Most of us live a comfortable life because we have almost everything we want. But that is not always going to be the case. In future, we might not be able to have the same things that we have now simply because the raw materials and resources could run out. To make sure that future generations enjoy everything that we enjoy today, we need to be sustainable. Sustainability is one puzzle that scientist, governments and individuals are working together to solve today for everybody’s future.
Often sustainability is so focused on technical solutions and scientific innovations that we lose sight of the heart of the matter. Don’t you think it is equally important to communicate why we need to get to a more sustainable future as to how we are going to get there? The future of our planet hangs in the balance and we all as humans must understand this before we act.
Imagine owning a moneybox for your allowance that is always full. No matter how much of your allowance you take out, it keeps refilling. As much as we would like it to do so, the world does not work like that. Money does run out if we keep spending. Many of the things we use every day have a limit on the amount we can use or take out, but these “resources” will disappear completely in the future. Some are running out now or causing problems because there is not enough for everyone or they are getting harder to find.
Sustainability looks at ways of making sure that these resources last a very long time even forever – such as the money box that will keep refilling. According to the United Nations, there is a need for us to use resources with a conscious mind about what the future generation have to gain.
The resources we use today are important to many areas of our lives including work, transport, schools, government, technology and many more. These will also be important to people living 10, 50 or 100 years in the future. The problem is, they might run out by then.
If we are to continue getting along, live happily without running out of the resources we use today, and be able to work in some of our most important areas that use and make things, we need new sustainable sources and techniques. We need to embrace renewable resources, that will keep refilling no matter how much we use, how much we take out and how many more people are going to want to use them.
Sustainability is important for a very simple, very straightforward reason: we cannot maintain our quality of life as human beings, the diversity of life on Earth’s ecosystems unless we embrace it. There are indications from all quarters and from the smallest to the largest scale that sustainability is something we must address. We will run out of resources. We will damage the atmosphere beyond repair…If we do not change. The root of that change lies in understanding and striving for sustainability – in our own homes, in our ecosystems, and around the world.
Despite the madness of human consumption and the harm we are causing the environment, it is not too late for us to save the world. It is more effective if we understand the Why. Understanding sustainability changes the mindset and achieves more response in implementation. As we move from business as usual to “green” and sustainable practices, we should celebrate ourselves for voluntarily doing little less damage than we legally allowed to get away with.
My Two Cents…
Knowledge has power. Learning the importance of living sustainably will ease the campaign towards sustainability. People will voluntarily take up the responsibility of using resources efficiently because they know its value. Let us first understand why sustainability matters before implementing it. By doing so, we pledge to help preserve our planet for the future generation.
