TWC Session 7

Session 7 started off on the topic of Biobusiness and sustainability. As the biobusines advances through the years, its developments have generally been classified into 4 categories: Red (technology applied to humans), Green (technology applied to plants and animals), Blue (technology applied to marine life), White (technology with industrial application).

With the advent and improvement of agricultural technology over the years, calorie yield per acre has dramatiscally increased. My own research from worldhunger.com shows that we have plenty of food to feed everyone with at least 2,720 kcal/person/day. So why then, does the problem of hunger still persist around the world? We already have the technological know-how and the ability to feed everyone, so why do people still go hungry? The problem then is not a technological problem but a political one. I believe that it is poor governance and corrupt governance that is to blame. These governments are extractive institutions where the elite class would draw resources out from society to enrich themselves while leaving the people with little resources to purchase basic necessities. I believe that the problem of world hunger can be solved, but not with higher productivity or yield per acre but from improving governence around the world which is an admittedly much more daunting task.

Next I would like to talk about something that is not exactly related to session 7 but still related to TWC. In the previous lessons, we've discussed the importance of going green, living a sustainable lifestyle to ensure long term benefits not only for ourselves but our children as well. I believe that people of my age is one of the most well-informed generation of people there is with regards to the topic of sustainability.

We all know the theory behind the importance of sustainability but how many of us actually apply what we learn in our daily lives? Not many, I believe. But in my recent trip back to Shanghai, I’ve discovered a group of people who does: My grandparents. They were never educated on the importance of living in a sustainable manner or leaving as little carbon footprints as possible or the 3Rs but they apply these principles every day. My grandmother (age 70+) would never take a cab or my dad’s car if she could take a bus and would never take a bus if she could walk to her destination. My grandparents are the only people I've seen who would reuse an old shirt in so many ways that I can’t even begin to describe how (she once made her own mop). They are the only ones who would turn off all electrical appliances in the house when they leave and when I say all, I mean all. They would chastise me for waste any food and would rather boil in the summer heat than turn on the air-con. They are the greenest people I know.

What I find interesting about this is that the reason why they did what they did wasn't to protect the environment or leave a greener planet for me and my kids to live in. They were simply worried about their electric bill. That got me thinking. Maybe the way to teach the younger generation about sustainability is not to drill them with facts and scary, apocalyptic prophecies but start with something simple like frugality. Just my two yuan worth of thought.