Flowers Need Sustainability

"Love Canal was a pleasant community near the iconic Niagara Falls whose homes and school were built on the former waste site of chemical company." (Robertson 2014)

A little boy outside of Love Canal. (https://ejatlas.org/conflict/love-canal-niagara-falls-usa)

Love canal was and is still know for all the people who became more sick and ill because of where they built their town. Love canal was a small community town that was built on a chemical company. Even though there may not be any more signs or anything that said it was chemical factories old land. This caused so many problems for the people who lived there so many of them became sick. The canal city was built to start generating cheap energy for the area. Cutting corners causes problems, which is exactly what was proven with Love Canal. Love Canal proved that if they don’t thoroughly contain different chemicals it causes people to become seriously sick. My roommate told me about a city in Fort Lauderdale that had houses built around a landfill and within the first 5 years numerous families developed cancer.

"You will notice that at whatever scale you examine, you find rich networks of connections and interconnections and interdependence, with systems both depending upon each other and affecting each other." (Robertson 2014)

A picture that shows everyone is connected.(http://washingtonnote.com/conx_public_dip/)

The world is big blue ball filled with people who are completely different but yet so similar at the same time. This means that people who live in the same area usually have the same culture. There is so many different cultures in the world that include the main ones that create sub-cultures with in bigger countries. Like the quote says there is no uniformity for cultures each person within a culture is unique and has a different take on each culture and it make it uniquely there one.  Even though everyone is different, we fit together in the world effortlessly. This is because we all have something that we each need, or something that we can all benefit from. The world is a big trading system we all have something that can help others meaning that when we introduce or culture to a different one we may be unknowingly be making an entirely different culture that can bring new meaning to the world.

"Sustainability as an idea refers to the body of knowledge that deals with how dynamic systems work on this planet we call home, including what we know about the current health or decline of those systems." (Robertson 2014).

A picture of a sustainable world.(http://hdwallpapershdpics.com/earth-from-outer-space-dual-monitor-wallpapers/)

I honestly did not have a correct grasp on what exactly what sustainability was so I looked it up. When I looked it up I found a definition that I could understand, “sustainability is the property of biological systems that remain diverse and productive indefinitely.” I took that to mean that basically if we cared more about the world and took better care of it we would be able to live here longer and the world would provide more for us at the same time. In regards to the text sustainability is something that we all have that helps us understand the different systems in the world and around it.

Education For Change Agents

"Biophilia, the genetically encoded emotional need of humans to affiliate with nature and with other living organisms, evolved as an adaptive mechanism to protect people from hazards and to help them access resources such as food, water, and shelter." (Robertson 2014)

Cavemen hunting for food. (http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2044343,00.html)

I really liked this quote because it shows how strong humans are but at the same time it shows just how weak and vulnerable we really are.  Not only do we have something in us that automatically wants to connect and be with nature but it also helps us socialize. Being such a “social butterfly” as my mom says maybe part of my biophilia, which is also understandable with how guarded and protective of myself to anything I see as a threat. Biophilia has adapted to more than just being able to connect with other people and nature, because as we grow as not only as a world but as individuals we learn to depend more on ourselves and learn what is wrong from right. As well as helping ourselves receive access to the resources we need to survive such as food, water, as well as shelter because it has become so much easier to get them and know exactly where to get them.

"Two primary concerns of adolescence are the building of social networks and the development of independence and self-reliance." (Robertson 2014)

A little boy shows how independent he is. (www.dreamstime.com)

  In the new 21^st century it is all about being able to establish yourself as an individual and not as a just your parents children. Anther big thing now is being friends with the “it” people because it is always who you know to show just how much of individual you are. Being able to know not only who you are as a person but then also being able to take care of yourself especially when you strike out on your own. Now it is a little harder to be more independent because of all the technology that is available to us that somewhat stunts our growth as well as stop our biophilia further adapting to help us get even closer to nature. When people build their own social networks now they try to get into the more popular social group so that they do not have to work as hard to be social with numerous people.

"In social marketing, the "product" is the benefits people reap by engaging in a particular behavior." (Robertson 2014) 

Socializing at parties is a great way to make connections. (www.rachaelraymag.com)

I am a marketing major so I really liked how they explained social marketing and how it explains the benefits we receive from people who analyze specifically social marketing. Marketing in general is all about behavior and how to read the customer and how they feel about the “product” you are trying to sell.  With social marketing in general it can be described as more of social networking because you are able to meet new people but also make good connections with them, which is a benefit. You are also able to learn more about body language, which is really helpful when you are in the social marketing field.