English and Literature Not applicable

Crises, Disasters, and Sustainability

Please write a 3-4 paragraph response to the prompt below. You can address any or all of the prompt points in whatever sequence youd likethey are intended to stimulate your thinking rather than prescribing any one particular response. It is not necessary for you to cite sources, though you should feel free to mention specific authors, texts, or ideas where applicable.

People are often drawn to sustainability when they identify a problem, encounter a difficulty, or experience something that makes them change their views about the world. We recognize an unsustainable situation now or in the future, and we look for ways to counteract that predicament.  Sometimes, this recognition is gradual and subtlewe begin to notice that our communities are not as clean as they used to be, or we are asked to choose paper or plastic at the grocery store checkoutand our thinking changes over time.  Other times, though, we recognize the need for sustainability when we encounter or perceive a disaster or an emergent critical situation.  Drastic changes or disruptions in the world can force us to reconsider our current ways of doing things, and sustainable solutions can help to minimize the impact of catastrophes and crises and to lessen their impact in the future.

Chapter Three examines crises and disasters and their relationship to sustainability. What is the relationship between human activity and recent crises and disasters involving sustainability?  Do you have any direct experience with a crisis or disaster that somehow related to sustainability? Which of the crises and disasters mentioned in our readings seem most pressing, and how are they related to other problems? What sustainability-related disasters are not addressed in our readings that you find to be highly important? In what ways can crises and disasters influence new, different, and more sustainable activities? Do you believe there are sustainable solutions that might mitigate or counteract such problems, offering hope for the future