Humans have tried to make sense of weather events since ancient times. Because rain, snow and sun bring fertility in a certain cycle.

It rains, the soil gets wet

The sun is shining, seeds are sprouting.

And human beings are being fed.

Over time, it seems that we have misunderstood this saturation thing...

We have tried to feed our eyes, but it is clear that we have not been very successful...

We consider it a luxury to bring food from the other side of the world

Instead of producing in our own geography, we have considered it a success to have production done on the other side of the world because it is cheaper, to print labels in another country and to be able to sell this product in a completely different country.

I think there are several reasons why we can do this, “Could it be that we are not doing the valuation correctly?”

Could oil, which has been around since ancient times, only belong to people living in the last 100 years?

Or

Should the value of minerals that have existed in the soil since ancient times be calculated only in terms of the cost of extracting and transporting them?

Isn't there a price for the fact that we cannot replace it, that we are using the rights of future generations? Or can we put a price on that?

This is what sustainability is all about;

Meeting our own needs without depleting the resources of future generations.

This is where the goal of becoming Net Zero, which we want to reach in 2050, which we hear a lot about, comes from.

A balance between the carbon dioxide emissions we emit into the air and the carbon dioxide emissions that can be absorbed.

Today, I can easily say that climate change is the driving force of sustainability.

So where did this climate change problem/crisis come from?

With the industrial revolution, the increase in greenhouse gases released into the air by human activity began to warm the earth like a blanket. Extreme weather events occur as heat and cold currents create a new balance with each other.

Hoses

At unexpected times, they hail very hard,

Rising waters

This is the main reason for the transition to a low carbon economy, which we hear a lot about now;

So that companies can survive in the new order...

This is called Climate Change Adaptation and Adaptation

I believe that the fight against climate change will be successful and that adaptation will be achieved according to the scenario of a more controlled increase of 1.5 degrees. Let's also talk about this degree issue;

The biggest negotiation was whether we were okay with a 1.5 degree increase or a 2 degree increase. In the last case, we can say that the 1.5 degree scenario gained weight. In other words, we will do our best and reduce the current carbon dioxide increase to the maximum level, and the world average temperature will increase by 1.5 degrees at most with our burden from the past and the effects we will create on the way to the target. Think of it this way, we will get used to living with a temperature of 37.5 degrees. Our bodies cannot handle more, so we cannot underestimate what needs to be done.

So what should we do?

The good, the bad

Right and wrong,

We all know what makes sense and what doesn't make sense.

But sometimes we get caught up in the flow of life.

Basically, we need to remember that every product we consume, even the smallest button, has a cost that is not reflected in the price but will be reflected in our future. And believe me, it is not that easy...

But what is certain is that we need to reduce consumption, we need to extend the life of the products we have, and the European Union has announced that it will support repair and product life extension.

Apart from what we as end consumers can do, there is also what manufacturers can do, and I am one of those who think that the real solution will and should come from the business world.

If a company earns income from the sale of a product, it should question what it sells, where its raw materials come from, what is in its ingredients, what are the effects on human health, the environment and aquatic life when using the product, and take responsibility for this. The main reason we have come to this day is that everyone was looking inside their own doors, whereas what needs to be done is Lifelong Evaluation.

In other words, you need to question your product, your service before and after you, its effects, what you are involved in.

Now I would like to give an example;

An electronics manufacturer uses materials extracted from nature in its products,

It produces in its field,

Selling the product,

The product is charged after the sale,

The product is disposed of at the end of its life.

Can the manufacturer say that I only produce and sell? Can the manufacturer say that I don't care where the raw material comes from, I don't care if it spoils quickly and becomes waste, I don't care if the battery in the device is waste and if it is not disposed of properly, I don't care about the heavy metals that will get into the drinking water?

It should not...

Internalizing the philosophy of sustainability starts with sensitivity.

We took Thor's hammer from him, we must give it back.

Then we need to ask our current habits

OK? Continuation?

Burcu Boran / 30.11.2022