There is only one Earth

We have been on a hiatus over the summer break, but we are back now rearing to go for the 2012 academic year and our sustainability journey. 

Welcome back to all our returning students, a big welcome to our new students and also a big welcome to other readers including our past students and news who have found about us since reading my article published in "The Veterinary Nurse" Volume 2, Number 10, December/January 2011/2012.

Since last year, I have passed a course in Education for Sustainability and this year have bitten the bullet and enrolled in a Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Practice.  Being a working Mum this will be a part time process over the next few years but I look forward to that growing my knowledge and being able to share it with you all.  We welcome contributions and suggestions for contributions from anyone who would like to so please feel free to contact me with your ideas and contributions too. ( francesca.matthews@op.ac.nz)

 Today's food for thought......................

I thought today I'd get started with the fundamentals of sustainability without using all the big words and physics!  

 

That fundamental is: There is only one earth.  All the resources that we will ever have are here already.  Every molecule of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen.....................sure they can change form depending on natures processes or our manipulation, but there will never be more.  The only inputs into our system is energy in the form of heat from our sun.  

If we continue to use resources in an unsustainable way..............that is if we use them faster than they can be replenished or take resources and change them into something that nature can not break down then at some point in the future the earth will no longer be able to sustain us.

So whether you believe in climate change or not is irrelevant in terms of sustainability.  Whether or not our current actions are changing the climate, there is absolutely no doubt that we are using resources faster than the earth can replenish them. 

So your challenge from this day forward is to start to make small steps towards improving your sustainability.  Every small step, by every person is a step in the right direction.  Look back over past posts in this blog if you are looking for ideas and sign up to the blog for the posts that we will add weekly.