Motivation behind Behavior - Essay Example

The leadership in sustainability class has expanded my horizons and thinking on the relationship between material science, as my background, and the environment. Sustainability measures are geared towards creating conditions where humans can fulfill their environmental, economic, and social requirements today and in the coming future. The most important thing I learnt during the lectures, debates, blogs, and interaction with students from diverse backgrounds is that sustainability measures require social, economic, and environmental measures in all human activities and the responsibility begins with an individual person (Goodland, 1995; Myers & Worm, 2003). This paper is a reflection of what I learnt, key debates in sustainability, and my sustainability plans as a leader at UCLA and after graduation. During the course, I learnt that social factors most influential in sustainability is the culture of the people and investment in education because good sustainability practices are learnt in school and from the habits exhibited by members of the community. Indeed, efficiency and scale of human capital is an important economical factor in promoting sustainability while environmental sustainability measures include prudent use of raw materials and management of wastes to ensure intact forests, healthy oceans, clean air a viable state of the other natural resources (Fischer, 1981; Hardin, 1968). The topics of the course were very diverse. They ranged from overview of sustainability aspects including engineering perspectives, health, corporate and consumer responsibility to planning, designing, and measuring sustainability. They offered broad knowledge and adequate case studies such as Offshore Wind Farm negotiation that were practical and taught me how to plan and execute negotiations with stakeholders for a sustainable environment (Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005; “PON at Harvard Law School – Offshore Wind Farm Negotiation,” 2008). Moreover, they also enabled me understand how to perform analysis of a project impact. Leadership lessons taught me how to motivate others, identify developing conflicts, and solve them. The Strength Deployment Model taught me to identify positive things from people’s behavior, learn motivation behind their behavior, and use appropriate language to motivate them towards sustainable environment (SDI, 2015). Concepts in this lesson helped me understand myself and my roles as a leader in sustainability. It taught me the value of being aware of happenings in the society or the importance of an aspect such as climatic change to the society. Some of the main aims of leadership include actively solving the issue of how to organize collective effort for optimal outcomes. It also taught me that working with people is challenging and I now know the challenges to expect and what to do to create a motivating environment for everyone to accomplish sustainability measures in a society (Hogan, Robert, Kaiser, & Robert B, 2005; Van Vugt, Hogan, & Kaiser, 2008). Rise in sea level is a major concern caused by climate change, specifically global warming. The rise in temperatures melting ice caps at an alarming rate. This water ends up into the oceans leading to an increase in water levels. By 2050, the sea level of California coast will have rose by massive 61 centimeters if the current trends are not thwarted. It is expected to cause flooding, inundation, changes in sediment movement, saltwater intrusion, and erosion in the coastal regions. If appropriate measures are not adopted, these effects will adversely affect the coastal people’s economy by negatively affecting the development of ports, commercial fishing facilities alongside water quality, agriculture, and biological productivity of the coastal waters (California Coastal Commission, 2013; Russell & Griggs, 2012). However, the effects can be mitigated or prevented through a coordinated effort to regularly analyze, monitor, coastal hazard management plan and involvement of the resident population in planning and adoption of the plans. It is necessary to help people prepare for rising water levels through establishment of climate adaptation and sea level rise resolutions. Reducing emissions from greenhouse gases will reduce impact of global warming on the sea level hence promoting sustainability (Russell & Griggs, 2012). I have learnt that the growing population in the cities requires planning and engineering to guarantee water resiliency to keep the cities functioning. Availability of quality water for human consumption is an inherent human need. Uncertainties of changing climate and change of economic activities involving water calls for a rebalance on water management approaches to avoid environmental and economic losses in future. Measures to ensure availability of quality work include urban planning, improving effectiveness of government agencies in reservoir management and water management and ecosystem management through implementation of fair policies (Deshazo, 2015; Hanak, 2011; Ove Arup & Partners International Limited, 2014). Other important aspect of sustainability is its relationship with the public health (e.g. climate change and destruction of natural environment). Many aspects of the economy and environment relate to health of the people. Some of these aspects include availability of food security, availability of quality water, hazards such as flooding or drought, and the population of people living in a certain geographical region. Climate change control policies are directly related to health of the people (Bowen et al., 2011; Haines, Kovats, Campbell-Lendrum, & Corvalán, 2006; McCollum et al., 2013). According to Royal Society for Public Health (2012), a multidisciplinary governance approach involving the education agencies, agriculture agencies, finance agencies, energy agencies, planning agencies and water agencies is essential to ensure sound policies are executed for good health of the community members. Moreover, leadership in prioritizing health concerns is essential in a social ecological system leading to a transformational change. The public health departments need to step up their leadership roles in advocating for sustainable environment, strengthen research and improve surveillance to guarantee good health of the residents (Keim, 2008). Climate Justice and Engineering were new concepts to me. Climate justice reminded me of the requirements that businesses should have no harm to people that is anchored on the three basic human rights namely, right to personal security, liberty, and right to life. The climate engineering raises further human right concerns such as right for the future generation to enjoy natural resources as the current generations (Appell, 2012). Cost-benefit analysis in determining viability of projects