OK so for a bit of background: for the last couple of months I've been sat here working on European Funding preparation ready for the big Horizon 2020 launch that's just happened. Now comes the flurry of proposal writing and all that goes with it.
So, on to week 2 of the MOOC and the first video gives a philosophical perspective on Sustainability and ponders the question of who are we trying to be sustainable for and specifically:
"Second question is the question of the sources of our obligations to act sustainably. Why should we try to preserve these opportunities for living well for other people?"
Surely that's just common sense, right? I don't have any kids (that I know about...) but I'm pretty sure if I do have them at some stage, I'd want them to live in a world with the same living quality, benefits, levels of resource and opportunities that I currently enjoy. Why wouldn't I want that for the next generation?
Apart from beetroot....I seriously don't care if the world's beetroot ceases to exist.
I REALLY hate beetroot.
Now, I'm not the laziest person in the world, but the questions raised in the video did get me thinking. If the current generations decided - "Right, that's it, we're not bothered about the future of mankind" then what is the point of X amount of people across the world working in research to discover (amongst other things) more ways to be sustainable in every aspect of life.
Seriously, if that's the case, let me know.
I could be in the pub right now, drinking a nice cider delivered by courier in a really fuel inefficient super-car whom I'd made drive on the rev limiter all the way, and who'd stopped at the ice-caps to chill my glass, and fill it with ice. I could also have a great big Cuban cigar i'd had personally flown over from Havana and lit using flaming crude oil. And I'd leave the lights on whilst I do it.
We're not that arrogant though are we?
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