[INFORMATIVE] How to Live Sustainably

How to Live Sustainably

By: Alexandros Theodossis

What does Sustainable Mean?
The word "sustainable" refers to the ability to maintain or continue something over a long period. In relation to the climate, sustainability means preserving resources for an extended time. More specifically, being sustainable means preserving resources in a way that does not cause harm. Furthermore, environmental sustainability involves managing natural resources to ensure their availability for future generations to thrive by using natural and renewable resources.

The Significance of Living Sustainably
Living sustainably is significant for a vast amount of reasons, each reason contributing to the well-being of Earth. More specifically, living sustainably contributes to the responsible use of natural resources like water, minerals, and forests. Doing so ensures that the depletion of these resources does not occur as rapidly, or at all, for future generations. For example, water-saving techniques can be employed in agricultural sectors to ensure maximum efficiency and the use of natural resources such as water. Similarly, a house can be upgraded to be more energy-efficient, including appliances in homes that can reduce resource consumption. Regarding environmental protection, we, as a whole, can reduce pollution and waste, which helps protect ecosystems and biodiversity by simply not littering, recycling, and not purchasing items encased in plastic. Ultimately, by adopting such practices, we can help preserve natural habitats and reduce pollutants.

Ways people do not live sustainably
Individuals who are not informed about the impact of their everyday decisions on the environment tend to live in such ways, unknowingly causing grave harm to local ecosystems. Some examples include driving a car with low miles per gallon, not buying products or meat from locally grown farmers, driving long distances every week, etc. Every single action that people take in their communities results in an effect. Like the butterfly effect, every action mounts into something greater, causing more and more events to occur. If a person is not informed about living sustainably, then they will keep harming the environment unknowingly. Being educated about such issues, more specifically, how to live sustainably, can make climate change mitigation more plausible, leading to efforts that make sense.

Ways that you can Live Sustainably
Learning about how to live sustainably is the first step to living a sustainable life. For example, a person who drives to school, which is only one mile away, and does not know how harmful driving 2 miles each day (from school and back), learns that biking is a viable option, as they do not have to wait in the car line, do not have to waste their gas, as a bike relies on a person’s ability to pedal, also providing positive health benefits every day. Such a simple alternative, if adopted, let's say, by everybody who lives within a 1-mile radius of their school and currently drives, switches to the biking option, will drastically reduce carbon emissions from cars and reduce air pollution as a whole, causing their local environment to have more clean air. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to living sustainably, which is why you have to:

• Research the effects of your daily activities on the environment.
• Identify the main factor of carbon.

Works Cited:
Merriam-Webster. “Definition of SUSTAINABLE.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2019, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainable.

Browne, Amelia. “What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?” Earth.org, 26 Oct. 2022, earth.org/what-is-sustainability/.

‌Patterson, Nicholas. “What Is Environmental Sustainability? Goals with Examples.” Www.snhu.edu, Southern New Hampshire University, 16 Jan. 2024, www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/stem/what-is-environmental-sustainability.

‌“What Is Sustainable Living?” Www.sustainablejungle.com, www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-living/what-is-sustainable-living.

The Center for Biological Diversity. “12 Ways to Live More Sustainably.” Biologicaldiversity.org, 2019, www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/live_more_sustainably.html.

‌Reynolds, Pete. “6 Environmental Benefits of Cycling Based on Science.” Discerning Cyclist, 22 Sept. 2023, discerningcyclist.com/cycling-environmental-benefits/.