Bass 1

Bronson Bass
Dr. Bagley
February 20
th
, 2014
UNST 122
Reflection 3
Sustainability
First off, defining and understanding what sustainability is and does can be difficult. With
so many definitions and ways to view this broad topic we need to pick one that we will be
learning about. One that I thought was simple and easy to comprehend was development that
lasts. (Bonevac, 2010) It is simple, concise and makes since, and because we are starting fresh
with this topic we should have a definition that is clear. With what we have learned throughout
the first and second terms will fit very well into this definition of sustainability. Also
sustainability will fit perfectly into the university studies goals. (Bonevac, 2010)
In one article by Bonevac that I came across he questions if sustainability is sustainable.
The life expectancy of the solar system, and even of the universe, is not infinite. So, what we
really have to worry about is a finite sum, Bonevac states in the beginning of his article. He
brings up a vital point with this statement. When we are talking about sustainability, how long
are we trying to be sustainable? But I also believe we are just trying to talk about ways to keep
the emissions and ways to make our buildings better for the long hull. There are many ways in
which we can reduce pollution, and make things to better the world, but its the fact that it takes
more time, money, and resources. Also living in a time when you buy a computer and it breaks
one year later, its a time when there is lots of waste. Maybe just making smarter choices in what
we create. (Bonevac, 2010)
Bass 2

Maybe a topic we should look into is the history of sustainability. How we got to where
we are, and if we took the right steps. Many innovations have been created with technology and
therefore were produced in a better fashion. The tooth brush may be one of those inventions. It
has been around for a very long time, maybe used in different ways and not always looking the
same, but at some point someone said this is better than this, and why. This may be small, but
starting small may help in our classes understanding of this broad topic.
Another source brings up a good topic in what sustainability is against. Private property
was one of these topics. Sustainability modifies the social contract. (Cairns, 2009) If you want
to implement an idea or strategy and expect it to work, you enforce it on people and their land.
What is further explained in the article is the idea of anti-growth.
Stainable economics which is the subject focus is on the relationship between humans
and nature is another big topic of debate. (Baumgartner, 2010) This implies a systemic
perspective on the relationships between humans and nature which covers multiple and
interacting spatial scales, from local to global, and includes the analysis of feedbacks,
interactions and the emergence of systemic properties. It also implies an interdisciplinary
approach which is characterized by methodological openness towards those methods that suit the
aims and subject focus of sustainability economics. The challenge for future research in
sustainability economics is to overcome the arbitrariness with which, so far, one or the other
aspect of the issue, to overcome the unfortunate divide between ecological economics and
environmental and resource economics in the study of sustainability, and to systematically
embed individual contributions to the issue into the larger set-up of sustainability
economics. (Baumgartner, 2010)
Bass 3

Overall I am very excited to further my understanding about satiability and what I can do
as an individual to help our world last longer and create ways to be more eco-friendly. There are
many ways to make little things last longer, big things last lifetimes, etc. I know very little of this
subject, as it is a very large one with many outcomes that can affect anything that it reaches.
From the toothbrush to buildings, sustainability comes into play and had an enormous impact on
life and the general population.
Future generations is the key component in sustainability, in that we are always working
towards the machines that we create to last longer, be stronger, and be better overall. The quote
in the beginning really sums it up, for me. And that is development that last. (Bonevac, 2010)














Bass 4

Works Cited:
Baumgartner, Stefan. "What Is Sustainability Economics?" What Is Sustainability Economics?
N.p., 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/pii/S0921800909004686>.
Bonevac, Daniel. "Is sustainability sustainable?" Academic Questions 23.1 (2010): 84+.
Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%
7CA345462197&v=2.1&u=s1185784&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=d136b1ca6207a39
2c5fa4b55032b5d02
Cairns, John. "What Sustainability Is Not!" Taylor and Francis. N.p., 02 June 2009. Web. 19
Feb. 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504509809469972>.