My theme is going to speak to
sustainability within the context of the natural environment as a whole. It is
going to speak to sustainability of the natural environment as an era and trend.
The theme will deal with sustainability of the natural environment as a result
of man’s sensitivity to depleting natural resources within the natural
environment due to selfish and careless usage by man. In the process the theme
will look at when man started feeling the pinch of depletion, and therefore
concern for preservation, and for that matter for posterity.
Most of all, the theme is going to
look at how, through individual attitude and lifestyle sustainability can be
attained, using my humble self as an example!
The Encyclopedia section of The Free
Dictionary by Farlex gives us this input: The concept of sustainability can be
traced back to President Theodore Roosevelt, who stated in 1910, “I recognize
the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources
of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by
wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” In 1987 the United Nations
World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission)
defined a sustainable development as one that “meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.” Sustainability has three interdependent dimensions—the environment,
economics, and society—often referred to as the triple bottom line.
In the foregoing, in 1910, President
Theodore Roosevelt (USA), expressed sensitivity to the use of the resources of
the natural environment, such that the use of the natural resources of the
natural environment by one generation is not done to the deprivation of another
generation. It can, I believe, be said that, President Roosevelt in 1910 was
saying that man must be measured in their use of the natural resources of the
natural environment.
The quote from the Encyclopedia says
sustainability has “three interdependent dimensions- the environment,
economics, and society...”
Of the three interdependent
dimensions, the natural environment is the most fundamental. Economics derives
from the natural environment. Extraction, production and distribution of goods
and services happens from, and within the natural environment. Society provides
the space for individuals of common interests to bond together- this also
happens within the natural environment. The individuals themselves require
materials from the natural environment to sustain their bio-chemical lives.
At the center of the three
interdependent dimensions of environment, economics and society is man!
At the center of the consumption of
the natural resources of the natural environment is man!
So what are you as an individual,
critically important as you are in the sustainability equation, doing to attain
sustainability?
In my own humble practical ways, in the home, I share with you how I contribute to the sustenance of the natural environment for posterity, and hopefully as example to inspire you.
WATER
I share with you how I preserve water
in the house. Remember that the world is running out of water.
I harvest and store rain water for
fruit plants in particular. That helps to cut down on tap water usage.
When I wash my clothes I recycle the water
I use in washing them. I wash manually. In the first bucket of water I wash
with soap. In the second bucket of water I do the first rinsing of that which
was washed in the first bucket. In the third bucket of water I do the second
and last rinsing of the clothes before hanging them on the clothes line to dry.
Then comes the recycling of the used
water.
I use the soapy water in the first
bucket to scrub the toilet in the house.
I use the soapy water to scrub the
bathroom in the house.
I use the soapy water to mop the
floor.
I use the soapy water to scrub drains
(open) in the house.
I use used water in the second and
third buckets to flush toilet.
The recycled water used in doing the
chores I have stated here saves fresh water. It saves water because I did not
throw away the used water for fresh water but used it in doing the chores.
In the front of the house I have
planted a lawn that can withstand drought. I do not water it from the tap. It
gets brown during the dry season, but when it rains it gets green, hardly
believing it was the same brown lawn. It does not die! I used a grass that is
that tough and resilient. This way I sustain water.
If I save ten gallons of water a year thus, and you save ten a year, and others do the same, or even to lesser extent, having in mind 7.5 billion persons inhabiting planet Earth, you can imagine the amount of water that should be saved for posterity.
PLASTIC
Be reminded that we are talking about
using natural resources of the natural environment in such a way that it will
not compromise the share of future generations.
Plastic is one material that is doing
a lot of harm to the natural environment. Its decomposition is very difficult.
It can be found in drains. It can be found in water bodies. It can be found in
the soil. It is killing animals in the sea. How do we minimize the use of
plastic for a sustainable natural environment?
In my small way this is how I do it.
I recycle plastic. The plastic carrier
bags I get from shops I keep for reuse.
After family meetings in the house, my
sisters use the plastic bags I keep in the house to carry food items instead of
buying fresh plastic bags.
After parties in the house, plastic
carrier bags are needed to carry food and other items- I supply them through
the reuse of the carrier bags I keep.
I myself reuse the plastic bags I get
from shopping malls to buy other items.
I gather water sachet (from water I
buy) and give it out for recycling by water companies.
By recycling plastic I am beating down
demand and consumption for it. In my circumstance, for example, instead of one
person using a plastic carrier bag once, and disposing it off to pollute the
natural environment, two persons are using one plastic carrier bag! That
reduces the rate of pollution that much!
I look up for biodegradable plastic
bags, which are environmentally friendly.
