Sustainability Problem Solving: A Fast Method

Problem Solving for Sustainability 

Here’s a quick generalized method for Sustainable Problem Solving. This is designed to get you thinking about this collective problem. 

1. State the problem.

What is actually happening? Clearly define the problem. Is there gas leaking in the ocean and destroying coral reefs? Are there people carelessly throwing trash on the streets and degrading fertile soil? It’s a combination of many trash sources and multiple economic patterns. “Sustainability is a team sport”.

2. Think about the Source and the Space 

Think about the root cause of the waste distribution. Is it a neighborhood street that’s full of trash? Is it a river full of trash and gasoline?

The source of the problem is essential to solving it… what are the set of actions that are causing the trash to be spread out across the world?

If it’s the neighborhood street full of trash, is it aloof college students dropping items? In the case of the river, is it people doing careless business?

3. Ecological framework

Think of the species that inhabit the polluted location. What local animals are taking damage because of the source you have identified? Are there any known plants foreign to this mini-ecosystem? How do they interact? Who are the producers? The plants that produce energy using the sun and water. Who are the herbivores, the omnivores, and the carnivores? 

Are there rangers you can talk to and interview to get more precise knowledge on this topic? Actually analyzing how species are affected is a more empirical and statistical matter that requires expert knowledge, and even that is not enough sometimes. The systems of nature are very complex, and it is hard to draw conclusions from from data with absolute certainty. Maybe you can fund expert work.

4. Solutions: Think about what if scenarios.

What if we added extra trash cans on the street?

What if we asked the waste management company to rethink their outdoor workstation? 

What if we implemented a law that only allows electric boats instead of gas-powered boats? Who’s going to pay all the people who own gas-powered boats… or cars? What if battery powered vehicles don’t work out in the long-term? What if we started fining toxic factories in third world countries? There are diplomatic barriers. This takes, time, effort, and energy. There are economic and social implications at play at every step.

5. Socialize: 

Talk about the problems with your friends. Make drawings of the problems. Think about what you can do today to solve them. Reimagine the future, think about something like: what would happen if the neighborhood installed an ecosystem preserving artwork in the plaza, like a giant hand holding a sunflower. Would there be a measurable impact? Probably.

Keep it moving, keep enjoying life, but remember to recycle and take care of the natural world. Ecosystems are the fundamental pillars that support our lives.