Sustainability: What you need to know to ensure your future.
Sustainability is the key to living more and better, and ensuring to our children, grandchildren and their descendants can also live in this world. There are many controversies around this subject, however it is undeniable that something has to be done. The way things are can not stay.
Sustainability is a word we hear every day, most of us do not pay attention or do not understand what it really means.
I see many people and companies saying they are sustainable simply because it is fashionable. But when you check it is discovered that it is just what was known as “green marketing”.
They say that they have a social responsibility and they do actions to have a sustainable development, but in reality only do the superficial, without really changing their processes.
To be truly sustainable it is necessary to live and act according to some principles and for this we need to understand:
- What is sustainability
- Does sustainability really exist?
- What is the importance of sustainability for each and for society?
- Why does society not see the problem and make the decisions to avoid it
- The consequences of not being sustainable in the short and long term.
- Where are we today
- What is the solution
- How will it be resolved?
1 – So what is the concept of sustainability?
World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa – 2002) consolidated the definition of sustainability as:
“Sustainable development is one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
Sustainable development is supported by three pillars:
- Economic Development: Develop new consumption habits and produce products and services that preserve the planet’s resources.
- Social Development: Ensure access to all people at the basic levels in health, education, housing, food and social welfare.
- Environmental protection: Changing behavioral habits that will lead to protection of the environment such as recycling, waste reduction, using less polluting products and services and renewable energy.
With this tripod, the goal of sustainable development is to ensure all the needs of present and future society are met.
2 – Does sustainability really exist?
This is a fundamental question. There are many people saying yes and many others saying no.
The news has information that defends both sides and depending on who speaks is more or less important.
For me it really exists and can be achieved.
How do you know where the truth is?
We can not see the future, but we know what happened in the past. Our history is replete with civilizations that thrived and then disappeared.
The factors to led to the decline are diverse, but some are directly linked to non-economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Many did not preserve the environment and had no conscious consumption.
We have many examples like the Mayas, Rapanuis, Khermer (Angkor Wat) and many others.
Where his actions led to changes in the environment that was the main cause of his downfall.
Just to stay with the Maya´s history.
The National Academy of Sciences of Arizona State University study concluded that at the height of the Maya civilization, around 900 AD. there was a drastic reduction of rainfall volume in the region where they lived, the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.
The main reason was the great deforestation caused, because the Mayas burned and overturned the forests for agriculture. (Hmmm I’ve heard this story somewhere).
They also used large quantities of wood to cook the lime paste for their constructions. Experts estimate it would take 20 trees to produce one square meter of urban landscape. Further details of the Smithsonian study.
Our whole history is full of conflicts and wars that have the main motivator to obtain resources (territorial and / or economic). Due to consumerism, people invade others in search of an environment with more resources.
3 – What is the importance of sustainability for each one and society?
The fact is we are using more resources than the planet can restore and it will jeopardize our survival.
According to studies of the Global Footprint Network (GFN), with data since 1969, today we spend about 70% more resources than nature has condition to replenish. At this pace in the not too distant future our planet will no longer be able to sustain life.
We see signs of this path everyday like:
- Lack of water in cities.
- Deforestation of the Amazon.
- Pollution of rivers and cities.
- New diseases due to lifestyle, such as obesity, cancer, among others.
Global warming etc.
Every living being has as its main goal its survival and its descendants.
Our actions will directly affect not only our survival but also our children and if we think beyond ourselves the survival of our planet.
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4 – Why does society do not see the problem and do not make the decisions to avoid?
It is a complex and very difficult answer, but we can set it in two main pillars.
A – Conflict of short and long term interests.
There is a conflict between the short-term interests of the ruling elites and the long-term interests of society as a whole, especially if they are able to isolate themself from the consequences of their actions, but in the long run it will cause society to fall.
EX: The deforestation of the Amazon is mainly caused by the incessant search of land for agriculture and livestock. We can all see the devastation caused by these acts, but the ruling elite does everything to continue regardless that this will lead to collapse.
B – Changing what is your source of power is extremely difficult.
Society grows on the basis of ideas and foundations that over time creates its power. Initially that leaves it to be stronger and stronger, over time it wull be the reason for its own colapse.
Simply to mention, let’s look at an oil company, all it knowledge is oil-related, and we know that in addition to the problems oil like pollution it is a finite product.
The first and current leaders will not be here to suffer the dramatic environmental consequences caused by their actions then, most do not care.
The North Americans founded their society on the basis of freedom and the American dream of having the best of everything. All its powers come from this vision. Without them the North American people would not exist as they are today.
5a – What is the consequence of this in the short term?
Elites can always isolate themselves from the consequences by living in tree-lined condominiums and buying all the resources they need to live a peaceful life.
More than 90% of the population will lack basic resources to meet their needs beyond general health problems.
We see this in African countries like Niger, Congo, Eritrea and even in regions of Brazil, such as the northeastern.
5b – What is the long-term consequence?
The elite continue to believe that they can isolate themselves. Watch movies like Elysium, where the elite lives in a space station with all comfort and without diseases and the rest of the world lives in the devastated earth, with diseases and without any resource.
But what is certain is that for most the consequences will be catastrophic.
6 – Where are we today?
Even if each of us has our opinions, I believe that alone in our pillow, we can see the clock bombs that are out there and even the optimists predict that between 20 or 50 years they will explode.
- Lack of drinking water.
- Desertification of soil.
- Climate changes.
- Invasive species.
- Population growing.
- Toxic environment. Gas station, factories, oil spill, Chernobyl, Fukushima etc.
7 – And what is the solution?
There is not only one solution, because if you solve one, two or three of the problems, the others will continue and make everything unfeasible, because the ecosystem is interdependent.
Our path is unsustainable, that is, we can not keep this path any longer, we must change or we will not survive.
The solution is based on two pillars:
1 – Change our consumption habits, to a model that withdraws less resources than nature is able to replace.
2 – Change the production models of products and services based on non-renewable materials for renewable and non-polluting materials.
8 – And how will this be solved?
Those under the age of 50 have a high probability of being alive to see what the solution will be, the older ones will probably not see, but their children will see for sure.
There are only two ways to solve it.
1 – The most pleasant way:
It will be through actions taken by our initiative, that although it has a high personal and social cost, but will be in common agreement minimizing the conflicts and providing the basic resources for all.
2 – The Nasty Way:
The environment will become inhospitable and will have conflicts, diseases, wars, famines and deaths due to lack of resources to support the population.
How do you think we will experience this solution?
Leave your comments.