does not adequately address the climate justice. It calls for better climate engineering policies and mechanisms to guarantee a sustainable environment through local and international organizations establishment of mitigation measures emission laws. Before activities are conducted, it is important to assess the level of threat and make appropriate decisions regarding climate justice (Singh, 2015). Corporate sustainability is driven by the desire to cut down production costs and subsequently increase profit margin (Haigh & Jones, 2006). Moreover, corporate sustainability is driven by the desire to ensure a regular source of raw materials. If raw materials are unavailable, the cost of production increases thus lowering the profit margins. Companies would like to brand themselves as responsible companies that propagate sustainability. Corporate sustainability is also motivated by laws that require companies to conduct their businesses responsibly (Giunipero, Hooker, & Denslow, 2012). Consumer sustainability is driven by understanding that there will be worse economic situations if the natural environment is degraded. Ethical responsibilities in a community also influence consumer sustainability activities (Sandhu, Ozanne, Smallman, & Cullen, 2010). The lecture on design, planning of sustainable transport system was very educative. Future transport growth pattern planning is important for a sustainable economy, environment and social resources and wellbeing. In almost all countries, the transport systems are facing challenges of congestion, climate change, negative environmental impacts through expansion that threaten the future of countries where enthusiasm for expansion overshadows attention to negative impacts on the environment. The goal of the proper design of sustainable transport systems is to ensure human needs are met while improving the quality of life for the current and future generations (Nijkamp, Rienstra, & Vleugel, 1998; Tumlin, 2012). During discussions, I was thrilled by major discussions such as renewable energy, which is expensive to set up but economical and harmless in the end. Discussion on strategies to improve health outcomes were great concepts to me as we discussed the need to preserve environment through proper waste disposal and rational use of chemicals. Climate justice debate on the rights of the future generation to find a balanced ecosystem against the rights of the current generation to use and misuse the available resources featured with emphasis being laid on the safety of using resources prudently. The key debates in sustainability are concepts of Climate justice, drivers of corporate and customer sustainability, advantages of renewable energy and the value of sustainability in relationship to the public health. Discussion with students from diverse backgrounds, enabled me to understand the complexity of applying sustainability concepts and made me realize that collaboration between private institutions and governmental bodies was important to ensure sustainability measures are initiated and successful in a country. This is because governments responsibility to make and implement laws are not adequate to influence recognition of sustainability measures without support from all stakeholders especially citizens. Sustainability course has expanded my horizon of thinking since my background is Materials Science and Engineering. Before joining the course, I thought that sustainability was more about ensuring that the materials used in construction are sustainable and have the least possible impact on the environment as possible. However, this course has made me understand it is critical to take sustainability of materials used in construction into consideration, especially in the context of the environment and society. I find it appropriate to choose the right raw materials that are friendlier to the environment. In addition, I find it important that matters concerning costs and ethics ought to feature in any discussion regarding sustainability. During the rest of my time in UCLA as well as afterwards, I plan to become a leader in sustainability in several ways. First, I will realize this through extensive research on the same field. This will help me in acquiring additional information besides what I learn in the class so as to acquire a better edge in dealing with issues of sustainability related to my career and my society. Secondly, I will ensure that I relate with more individuals from different backgrounds to discuss sustainability concepts with an aim to pass information to other university students who could be less knowledgeable as I was before attending sustainability classes. I will initiate debates over social media and in various forums to disseminate information on sustainability. This means that I will acquire various ideas in the same field to ensure that I am fit to work in this field and to help the society in dealing with environmental issues. I have come to view interactions with people from different backgrounds is helpful because new ideas are exchanged. For instance, during the previous encounter that I had with students from different departments, we were able to learn from each other. Thirdly, I will also collaborate with professionals on sustainability concepts for updated information. I will create forums where professional can share their knowledge with the youth who are about to leave the university and participate in nation building activities. This is because the professionals have a large extent of knowledge on the ground issues. Here, although I would undertake independent research on sustainability, this information would not be important unless it is put into practice. The only way to achieve this is to attempt to resolve existing and emerging issues. References Appell, D. (2012, December 13). The Ethics of Geoengineering | Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved from http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2012/12/the-ethics-of-geoengineering/ Bowen, K. J., Friel, S., Ebi, K., Butler, C. D., Miller, F., & McMichael, A. J. (2011). Governing for a Healthy Population: towards an understanding of how decision-making will determine our global health in a changing climate. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9(1), 55–72. 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Energy and Climate Justice: Two sides of the Same Coin - Kartikeya Singh. Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://dcgeoconsortium.org/2015/01/15/energy-and-climate-justice-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-guest-post-kartikeya-singh-cierp-doctoral-research-fellow-tufts-university/ Tumlin, J. (2012). Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy, and resilient Communities. Retrieved from http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470540931.html Read More