My main takeaway from reading “Towards Sustainability” is that the beautiful island of Hydra, which I had the great pleasure of visiting just a few weeks ago, has numerous deep-seated problems that need immediate addressing. If all of the information in “Towards Sustainability” still holds true in 2023, I am quite shocked, to say the least. When I was in Hydra, I remember thinking it was such a quaint, cute, and “old-fashioned” island; especially when I saw the mail boat come and deliver the mail and then saw it being wheelbarrowed off to all of the businesses. The carless streets, the suitcases strapped onto donkeys, and the supplies being wheeled by on wagons just seemed to add to the charm of this small Greek island. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I did not realize the socio-economic implications of this way of life. When on Hydra, I was taking everything in through the eyes of a tourist, so I obviously didn’t pause to wonder where all the waste went or where the drinking water and ice came from. After reading this paper, it is now clear to me all of the seemingly hidden problems that I overlooked that wouldn’t be visible to the average absent-minded tourist like how the entire island’s economy strictly relies on tourism, or how there were no solar panels, or how there was no designated place for all of the garbage to go. I find it quite fascinating  that the only source of electricity is from an undersea cable that brings power to the island from a polluting mainland power station. As the paper suggests, surely wind, solar, wave, or even waste management power is a better alternative. Additionally, the waste management practices described in the paper are truly appalling considering they are both further contributing to pollution and wholly unsustainable due to the ever-increasing amount of waste. I also think that “Towards Sustainability” is correct in repeatedly stating that the sustainability problem on Hydra has both global and local aspects to it. I also feel the author’s anguish toward the fact that nothing is being done to rectify any of Hydra’s problems because I’ve seen firsthand how stalemates can happen when no involved party can agree on a solution. On a final and more uplifting note, I think it is so cool that I was actually able to envision all of the scenery described in the paper since I was just recently there. Furthermore, I find it so interesting that every part of Hydra that the author first described back in 2008 still holds true today.