Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example â€Å"Sustainability implies that an action can be continued indefinitely with little or manageable impact on the environment. This is important because the health of the environment is closely linked with the health of society in general. Sustainable practices ensure that the earth's resources will be available even for future generations to enjoy... Sustainability aims to balance the needs of human societies with the needs of the environment, preserving both for all creatures on earth to make use of and enjoy. Sustainability promotes biodiversity, the preservation of unique ecosystems, the health of the environment, and a high quality of life† (Wise Geek, 2012). Based on such definition, I believe that as members of the human society, we should pursue this two-pronged sustainability, which is both social and environmental, both for the present and future generations, not only for humans, but for all creatures on earth. It is in this endeavour that the activists can play a cr ucial role. Activists are involved in activism. What is activism? â€Å" Activism is a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary w.com 2012). Activists can promote social and environmental sustainability by several approaches. ... Gandhian ahimsa); 6) peace activist/peace movement; 7) political campaigning; 8) propaganda; 9) protest (demonstration, direct action, protest songs, theatre for social change); 9) strike action (work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work ); 10) youth activism (when the youth voice is engaged in community organizing for social change). I agree that activists can contribute significantly to facilitate some changes in different areas including social and environmental sustainability. Activists can focus their vast energy in changing the perspective of the businesses in favour of the environment. Some authors like Shrivastava (1995) and Welford (1997) as quoted in Sandhu (2010, p. 287) blame the current business systems for the environmental predicament. However, there is an increasing awareness among the business organizations regarding the natural environmental issues and they are taking the challenge and responding in an environmentally responsive ways ( Hart, 2007 , as quoted in Sandhu, 2010, p. 288). The response of the Timberland CEO is one example of an environmentally responsive way (Swartz, 2010). In Timberland's case, activism was in the form of 65,000 Greenpeace supporters who sent angry e-mails to the CEO, accusing Timberland of supporting slave labour, destroying Amazon rain forests and exacerbating global warming. The e-mail senders pointed out that the Brazillian cattle farmers were illegally cutting trees in the Amazon rain forests, for the pastures of grazing cattle, from which the leathers of bootmakers were obtained. Their message was one of concern, and they were strongly urging the company to work with Greenpeace to find permanent global solution to