Essay Sample on Managing Sustainability at San Jose State

Introduction

The first Green Talk was facilitated by a Campus Sustainability Coordinator called Kristen Wonder. The Green Talk was centered on how to manage sustainability with specific regard to environmental concerns and general aspects of life. The programme took place at San Jose State University on the fourth of April, 2018. The event and the stage were structured such that the speaker, Kristen, would have maximum attention from her audience. The stage is her vantage point, and she can be clearly seen and heard by her audience. As she begins her presentation, she establishes a good rapport with her audience. She does this by engaging the audience in questions. As such, she draws their full attention to the stage in the preparation of her talk.

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The intended audience for Kristen Wonder's talk is the student population. Her journey in life and skills in sustainability can significantly benefit the high school students in adopting environmental conservation measures. Her life experiences would assist the students to acknowledge obstacles in their paths to academic and career success. It would also give the students insight on how to maneuver around these obstacles and pursue one's passion. The purpose of the study was to inform the audience that it is possible to achieve one's interests while preserving natural ecosystems. The presentation sought to open the eyes of the audience to a new reality. The presentation was aimed at informing the audience on how to preserve biodiversity and existing natural ecosystems. The talk also sought to emphasize the need to establish ideals and make them an everyday practice for the stewardship of earth's resources.

In summary, the presentation focused on the presenter's life journey and the struggles she faced. The presenter informs the audience of her life history and self-discovery journey. The life story was necessary because by understanding the presenter's background, the students can relate their personal encounters and objectives with her motivations in life. The presentation goes ahead and shifts focus to sustainability. It informs the audience of various sustainability measures, plans, and actions undertaken by the speaker that encouraged sustainable utilization of resources. Some of the challenges the speaker faces in her sustainability efforts are in waste management. The continued use of polythene bags and Styrofoam slows down progress. This is because the two are non-biodegradable, and thus, detrimental to the environment. Another challenge is in post-consumer food wastage. The lack of awareness on how to plan food donation programs has seen many event organizers waste food resources.

From the presentation, I learned that it is possible to take part in sustainability efforts without necessarily having to wait to graduate and find a job so that I can contribute to the cause. I have also learned that through simple acts such as riding a bicycle to school and turning off running taps and lights, I can contribute to sustainability efforts. It takes small actions of a couple of individuals to achieve significant results. With engineering as my major, the ideas expressed in the talk were relevant. The concepts of how engineering can contribute to sustainability were insightful. These include designing and structuring of campus buildings to facilitate sustainability. There was the use of visual aids such as PowerPoint. The speaker used info-graphics, pictures, and brief notes in slides that helped in the understanding of the critical points.

Conclusion

In conclusion, attending the Green Talk was beneficial. It helped me to realize how much effort needs to be done to achieve sustainability goals. The talk was also informative on the various ways sustainability plans can be incorporated into everyday lives. As a student, it is my responsibility to contribute to environmental conservation, through the simple and common acts that human beings tend to ignore.