Comments for dropping knowledge international

Comment on What must humankind do to reach global peace and prosperity? by Elena Neira featured in MIT’s Dropping Knowledge International Project! » SNRLabs Portal

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:30:10 +0000

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Comment on What should humans do to try to counter the effects of climate change? by Justine Castonguay-Payant

Justine Castonguay-Payant — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:51:39 +0000

As I read articles and studies related to climate change, I feel disillusioned about the environmental future of our planet. However, numerous initiatives are arising these days to minimize the impact of human decisions on the ecosystem. The amount of schools and companies working together on innovative projects in the aim of preserving global resources, is obviously increasing. Nevertheless, I worry about the survival of humankind on a large scale. I wonder in what kind of world the next generations will have live in. A world in which they will have to deal with the outcomes of past actions. In fact, I do trust Mother Earth, which I’m sure, will face those consequences brilliantly and will eventually turn into a “new world”.

Currently, I feel that if people and businesses avoid confronting radically the issue, it will be impossible to minimize the effects of our abuse on the climate throughout this century. To the question “What should humans do to try to counter to the effects of climate change? “I would say that each of us first need to stop a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, and think a bit about how things are evolving under our eyes. No change can occur if people take care selfishly of their little businesses. Secondly, we should transform the environmental issues in economic issues. If Heads of States had a long term vision of these realities, we could be witnessing the birth of a new economic system based on good practices, reversing the actual trend. In most countries, governments are short of money. It is often badly spent, or poorly invested. Here are some solutions for the short term: for example, it is reasonable to tax the excessive use of water and oil, to raise the costs of car use in the city center or to penalize companies that do not manage an effective waste system. It is also feasible for individuals to obtain one or two small wind turbines that would be used to supply electricity in a home. Finally, why not set a tiny garden (or a few flowers pots) on a roof or a balcony of a building wich would help people in the city reconnect with nature.

In conclusion, let’s enjoy our wealth and gather the young people together. They have plenty of great ideas for projects related to climate change wich could guide our politicians’ aspirations. However, what the young people need, are the resources and experienced workers who believe in them.

Comment on How can we connect with the person sitting, standing, living right next to us? by Amy McCreath

Amy McCreath — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:28:02 +0000

Ruthy’s question is an important one to me. I am always amazed when I come into a room where people are waiting for an event or program to start and everyone is silently sitting there, usually spread out around the room, not talking. My experience leading programs has been that when I invite these people to turn to someone near them and talk about some particular thing, there is a sort of sigh of relief and thankfulness — that they have been permitted to connect, rescued from their awkward disconnectedness. I wonder why it’s so hard for people to initiate the connections themselves, why we wait to be authorized.

Comment on Is the world we live in set up for a sustainable future? by Ramya

Ramya — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:14:52 +0000

The earth IS sustainable, even if catastrophe strikes it will regrow. Even if the sun explodes, the world will rise up again but maybe not in the same way we know it now.

Some human behaviors are not sustainable and never will be but are rather trends in the cyclical nature of human existence. I’m not trying to be abstract but it seems like all the concern with sustainability stems from our own fears of change. Is your extravagant lifestyle sustainable now that you have lost your job? Or is your eating habits sustainable now that you’ve moved to the city? Fear of change is what drives questions of sustainability. We eventually adapt as our environment changes.

Comment on What will the world’s energy portfolio look like in 100 years? by Robert Effinger

Robert Effinger — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:29:26 +0000