While your life may seem full of complications, frustrations, and uncertainties for the future, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by our "concerns".  Indeed, the level of stress affecting a vast majority of people in our country is on a steep incline.  To help calm your thoughts, it helps to step back and get a glimpse of the BIG PICTURE - essentially, to view our world from a Global Perspective... or even from distant space. (Carl Sagan quote)  You may start to realize we're not so different from one another and that we must learn to protect and share the limited resources of our planet - for our own sake and for the future.  I hope that by taking this class, you will build this awareness and show respect for the environment throughout your lives.  ~ Mr. Sierra

 

 

 

(Breathing Earth - a real-time simulation displays the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, as well as their birth and death rates.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.  Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.  Sustainability is important to make sure that we have and will continue to have,  the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.

Reference: http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm