Sustainability

[hmbaird]

Sustainability, to me, means living in a way such that our environment is able to replenish what resources we use in a reasonable period of time. Distributional equity between the resources used by the present compared to the future is an interesting way to think about it, and I think Solow does a good job of trying to be less vague and ideological and more practical about what sustainability should truly look like. I do agree that sustainability can depend on the availability of substitutes – that’s what were constantly searching for in the energy world in terms of a replacement for fossil fuels. I tend to even get stuck on the idea that eating farm raised meat seems as if it may help remove pressure from wild populations (for example, I often struggle with the idea that it might make more sense to eat chickens that were farm raised and had no possibility of living a wild life compared to wild populations of moose in Alaska). In terms of farm raised salmon, it makes a lot of sense that aquaculture could relieve pressure from the wild populations. However, this simplistic idea doesn’t address many people’s desires to only eat wild fish, or the environmental impact that farmed fish can have on wild populations if they escape, and all the other concerns we’ve already raised in class. In terms of wild Alaskan salmon, the argument that farmed fish can substitute for our wild populations is less convincing when wild stocks are being harvested in a way that allows their populations not to drop. It’s an interesting question, and I’ve been quite torn over the answer for a while. Hopefully this class will bring me some clarity.

[ramaldonado]

I agree with your personal definition of sustainability. It definitely seems that there should be a balance of usage to replenishment. I think you make a good point about how farmed raised salmon makes sense considering we eat other farm raised animals but I do think that peoples’ desire for wild caught salmon far outweighs how willing people are to eat farmed salmon.

[akjaster]

I agree that we do need to live in a way that the environment is able to catch up with what resources are being used. Just because we have a way to synthesize salmon doesn’t mean that is the best way to handle this issue

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