| | | What is Sustainable Living?

From WikiVerde

Simply stated, sustainable living is a lifestyle that could, in theory, be continued without depleting any natural resources. Adherents to this concept are willing to make trade offs in lifestyle in order to practice the philosophy. Numerous individuals, communities, cults and religious sects have attempted to practice the strict concept of sustainable living over the years. Examples include Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, Wendall Berry and their adherents.

Simpler Lifestyle

Changes in lifestyle to live in a simpler way can reduce stress and prevent many of the ills that go along with busy lives. This is not to say that individuals living in a sustainable style should only work the land and do without. It may mean only that one has a garden in order to raise healthy food. It may mean that the family practices recycling of bottles and cans. It certainly means that the focus is on using the resources of time, energy and money each individual is provided wisely.

Depletion of Natural Resources

The earth has a finite amount of natural resources available. Although scientists and researchers are finding new and more effective ways of utilizing those resources, there are some things which cannot be replaced. For example, once a species is extinct, that gene pool is gone forever. Once the carbon based fuels are either depleted or become too expensive to be extracted, they are gone. There will not be new oil reserves created in our lifetime.

Healthier Lifestyles

Those who are eating food that does not contain pesticides, chemical preservatives or pollution from industrial waste will be healthier. In addition, the simpler lifestyle will prevent a great deal of stress. Stress is known to lead to ailments such as obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. Exercise from walking to work instead of driving is healthier and better for the environment. Replace muscle power with petroleum based fuels and your body will appreciate the results as will your pocketbook.

Allocation of Wealth

When there is a distribution of wealth that doesn't attempt to hoard or use more than what is sustainable, the community will benefit. Sustainable living on the global scale means to utilize what is needed without ignoring the needs of the neighbors and of future generations. This is not to ignore the needs of an economic unit to produce goods for sale to another unit such as another community or nation. But to assume that one can use all the water upstream leaving the neighbor downstream without enough to water his crops is not sustainable living. In other words, sustainable living must extend to those around us to be successful.

Common Good

Related to the allocation of resources discussed above is the idea of sustainable living being related to the common good. If there are only 'have nots' around you and you expect to be the only self-suffiecient individual, community, or nation, you are not recognizing the long-term needs of the entire society. Sustainability must rise beyond the individual or smaller unit and be viewed in the light of the global economy in order to be truly sustainable. In other words, we must stop using up the resources of poorer nations to continue living in affluence.

Environment

Environmental issues are a major positive factor for maintaining an attitude of sustainable living. Mankind must clean up the air, the water and the land in order to continue to sustain itself. If the energy resources of the earth are depleted, water is fouled and land is barren, the population of Earth will die. Continuing to go on as we have in the past with overspending at every level is not sustainable.

Legacy to Posterity

We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to live a lifestyle that we can maintain and that they will be able to maintain as well. Granted, there has been damage done through non-sustainable living in the past which means that we have even more corrective actions to take before the earth will continue to be a great place to live. We should provide water that is cleaner than we found it. The air that we pass on to our children should be better air than what we grew up with. We should be decreasing our dependence upon carbon-based fuels. We should be reducing the use of chemical pesticides and products that add detrimental substances into the air, water, ground and even into the bodies of humans.

Mankind has a responsibility to the earth and if the responsibility is ignored much longer, there will no longer be anything to sustain us. Some would say that the major reason for a sustainable living philosophy in your life is because it is the right thing to do. The actual steps to implement the philosophy may be small ones, but at least you have taken responsibility for your own actions.