System Thinking

Systems thinking is a view of how humans view and interact with the world. Systems thinking takes into consideration distinctions, systems (mechanical), relationships (cause and effect) and perspectives. All four of these play a role in how we gain knowledge and interact with the world. Understanding the entanglement of every action or thought is key to systems thinking. Having awareness of these effects leads to sustainability. Sustainability is when actions meet the current standards of living while leaving enough for future generation to have the same standard of living. Current consumption of humans can not continue if humans want to continue to live on Earth. In order to create a more sustainable culture world wide, their must be a change
Life is a giant spider web. For my future industry of building sustainable homes, systems thinking is critical to achieve the goal of having a sustainable home. When building a home, the first choice is where to put a home. This can be in a city or on a remote hill side. After choosing the land one must take into consideration placement for the foundation. Systems thinking takes into consideration the damage done to the natural ecosystems by placing a home in a certain place. Understanding the impacts to the lands water, sunlight, ventilation, soil etc. all effect other parts of the home and surrounding ecosystems. This is systems thinking on a small scale, to expand outward you must start to think of the transportation of materials. Where does the timber or concrete come from? Do the workers have fare wages and medical care? What is the carbon footprint? Is the lumber sustainably grown? Are there invasive species that can travel with the materials? Will the materials be toxic to humans, pets or wild life? Is the company exploiting lax environmental laws? Systems thinking is very complex and takes into account the many entangled issues surrounding every action. For my future industry it is essential that I establish a base line of environmental and social standards that must be met by every third party