Sustainability:What does it really mean?

Sustainability has  become a byword these days by anyone or institution who desires to express their love for the environment. It has even become synonymous with climate change and global warming. But what does it really mean to you and me? Should the natural environment be the first thing that you associate with this word?

Sustainable development is also often inter used with this term. The official definition of sustainable development from the Brundtland Commission "is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Put simply it just means live and let live, and not just for now. It suggests continuity and emphasises the future generation.

Image via Wikipedia

Why then do we think it is all about the environment and climate change? Well, our environment is our home-our common home for that matter, and charity they say begins at home. Without a comfortable and safe home, it would be hard to move up along Maslow's hierarchy of needs. But wait a minute, this same earth which is our only home for now at least, also provides for the very basic needs such as food and water. Well then it probable makes good sense that the environment takes such a paramount place.

The truth of the matter is that all our activities are interwoven. Going up the pyramid, it shouldn't be hard to prove that every of our action will eventually have an effect on our environment which provides for us. From the definition, we ought to meet the needs of the present, and by that I suppose all needs: the needs for shelter, food, respect, well-being, acceptance, warmth, mobility, enlightenment, love, peace and so on. Again simply put, it's about having a healthy mind in a healthy body. We all have an obligation towards that both as individuals and institutions as that is the only way we can ensure our continuity. There should be no conflict between environmental sustainability and all the other ingredients that make up this concepts. The sustainability equation must include all the variables such as social cohesion, human rights, well-being, education and of course care for the environment.

The future generation catching up

What about the future generation? A famous native American proverb says "we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Note that it says "borrow" not "steal". When we borrow books from the library we aim to return them in good conditions to avoid having to pay fines, and when we borrow from banks we return with an interest. But hey, we are talking about our children! As a minimum, we have to make sure we return the earth to them in a habitable form. As regards interest for the loan, we ought to furnish them with new enlightenment and technologies that will reduce their burden, as well as a peaceful and loving world where we are all our brother's (and sister's) keeper.

In my future postings, I will be looking at what sustainability has got to do with other aspects of our lives such as culture, religion, technology, and so on. It should become evident that sustainability ought to be embedded in everything we do. It should become a way of life not just for the so called tree huggers but all of us. We will not have to grow long beards and leave our hair uncombed for years just to establish our credentials.

For now we just need to remember that we all have a big role to play. As Michael Jackson put it

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change, yey
Na na na, na na na, na na na na oh ho

The man in the mirror enjoying his environment

The ball is in your court, and your comments are welcome!

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