Sustainable People — Who are They?
When talking about sustainability, more emphasis is usually placed on the what, why and how aspects of the subject. There is less discussion on the who aspect. Sustainability, as we know, is about preserving, managing and sustaining resources for present and future use. While we continue to widely discuss and deeply understand the what, why and how aspects of sustainability, it is crucial to include the who aspect because it is the main key to making our transition towards sustainability possible. Let me clarify each aspect I’ve mentioned: the ‘what’ defines the word, the ‘why’ explains the need, the ‘how’ describes the method and the ‘who’ generates the action.
The most important part in transitioning towards sustainability is action. It is the most important because it is the part that activates the movement. If we get the word well defined, we understand the need for it and we create methods to achieve it, there would be no real and visible change until we generate action. It is the who aspect that generates the action. The who aspect of sustainability refers to the people that would carry out the action(s) necessary for the transitioning to take place. The people are the ones that get the wheels of sustainability rolling from the beginning and towards the right direction. These people are who we call sustainable people.
Sustainable people are individuals who make choices and take decisions that are sustainable. They are people mindful of how their affairs of today (the present) would have an impact on their tomorrow (the future). Many people live their lives strictly for their today; they engage in activities that would satisfy their present need without thinking about the cost of those activities in the future. For example, our unsustainable farming practices and reckless use of water over many years has led to a global food and water insecurity. Our desire for instant gratification has resulted to a global shortage that would affect our future if immediate rectifying actions aren’t taken. Research reveals that if the required changes aren’t made immediately, hundreds of millions of people would experience long term food crisis and two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages by the year 2025.
The above data only shades light on the likely outcomes from the global challenge of food and water insecurity. There are many other challenges (national, regional and global) being experienced with their own set of likely outcomes. In other for us to avert the likelihood of having a terrible and fatal future, we need to rethink how we engage in our activities and learn how to become sustainable people. What differentiates sustainable people from the rest of the crowd? Or better yet, how can you become a sustainable person? Simple, by constantly engaging in activities that promotes sustainability. I’ll share with you a few habits you can begin to practice in your journey to becoming a sustainable person.
Habit I — Avoid Wastage. Wastage is one of the biggest challenges in our transitioning towards sustainability. When we possess resources and have them in excess, we tend to use them without caution. As a result, we end up wasting these resources thinking we have access to them forever and forgetting that there are hundreds of millions of people who do not have access to those resources. To become a sustainable person, you need to avoid wastage. Some areas to avoid wastage include food, water and energy.
Habit II — Share Resources. Knowing that there are many people in the world that do not have access to some of the resources you possess, you can begin to share your excess resources with those in need of them. Sharing your resources will reduce wastage and also reduce pollution on the earth.
Habit III — Recycle and Reuse. To further reduce wastage, recycle and reuse things you possess. This will help save energy, curb emission and decongest the earth. Find innovative ways to recycle things and purchase reusable products.
Habit IV — Dispose Appropriately. The wrongful disposal of waste has led to the pollution of our land, water and air. This act has caused some terrible outcomes, some irreversible. It is critical that we dispose our waste appropriately as it has a serious impact on the survival of man, animals and plants on earth.
Habit V — Think of Others. Ever heard the golden rule, ‘do unto others what you want done to you’. This rule is a simple method to becoming a sustainable person. Before you do anything, first think of how your action may affect others. Only do things that, if done to you, you will gladly accept.
