GEF

Unit 1  |  Introduction to Sustainability 26 1.5  Sustainability as an Adaptive Process: Context and Scale Systems thinking is a way to study how parts are related to the whole. For example, think about your day so far. Let’s assume you woke up, took a shower, dressed, ate breakfast, checked your phone, and used transportation to get where you are now. A systems approach takes a closer look at all these activities with questions such as: ■■ Where did the water come from for your shower? ■■ What fuel heated the water? ■■ Who grew the cocoa beans for your hot chocolate? ■■ What are the working-conditions like for the growers? ■■ What are the laws that regulate the milk on your cereal? ■■ Where did the components come from to make your phone? ■■ What happens to the gasoline after it is burned to power the bus or car? Investigating these kinds of questions on a daily basis is a great way to begin to understand and practice sustainability. Systems thinking allows us to consider all aspects of production for products used in in our daily lives. SYSTEMS THINKING A method of study that emphasizes the integra- tion of various parts into the whole, and connections between parts.