By Peter O'Connor
Why must we look at Sustainability?
A. For our Families
I am a Baby Boomer and whilst I see many jokes out there about spending our kids inheritance the truth of the matter is – we have. I am not talking financial assets as we have provided well enough for our families in the skills we pass on for them to duplicate or exceed our own personal achievement. I have come to grips with the reality we have overspent the one crucial asset necessary to maintain our existence – Planet Earth.
This wonderful planet, when I was born, could meet the demand of human existence and replenish it’s resources for future years. I am no scientist however there is enough consensus out there that this is no longer the case. Our level of usage of the planet’s resources cannot be replenished and we are eroding it’s ability to provide for future generations.
We can take the first step and reduce the usage rate to show that our lifestyle can be altered to one that will sustain our planet for future generations.
During my research on who is doing what I have reached a number on conclusions that I intend to follow up:
- There are a number of what I would call self-opinionated groups who believe there views on such matters as animal welfare, methane, chemicals etc that believe by following their beliefs will alter the course. The reluctance to accept and quite often ridicule other’s viewpoint is damaging to any move to sustainability. Everybody who makes a move towards sustainability should be praised and supported
- There are no absolutes in the quest for Sustainability. If you believe some decisions you are making are harmful to our sustainability – review, investigate options, make a decision to reduce to a minimum (immediate or over-time). If enough people did this the result would be significant
- A lot of information available is slanted for particular agendas. Unbiased information is not readily available
- The move to a more Sustainable lifestyle needs to be a whole of life review from what we want to what we need. What we dispose of or reuse at home to our purchase with purpose decisions and greater society views on our fellow man. To have many living in poverty is a restriction on our move to sustainability
