Sustainability in 3 Ways Reviewing the “Don’t Be Trashy: A Guide To Sustainability” Webinar
Sustainability is a word we come across on a regular basis nowadays. From fashion advertisements to social media activists, the term “sustainability” is undeniably the new topic of many conversations and the target for many corporations and groups. It can be applied to all fields and systems. But what is sustainability? And what does it mean to become sustainable?
Three professors in Enderun Colleges’ Sustainability Department highlighted sustainability in three varied lenses, from a basic, a personal and a global perspective. Ms. Oliva simplified things in order for us to understand its core. Architect Jauregui shared sustainability from a personal as well as a corporate stance. Finally, Dr. Madrazo took it larger as she reminded us of the urgency as well as the reality of the planet and its global leaders today.
Ms. Mhyles Oliva broke down the word into two simple parts. Sustain. Ability. The ability to sustain. She also reminded us of Robert Swan’s famous reminder, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” The core of sustainability is simple, yet it grows complex when we try to modify the world around us already. Studying and observing the circular economic model is simple until we realize we are still deconstructing our current linear economy before implementing more sustainable measures. Though it gets overwhelming or even frightening, it remains our honorable duty for our Earth and those ahead of us.
Architect Lorena Jauregui dug the dirt deeper and expressed her observations. She emphasized that we are living within unprecedented changes in political as well as ecological terms. Ms. Jauregi asked everyone to have a worthwhile ponder as she questions us on whether we are optimistic and hopeful, or are we dreadful and angry. She explained further that with the rise of capitalism and manipulative marketing all around us, “we, as environmentalists, need to know what kind of environmentalists we are.” Though we differ, we are all in this delicate position together. Handling it as a community is a crucial aspect of our progression to a differing narrative of our future.
Dr. Alma Madrazo drew the picture larger – with statements about global change and how sustainability is for everyone, forever! Dr. Madrazo slams on the table the IPCC report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the Paris Agreement as well as the beloved 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as a form of standards we may all use to hold corporations and communities accountable. Passionately, we imagined the burning and sick world we live in, as she painted the picture of our waste culture conflicting more harm onto the planet.
If you’ve ever met Enderun’s Sustainability Department, you’d know that the Q&A portion is worth being excited about. And it did not disappoint. From the fast fashion dilemma to Youtube content recommendations, there was a valuable piece for all the listeners. Dr. Alma Madrazo showed off the gorgeous suit top she purchased in Singapore in 2000 and how it’s still able to keep its prime quality intact. In comparison, our fast fashion today surely does not stand close to such standard of quality. With that, the professors discussed the consequences of this culture. The waste we produce is problematic. Architect Lorena explained that our plastic issue is “bigger than just seagulls,” considering these microplastics are already found inside our bodies and have even traveled as far as the Arctic. When they elaborated on the potential of plastic recycling, trouble was still found as there is no such thing as plastic recycling. It is down-cycling. Such conversations showed the audience and students that learning does not stop inside the classroom. The world is complex and often only gets more complicated.
Catching up, finding gaps and fixing the systems in place is possible with the help of great content and communities. To wrap up, here are some educational recommendations from our very own sustainability professors.
Sir Macky Maceda’s Youtube Recommendations
DW Planet
Our Changing Climate
Bloomberg Markets and Finance
SustainablePH
YouTube World Economic Forum
Sir Macky Maceda’s Newsletter Recommendations
Eco-Business.com – Asia Pacific’s Sustainable Business Community
Sustainable Brands
Treehugger | Sustainability for All
edie – empowering sustainable business
The World Economic Forum
Architect Lorena Jauregui’s Book Recommendations
Don’t Even Talk About It: Why Our Brains are Wired to Ignore Climate Change (George Marshall)
Our Final Warning: Six Degrees of Climate Emergency (Mark Lynas)
How Are We Going To Explain This: Our Future On a Hot Earth (Jelme Mommers)
This Changes Everything (Naomi Klein)
Our Choice (Al Gore)
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (Bill Gates)
Dr. Alma Madrazo’s Book Recommendations
A New Reality: Human Evolution for a Sustainable Future (Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Jonathan Salk)
The Circular Economy Handbook: Realising the Circular Advantage (Peter Lacy, Jessica Long, Wesley Spindler)