ELECTRICITY
You may be wondering how electricity
is connected to sustainability. Electricity is derived from sources and
resources such as water, coal etc. Extraction and processing of coal affects
the natural environment negatively. There is carbon emission in the process.
This is not the natural environment you should like to leave for your children.
What follows is my shot at sustainable
lifestyle from the perspective of electricity:
I do not iron my jeans after washing
it, and drying it in sunlight.
I do not iron my bedsheet after
washing it, and drying it in sunlight.
I do not iron my pillow case after
washing it, and washing it in sunlight.
I do not iron my socks after washing
it, and drying it in sunlight.
When I iron my tee shit, for example,
I iron only one side. I do not flip it to iron the other side.
I hardly turn on light in many places
in the house. I turn light on when the need arises. People laugh at me,
wondering why I live in darkness. They are the ones living in darkness not
knowing we are in the era of sustainability!
SOIL
When it comes to soil, as a principle,
I go organic.
I feed plants in my garden with dung
of birds, fowl and horse. I put the dung in the soil. I mix it with the soil.
I do not throw away fruit and
vegetable waste. I gather them and allow them to rot into the soil, thereby
replenishing or enriching it (compost of a sort).
I use grass I cut from my garden as mulch for plants. It allows for water retention in the soil.
ERA
The reason behind the modern era of
sustainability is the unsustainable consumption of the resources of the natural
environment by an ever rapidly increasing human population resulting in
depletion.
Through the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sustainability
the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development explains
further thus:
In 1987 the United Nation's World
Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission), in its
report Our Common Future suggested that development was acceptable, but it must
be sustainable development that would meet the needs of the poor while not
increasing environmental problems. Humanity's demand on the planet has more than
doubled over the past 45 years as a result of population growth and increasing
individual consumption. In 1961 almost all countries in the world had more than
enough capacity to meet their own demand; by 2005 the situation had changed
radically with many countries able to meet their needs only by importing
resources from other nations.[6] A move toward sustainable living by increasing
public awareness and adoption of recycling, and renewable energies emerged. The
development of renewable sources of energy in the 1970s and '80s, primarily in
wind turbines and photovoltaics and increased use of hydroelectricity,
presented some of the first sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel and nuclear
energy generation, the first large-scale solar and wind power plants appearing
during the 1980s and '90s.[38][39] Also at this time many local and state
governments in developed countries began to implement small-scale
sustainability policies.[40]
Now, more than ever, is the era of sustainability. Swim with the current of sustainability. Do not swim against the current of sustainability.
TREND
Many more are talking about
renewables. Many more are talking about clean energy. Many more are talking
about solar panels. Many more are talking about solar energy. Many more are
talking about wind energy. More money is being pumped into research in these
areas. Renewables have become the epicenter of discussion in board rooms. There
are cars on the road using electricity, not gasoline. I walk in Accra, Ghana,
West Africa, and I see solar panels on the roof of some buildings. There is a
hotel behind my house with solar panels on the roof. Ten years ago that was not
the case. There is a growing shift from fossil fuel to renewables.
Through the link https://www.businessgreen.com/sponsored/3011063/the-sustainability-shift-the-last-decade
BusinessGreen comments on the shift to sustainability as a trend as follows:
Firstly there has been a growing
recognition of the global challenges posed by issues such as climate change,
limited natural resources, and population growth. In response, the
international community has stepped up in developing laws, policies and goals
calling on all stakeholders to play its part. From the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals as part of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
through to the Paris Climate Accord and the EU's tough carbon targets,
sustainability is now firmly on the global agenda. The result means that there
has been a growing expectation on business to play its part.
Secondly, consumers themselves have
also played an important role in driving up stronger sustainability standards.
Consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions - and willing to pay
more - for products and services they see as sustainable or coming from
socially and environmentally responsible companies.
CONCLUSION
Man finds themselves in the natural
environment. A natural environment full of resources to sustain their
biological and chemical lives. The resources in the natural environment were to
be used in a sustainable way. One generation was not to use the resources to
the deprivation of another generation. In the course of the history of man,
particularly from the beginning of the industrial revolution (1850), and human
population explosion, man finds that they are not using the resources of the
natural environment sustainably. Thus man poses before themselves extinction,
because the very resources that were to keep them alive is running out!
The modern era of sustainability is a
reaction to that realization and danger.
The era of sustainability is an
opportunity for restoration and redirection. The era of sustainability is an
opportunity for balance and stability for the natural environment. The era of
sustainability gives opportunity for a bright prospect for posterity.
I have illustrated this theme with
myself as an example. I am not as good as I ought to be but I am trying and not
giving up. My hope is that you will also tread the path of sustainability for
the good of all (individually and collectively) that inhabit the natural
environment, now and the future.
Brighten the corner where you are!
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