Often we come across people who don't match their words with their actions.
We dislike such people : they disappoint us by acting in a way contrary to what they make us expect from their words.
What if I told you that the current condition of sustainability is exactly the same?
Everyone says they wants a healthier, more joyful future, but no one seems to want the same, as I can see from actions. People say they understand the vital role of sustainability in giving us a better future, but their practices show otherwise.
Would you like to live in a world where masks are the new norm not due to high pollution levels? Would you like expenditure on good quality breathing air to take up much of your income? Would you want to see death figures due to climate change, as high as the COVID-19 death figures today?
If no, then why are we creating such a future for ourselves?
In case the scenarios described above seem too far-fetched, you could just think of 2020 itself. Every possible disaster has come our way- earthquakes, wildfires, ice caps melting rapidly, high pollution levels and what not. If 2020 is like this, one can imagine the future wherein our lifestyles will have even more detrimental effects.
What is the way out of this harsh future we are headed towards?
Sustainability, which above all, is our promise to ourselves to give ourselves a better future.
A future where we are happier and healthier, not only as individuals but also as a collective of humans who live interdependent lives.
Sustainability in simple terms is the ability of the current generation to meet their own needs without compromising on the ability of future generations, to meet their needs. To understand what comprises sustainability, let us focus on the 3Ps of sustainability: people, profit and planet.
People
While sustainability is construed as only about being environmentally-friendly, the truth is that ultimately all our sustainability efforts are to give US, the HUMAN collective, a happier future. Thus we cannot ignore that we're essentially humans co-existing , with each human entitled to having a good quality of life and fundamental rights. Equality regardless of factors like religion, ethnicity or gender ; fair pay for work, inclusiveness in daily life - these are some aspects of the People part of sustainability. This part of sustainability also includes eradication of poverty and social evils, which lower the standard of living of people.
Profit
Sustainability in literal terms implies the ability to continue for a long period of time. In a world like ours, presence of money fuels long-term existence (be it a person, a business or a venture) Thus the Profit component implies that business activities, which directly or indirectly provide income to everyone on the planet, must make enough profit so that these activities can be continued in the long-term. At no point does this mean exploitation though. Being efficient and effective, is the crux of this point.
Planet
If people and businesses are happy but the planet housing them cannot sustain their lifestyles, you can surely imagine the consequences. This is why taking care of the environment is important- lowering carbon footprint, following the 3Rs of Reduce Reuse Recycle, zero-waste are some of the ways in which we can be sustainable in a Planet sense.
What's next?
Boundless possibilities for sustainability.
Given that we can contribute to sustainability in 3 different ways, which in themselves encompass hundreds of other ways, you can be sure that being sustainable is way easier than you think.
After all, sustainability isn't a choice anymore. Its a necessity. Either we sustain ourselves, or we pain ourselves.
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