First findings

After reading the first 2 chapters of, "An Introduction to Sustainability" I was was very surprised by the history of the Sustainability movement and its origins. It was somewhat mind-blowing to find out that the movement is rather old (really started in the early 60's) and that it is not as recent as I originally thought.

As an child of the late 70's I witnessed first hand the transition in home technology from analog to digital. Atari, Intelevison, VCR's, wireless remote controls, etc. were very much the middle class norm in my neighbourhood. This of course lead to the home computer, more advanced entertainment and gaming systems as well as the Internet and cell phones. Sustainability wasn't a topic at the diner table with the family until much later in the late 90's or early 2000's.

Of course my awarness could have partly been a byproduct of my age, or the fact that the 80's were a time of indulgence and not necessarily a "saving some for later" approach to life. In the 90's, gas was cheap the electric car was killed and monster trucks took over the streets.

So, I now find myself (in 2016) and technically facing the mid-life crisis phase of my life questioning the legacy I (and my generation) will leave behind.

Although there are many aspects of Sustainability to talk about, I really want to start with "Greenwashing". It seems to be a natural fit for me as we currently live in a consumer based society and educating ourselves in the arena of product knowledge could have far reaching effects. If we (as a total population) only purchase truly "green" products the market will adjust accordingly and we will actually be closer to achieving a truly sustainable society.