Saturday 5 April 2014

Sus(tainability)Co(nference)

A contentious question we face in today’s world is the question of global warming. While some are fervent believers in what they believe could be the apocalypse-causing phenomena, others scoff at the idea that the world is facing serious environmental threats. However, climate change and its many theories are just the tip of one of the many melting icebergs that is sustainability and all it encompasses.

What is sustainability? This was a question that I kept posing to myself throughout the duration of the Sustainability Conference or SusCo as we came to know it. It was a two day long conference, held as part of our latest Diploma Period, and organized mainly by AC’s Sustainability Council, funnily enough, also known better to students as Susco and ECT (Environmental Campaign Team) or as one Susco member put it, the more radical wing of Susco.

As I mentioned above, the conference ran for two days. It started on the first day with talks from guest speakers and students to introduce the idea of sustainability and the purpose of the conference. It was then followed by student run workshops to do with the concept of ‘Roundview’ which is basically a concept to slow down and eventually reverse the damage we have done while causing minimal impact to the normal operations of current modern life. Though I thought the concept was too idealistic and in my view unrealistic, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how small permanent changes, where eventually more beneficial than making large disruptive ones. The second half of the day saw us being split into groups to attend the workshops we had chosen. I attended a workshop that shocked me because it was more about personal and positive thinking than sustainability. I guess the message was that to start taking care of the environment and others, we have to first get ourselves in order.

The second day continued with speeches made by potential Susco chairs and vice-chairs, talks and a panel discussion in the morning, followed by workshops again and my personal highlight of the whole conference, a FARMER’S MARKET. I left with a bag of loot, ranging from my dear, dear persimmons, to delicious homemade cupcakes and gluten free produce made of cheese and chickpeas.

That afternoon being the conclusion of the conference saw the final, closing speeches and concluded with the announcement of the new chair and vice-chair of the Sustainability Council. All in all, though admittedly not my favourite conference, there had been some takeaways that were interesting to mull over.
 
 
To end, not with the intention of sounding cynical, but just because it sums up reality; and sometimes the truth hurts, “I am glad I will not be young in a future without wilderness.” - Aldo Leopold