My Life Changing Decision

In the past few months, I have stopped segregating my garbage. I noticed that it just doesn't affect others but also myself. The garbage seemed to be messy, not to mention that biodegradable waste needs to be thrown frequently because it produces an unpleasant smell.

Starting this year, I have decided to segregate my garbage again. I think this will also help the household and the collectors of the garbage. Recyclable waste can be easily recognize which ensures that they will be recycled and not dumped into our landfills or some waterways. I also noticed that bringing my own bottle helps reduce solid waste. When I started bringing my own bottle for water, I stopped buying bottled water. In a week, that will be 3-5 bottles. I'll try to encourage everyone to also bring their own bottles. If everyone do the same we will greatly reduce our solid waste.

Story of Stuff

“We live in a material world.” The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, although short was able to give a precise and concise explanation on how stuff works. The clip was able to provide a thorough and mind blowing description while providing an entertaining presentation.

As time and generation went by, humanity was able to come out with a process on how to produce things that we enjoy today. Thus, the society was able to attract most people to lust every material thing, hereby increasing the demand beyond the basic needs. With the increase in demand, basically, production will increase.

The process of production has issues with sustainability. Consuming and using more than the generation’s need without considering the needs of the other generation. The production process was also harming the community through usage of harmful chemicals and other practices that are unhealthy.  Lastly, disposal of these goods are imposing problems. Proper disposal has been problem in every community, society and in every country.

However, because of today’s concern to the environment, humanity was also able to come out with processes that are environmentally and ecologically friendly; giving lesser negative impacts to the community and allowing other generation to have a healthier place and planet.

To end, the society often associated happiness with the number of material things that we own; we therefore confide ourselves to the conventional and common connotation that happiness has value. With the short clip, it shows that time is well spent with people rather than with our material things.

11th hour

Produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, The 11^th Hour is a documentary that showcased environmental and social problems that this generation is facing. It is an eye opener and a good strategy to increase public awareness on current issues that concern us and our planet.

In the film, Kenny Ausubel said “We are part of nature. In fact we are nature.” The documentary was successful in building a strong relationship between humans and Earth. Environmental issues in the planet are worsened by social problems. Likewise, environmental problems have impacts to the quality of life. The assumption that natural resources can be equated to monetary value has affected our culture and attitudes toward our resources, environment and other living species in the planet.

Our actions affect our surroundings. How and what we do today will always impart consequences to the nature. Going back to what David Suzuki said “If you do something to offend the natural world, we’re going to pay a price for that.” hereby suggesting mutual respect from humans to Earth and to its living creatures. Nature gets back to us through environmental catastrophes in forms of tsunamis, hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes and among others; in the end, we always suffer.

It has been pointed out that industrialization brought the idea of limitless progress and usage of resources. With today’s advancement of technology, we can turn the table as we can use it to lessen the impacts of our actions to the environment. In time, our ways of living degraded the value of nature. For instance, our common negative practices in transportation and agriculture contributed in diminishing the quality of our resources and our surroundings. Thus, the need for environment friendly living arises. Green living supports sustainable development. By definition, it refers to “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Commission).  And in order to uphold this idea, innovation is vital. However, these innovations should be anchored with the principles of sustainable development. To come out with new designs and processes, today’s developers should consider our scarce resources and the forthcoming generations. Sustainable development should be prioritized in every community as it minimizes negative impacts of our activities and it will improve the well-being of the people.

Clearly, The 11^th Hour was efficacious in bringing the message to its audiences. It was informative; as there was consistency in facts and figures while claims were backed up with scientific explanations. Moreover, it encourages us to be part of a society that cares and persuades us to transform the planet into a better place to live in.  Turn mankind’s darkest hour into its finest. It dares.