Commentary
Improvised signs and impromptu action belie a theme reiterated in many quarters. Anger at the environmental cost of consumer appetites and corporate profit was the focus of this spontaneous action undertaken in spite of watchful Chinese Officials. At an event where the supply of electricity was sporadic, that people were displaced for the creation a venue to provide fresh hamburgers and chilled cola to attendees, illustrated the politics that underlie unsustainable practices. The slashing and burning referenced in this image address agricultural practices that result in deforestation, displacement of indigenous communities, and contribute to global warming which threatens to make our planet uninhabitable. Sustainable built environments make best use material resources, minimizing greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere, and are developed in ways that include marginalized peoples in processes of empowerment in self determination. The concerns of women expressed here reflect a focus on social and physical environmental sustainability.