Hello Everyone,
Welcome to Tequila Bubbles. This section of the blog deals with Sustainability. And I would like to start it off by explaining the basics of this concept. Mind you, a single article or even a bunch of writeups can’t sum up the meaning, importance, and relevance of this idea. Nevertheless, I am making a humble attempt to speak on a topic that should reach as many people as possible.
What is Sustainability?
According to the United Nations Brundtland Commission (1987), the definition of Sustainability – “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainability is a concept equivalent to a parent building a home or preserving valuables. Eh? The correlation is pretty evident.
Say a set of parents have just purchased a house when their child is a toddler. The adults are responsible for its ‘upkeep,’ ‘maintenance,’ and ‘preservation during their lifetime. The primary purpose is that their kid inherits a safeguarded property. Furthermore, in turn, they enjoy the property and its benefits.
Similarly, in the case of Sustainability, each generation inherits the Planet’s abundant resources and enjoys them during their lifetime. Moreover, in this case, too, they are endowed with the responsibility of utilizing Earth’s limited resources so that their children and grandchildren can benefit equally.
Sustainability implies the potential and capacity to ‘sustain.’ There are specific resources that are not replenishable once exhausted. Therefore, Sustainability emphasizes on the intelligent use of available sources and focuses on finding alternate methods and techniques to the ‘gift’ of the finite Planet.
With the turn of the millennium, this concept has been gaining momentum.
However, what are the primary reasons for which Sustainability has ceased to be just a ‘fancy’ word and is gradually becoming a way of life?
Well, for starters, the twentieth century witnessed unprecedented destruction to the Planet. Reckless hacking of green cover to make way for factories, roads in the name of progress and urbanization.
Secondly, wetlands were covered for construction, destroying marine life in those ponds and lakes.
Population growth, overdrawing of limited groundwater, use of fossil fuels in locomotives, and melting glaciers due to rise in greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide emissions are a few of the many reasons for the glaring disharmony between humanity and nature.
As the 21st century progressed, the side effects of the annihilation of the previous century came to the forefront. Such as, the climate underwent an irreversible change. Reports regarding Greenland and Antarctica’s rapidly depleting ice sheets pressed the panic button for environment conservationists.
Another consequence was the speed with which the world has been losing its exquisite flora and fauna. So much so that the recently ongoing Pandemic is also a direct impact of the world’s changing paradigm.
Physicists and biologists are now highlighting the ill effects of using non-renewable sources of energy. Drying up of these sources will inflict unimaginable damage to the breathtaking Planet. That has coerced the more conscious society to take matters into their own hands.
These mentions are just a few issues plaguing the survival of Earth.
Thus, these factors gave rise to the idea of Sustainability or Sustainable Living.
Often while playing a board game, you would have seen that the game requires a minimum of two players.
Nevertheless, in the quest to save the Planet, not two but three participants are required- who work together and are in tandem to ensure the growth of a Sustainable World.
They form the three pillars of a concept gaining prevalence with each passing day.
Namely:
- Economic Sustainability
- Social Sustainability
- Environmental Sustainability
These three are the basis of ensuring that the upcoming generations lead an augmented life.
Economic Sustainability :
It implies adopting those methods and systems which will not only be profit-centric. But will not cause damage or harm to the environment. E.g., recycling products micro-farming.
Social Sustainability
indicates the ability of society to make infrastructural provisions for the current and future residents of the Planet. Homes, workplaces, amenities for cultural intermingling, and several other facilities come under the periphery of Social Sustainability.
Environmental Sustainability
needs no introduction. It is the essential pillar if life on Earth has to continue. The survival of humankind is dependent primarily on this factor. The aspect signifies the use of the available capital in a far more intelligent fashion. To make it available for the generations that are yet to come. Therefore, a switch to cleaner resources of energy, which are renewable and protect the ecosystem and biodiversity of Earth, is of utmost importance.
However, is humanity taking corrective steps?
It might be a cliché, but: man is cutting the branch on which he is sitting. Moreover, the speed of slicing it off has only increased. So – this statement applies to a sizeable section of society.
For example, the world’s lungs –
The categoric destruction of the Amazon Rainforests to build and reach the inner depth of the forests and even for mining is saddening. Moreover, humans are sacrificing the ancient green cover to promote animal agriculture. Which in turn reduces the properties of the soil.
On the other hand, individuals, groups, and countries are taking very proactive steps in achieving an Eco-Friendly way of life. Thanks to the various reports in print media, the internet, and other such media, the criticality of the situation is very much publicized. As a result, people are waking up to the need to become Responsible Global Citizens and realize the requirement to reduce carbon footprints drastically.
Concepts like vegetarianism, veganism, reusing or recycling products, and no cruelty towards animals are increasingly becoming popular. You would have come across personal care brands that specifically avoid testing their products on animals. Further, light is being shed on the need for Electrically charged vehicles compared to those running on fuel.
On a larger scale, the use of renewable sources of energy is gaining a solid foothold. The use of solar panels, windmills, hydroelectric plants to harness electricity from water is increasing.
All in all, Sustainable Living is becoming imperative. Furthermore, every individual, society, and the world must come together and undertake practical actions to ensure that these three pillars stand tall and secure. Failure would lead to a total collapse and destruction of life on this Planet.
To sum up,
All that can be said is that Sustainability is here to stay. It is steadily becoming the basis of living. The younger population realizes the vitality of sustainable consumption. And the maintenance of all the three pillars described above is vital as human life is dependent on them. Therefore, numerous organizations worldwide are eagerly and vehemently promoting this concept and are attempting to ingrain it in the general public’s minds.
This blog will attempt to spread the word about this significant issue, and that Sustainability is a crucial step in restoring Earth’s original beauty and glory.
