• Find and respond to at least one person who shared a perspective on the importance of systems thinking or provided an explanation of a key part of systems thinking that challenged you to think about what you have learned so far in a different way. Construct a response that indicates in what ways their perspective or experience, as you understand it is different from your own and ask them a probing question that you think would help you learn more about their perspective or experience? Respond TO THE POST BELOW

How do you think systems thinking can help us to understand sustainability problems?

One of the first things our reading discusses is howsustainability problems are wicked problems. They then describe wicked problems to have many factors including changing requirements, the need for many kinds of different people, etc. I think that systems thinking can help us understand sustainability problems by teaching us to breakdown our systems to understand that there are many components to them: elements, interconnections, purpose/function, feedback loops, and leverage points. By understanding the distinct components, but not assuming it is just the combination of elements, systems thinking allows us to view the interconnectedness between the systems of environmental responsibility, cultural vitality, social equity, and economic health. This reiterates that there will not be a single solution when assessing four different systems, but the need to work with all of them in order to become more sustainable. What do you think is the easiest part of systems thinking to explain to someone else? How would you explain it?

The easiest part of systems thinking to me is the concept of elements, specifically tangible elements, and then how these elements are interconnected. I'll use an example that relates to us university students. A textbook/required reading is an element within the university system, as is students. A textbook to me means absolutely nothing unless it is going to help me, a university student, succeed within my system, thus distinguishing interconnectedness between two elements.

What do you think is the hardest part of systems thinking to explain to someone else? How would you explain it OR What question would you like answered to help you to understand it better?

The hardest part of systems thinking in my opinion is the concept of stock and how it relates to the feedback loops. The only clear way I have been able to process these two components is through the coffee drinker example. Besides that, I am curious is anyone has any super simple examples to how these relate to sustainability and other easy-to-understand notions?

References Pilkington, K. & Munro, T. (2023). Chapter 2: Systems Thinking: Introduction to Sustainability.https://openbooks.macewan.ca/introductiontosustainability/chapter/chapter-two-systems-thinking/