Week 3 a Post Lecture and Tutorial

This week in the lecture and tutorial we looked into sustainable futures, this introduced me into two interesting topics; carrying capacity and patterns.

The lecture was aimed at identifying that there is a diverse range of contextual features that will impact the future and through slight variation our imagined futures could change vastly. The easiest example to grasp that I identified was what happens when coal runs out? As coal (a major fuel source) is exhaustible society (social and economical aspects) would in theory crash over night. However, once the issue is identified, we can plan for a future which would allow preservation of society through an adaptation of lifestyle or resources. That is, lifestyles may become more physically active or an alternative (more efficient or sustainable) fuel source could be adapted.

One key point from this week that interests me is that lifestyles will change in the future. Society today can not be maintained due to a variety of reason (food production limits, growing population, fuel exhaustion, limit to shelter/space... ect). This will be a key point that i must address in my future scenario, the possibility of using sustainable energy generation and non exhaustible fuel sources to power society.

Secondly, patterns, or processes as I better understand them. A pattern is a detail in which gives our future society an element of reality. It is used and interacts with other patterns to form a mesh which is our future. Though within the tutorial I did not successfully grasp patterns. To my knowledge, a pattern comes from an underlying principle. For example; (principle) efficient recycling in order to reduce waste to land fill. The pattern is how the principle is achieved. 

Broken into three areas...

1. Need (saving space and resources) 
2. Time Frame (Once established, the management system will stay in place until a more sustainable form of waste management or re use is available) 
3. Space (House/ wider community)

Pattern: Each house will be equipped with a Japanese style recycling system in which strict rules enforce that waste is re used to its full potential. 

Space (communal)

Pattern: Production of packaging will be minimized due to availability of fresh food. Objects sourced from outside the community will be unpacked and distributed at a central point, in which paid workers will break down and manage waste. The use of non recyclable materials in packing or any other from of life will be reduced as much as possible.

Through patterns it is easier to understand and detail our future, through justification an element of reality can be added. I found that when patterns mesh together, society is more understandable as for me, they represent a way to break down and modify our future scenarios.