The What, How, and Why to Living a Sustainable Life
The What
At its core, sustainable living is a way of life that reduces an individual’s use of natural resources in order to preserve the planet for current and future generations. It seeks to reduce the negative effects of global climate change and prevent ozone depletion. As humans, we were not made to power over nature or conquer it. We were made to live symbiotically with nature. Living a sustainable life brings a person one step closer to reaching harmonious interconnectivity with the natural world. Sustainable living is a holistic approach, meaning it incorporates economic, environmental, and social factors that can be applied to an individual, a company, and a government. Sustainable living is not sustainable if it threatens one’s financial well-being. It also cannot be sustainable if it takes from others in order for personal gain or pride. That being said, living sustainably is kind to yourself, your wallet, and the planet.
The How
Sustainable living looks different for anyone. For some, it means reusing what you consume for as long as you can. For others, it means reducing the consumption of goods. Goods such as gasoline can be replaced with public transportation, walking, or biking. In terms of fashion, clothes, and other wearables, these goods can be bought second-hand or from a proven sustainable source. For those who may have a bit more time to pick up new skills, it could mean creating natural homemade necessities like cleaning spray, detergent, and even sewing or mending one’s own clothes.
Depending on one’s living situation, sustainable living could mean any number of things. Growing your own food is a great way to not only feel a massive sense of accomplishment but also to create your own natural resources for consumption. This can be done through a community garden, a window planter, or if you have space and a moderate climate, raised beds outside.
The Why
Why live a sustainable life? Climate change has been studied since the early 19th century when scientists were looking into why Earth goes through cycles of ice ages. Since then, it has taken on new challenges as mankind has industrialized and made its own impact on the nature of environmental science.
It is never beneficial to have a negative or cynical approach to sustainable living. It is possible to take climate change seriously without dwelling on the doomsday scenarios. The fact is, no matter what humans do, the Earth will always, always be around. After all, it is a giant rock floating in endless space. That being said, living a sustainable life will preserve natural resources that humans and animals depend on for survival, it will create a planet that remains inhabitable for generations to come, and it will deepen our connection to nature and the beautiful planet that we inhabit. Individual sustainability applied to a world population will create change that no government or corporation could possibly enforce.
