Sustainability and Economics

It is a miracle in itself how the earth has come to exist. No matter what theory is preferred, the fact that a planet has been formed to create solid rock and water juxtaposing across diverse landscapes is quite unique. That our own human bodies have been created by molecules to accept the particles in the air is an astonishing natural wonder, and that nature seems to have an innate desire to fight is something remarkable.

 

What is then even more fascinating is the journey of our own species. That we should desire to live together in large groups and to communicate with one another has enabled us to control our planet. A fundamental question to understanding our nature, our philosophy of the world and our aims for the future is this: How do we organise ourselves? The fact we exist is remarkable, but the idea that we are now influencing the planet and dictating its future is actually quite terrifying, yet somewhat epic. What have we been and what have we done to lead us to the point we are at today? What direction are we going and why do we want to go there?

 

There are questions I have about the human race. Some are macro-orientated, in that they are generalised across all humans. These macro questions could be common for perhaps an outsider looking into human civilization. Other questions are micro-orientated, in that they question particular cultures or sub-groups as if I belong to them.

Macro-questions:

Why do we continue to consume finite resources when we know that these will run out for our future generations?

Are we showing that we only innately care for our immediate survival by not living a sustainable lifestyle?

Why do we leave some parts of the world in worse conditions than others?

 

Micro-questions:

Why do we eat foods that are detrimental to health?

Why do we consume toxic substances knowing they are bad for our health?

Why do we want to put a price everything in order for it to fit into a monetary system?

Why do we do things we know are bad?

 

It is interesting to question and learn why our society is what it is today. Why have we decided to do certain things, and not other things? The miracle of our species is amazing. How we have engineered our land and our minds to survive for as long as we can. But then what worries me is just how much our human race is limited. We say to ourselves that we possess intelligence, and in that we do. However, we are not yet as intelligent as we should be. It is interesting to see how people decide to live their lives in a constructed world. In a world not constructed by nature anymore, but by humans ourselves. It is indeed so interesting to see what our overall aims are, to see how we should achieve them and to see why we have chosen them. Whilst all individuals will be different, one thing should remain constant amongst us all. That constant variable is that we should strive to be sustainable and we should strive to develop. These two variables consist of unquestionable logic, and will demonstrate true intelligence.

 

 

 

The miracle of life is now also shared with the miracle of human civilization. Just how have we decided to organise ourselves? That answer is extremely complex, but it is indeed answerable. The study of our organisation will help to decide the way we should develop. In a now constructed world, we rely on a materialistic, and increasingly virtualistic, item to control almost everything. It controls the access of resources and it dictates the happiness of many individuals. It can cause death, and it can prevent it. The item is money, and it is so effective because it is used in a civilization that is centred on it. We have organised our society around money. In order to understand our civilization and why we do what we do, we must study what our society is based upon. That is why the field of economics is so crucial, and why it is valuable to me.