1) Are you familiar with the concept of Seventh Generation Sustainability? Review the following link. What do you think of this concept? What kind of responsibility do you think people alive today have to the people in the future? What about you, personally? Do you think many people alive today consider how their actions today will affect future generations? Does considering future generations feel creative and inspiring, or limiting? Or something else?
I think this concept makes me feel stressful. Even though this is a sustainable idea that makes people think about ideas in a long term, it does not really make sense to me. Think reversely, does it mean that my future was decided by the past seven generations? I do not really think so. I only feel that probably two generations earlier than mine influenced me. The majority of influence which has been affected me is only from my parents. However, if people alive today need to consider for the future, I believe thinking about seven generations are too much to handle. At least for me, I am not willing to change my decisions if it has conflicts between now and future seven generations. From my perspective, I think except put this idea into people’s mind, people should be told to take more care of environment or change a little bit from daily life to have a specific purpose for predictable future. Seven generations feel too far away to be imagined. Therefore, I think most people are trying to consider their future for at most three generations instead of seven. The technology has been invented or improved so quickly that my great-grandparent has no idea how to use it. I agree that considering future generations is necessary, but we should not be limited too much about what we should do to help create a better future. Sometimes just give some basic standards, and let people be freer about their actions.
2) What kind of insights and advice do you have to share with these young students around this long-term challenge that we all share?
Use our creativity to reuse anything that you do not want to throw away.
Three ideas for long-life objects/practices
First idea(object)
A pair of earrings would be one thing that I would like to take care of it for the next 10 years. I am a person who wears earrings almost every day. Sometimes I do not know how to match my earrings with my clothes, I would choose this pair because of its simplified design. I always keep it in a jewelry box and sometimes clean them to make sure there is no dirty gross stuff sticky on them. I think I will keep doing this to let them last for 10 years. I believe making jewelry needs people to get mine from the mountain first, and then craftsman needs to carve it with a large amount of running water. Therefore, keeping this pair earring means I will not buy a new pair like this, which could reduce these systems mentioned above because I will not consume a pair of earrings.
Second idea (making bed)
Making bed would be a practice that I would like to keep doing for the next 10 years. A human body often carries lots of bacteria with them and it could be brought to bed as well because people usually sleep in bed for the entire night. Therefore, there are lots of bacteria left on the bed. Making bed could create a cleaner and comfortable space for sleep or relax. Making bed is also going to make the blanket and pillows carrying less bacteria as well, which could help blanket and pillows last longer. Because the bedding stuff could last longer, I could buy less stuff to replace them in the future. Production of blanket and pillows needs lots of dyeing process which affects environment in many ways. Dyeing needs chemical pigments which might be toxic, and the waste dye material could pollute water. Thus, making bed could let myself buy less bedding products.
Third idea (object)
A nail clipper would be another object that I would like to take care of it for the next 10 years. Nail clipper is made of steel which is really durable. It is easy to carry and useful. My nail clipper is a curve shape clipper, so it is easier to trim nails in a nicer shape. I often clean it after I finish trim my nails. Sometimes I use alcohol pad to clean it as well. I believe in this way, this nail clipper could last longer. To make this nail clipper, there is a steel-making process from mine’s extract which needs heat, and heat should come from burned coal or electricity. Burned coal can produce large amount carbon dioxide which will cause more serious global warming. After this, people need water to cool it down and recreate steel into its ideal shapes by tools and running water.
