Introduction
The materials, examined in the course, are quite informative for the purpose of increasing one’s awareness of sustainability in all its aspects. However, some of the parts seem more critical for developing a suitable guidance for people in order to make a global change while relying on themselves. Therefore, the consideration of the key concepts, issues, and challenges alongside the ways to resolve them might be beneficial for applying this knowledge in practice.
Class Concept
The class concept, which was particularly important to me, is social inequality, and it is directly linked to the wellbeing of the world population, connected to the conditions of the environment. In other words, by managing the access to available resources for the most vulnerable groups, it is possible to eliminate poverty in the long run and promote social inclusion for everyone (“L6 sustainable development [required reading] Spring 2022,” n.d.). In addition, my interest to this topic is ensured by the provision that improper distribution of goods is as critical for people in different countries as their living conditions in general. It means that one cannot ignore that challenges are caused not only by nature but also by wealthier individuals.
Meanwhile, the main reason why the selected concept resonated the most with me is in the fact that I tend to emphasize the significance of one’s responsibility over collective accountability in the first place. Even though both aspects are crucial for establishing environmental justice and promoting sustainable development of all regions, the former appears to be easily traced and, therefore, affected. One can change his or her conduct in terms of how they manage resources in daily life and thereby make a lasting change for all population groups. From this point of view, social inequality is an issue, which can be eliminated by taking action on an individual level.
Sustainability Issues
The most critical sustainability issues I am concerned about are the improper use of alternative energy and the creation of healthy living spaces for people. The former problem is in the fact that renewable sources are neglected by the authorities and businesses, whereas the focus on fossil fuels is generally detrimental to all spheres of human life. In other words, no entity can claim that they are following a sustainable course of development in the absence of drastic measures on the transition to alternative resources. In turn, the latter challenge is conditional upon the fact that little attention seems to be paid to the promotion of green areas for citizens. As a result, their wellbeing is questionable as sedentary lifestyle emerges from the lack of options for movement.
The reasons why I am mainly concerned about the specified issues is in the provision that they can also be addressed by individuals alongside the authorities. For instance, in the case of alternative energy, small businesses can be quite influential if they combine their efforts and establish new operations. As for the quality of living spaces, they can be significantly improved by individuals without waiting for governmental decisions of the problems. In this way, one’s responsibility is the key to a better future for everyone.
Sustainability Challenges
The mentioned challenges for sustainability are not only important to the humanity in general but also applicable to the office setting. From this point of view, I anticipate the emergence of issues in the workplace, stemming from the possible neglect of the proper use of various resources by my colleagues. Thus, the practice of recycling paper might be disregarded by the people, heavy reliance of automatic lights might lead to problems when they are not working properly, and improper organization of space might limit daylight. Even though not all of the described issues can be resolved on a personal level, one can affect some of procedures to improve their efficiency.
In order to meet the described challenges, I might consider discussing the emerging problems with my colleagues in order to timely develop guidelines, suitable for everyone. They can be attributed to all of the examples, provided above, and thereby foster a more positive environment. Also, in my future career, I would pay particular attention to my own actions in order to ensure that they are aligned with the stated intention. By doing so, I would be able to become a good role model for others to follow and change their attitudes for the better.
Conclusion
To summarize, the concept of social inequality is essential for making a global change and improving everyone’s quality of life since it reflects the problems on a societal level. In terms of sustainability, its application can be complicated by various issues, such as inadequate use of alternative energy and inefficient living spaces. Nevertheless, these drawbacks can be eliminated by one’s active standpoint in the matter and starting the shift with one’s own favorable decisions with respect to sustainable development of populations.
Reference
L6 sustainable development [required reading] Spring 2022. (n.d.) [PowerPoint Document].