach with a top-down approach. What the world needs most in the present is political will, possibly a widely respected international organisation or a charismatic leader who will design and guide us through the transition from a consumer capitalistic system to sustainability. However, it may be painful process and many people and corporations will fight against the transition... | ||