Decoding Sustainability

Here in this article, I shall talk about what actually is meant by Sustainability and how it differs from Sustainable Development. Do you also feel what the sudden rush and roar surrounding this new concept of sustainability, Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy and Plastics is all about?Well, Breathe!All these are separate, independent notions intertwined together by cause. Let’s try unraveling them, one at a time.To sustain is sustainability. And as simple as it sounds, it implies the simple notion of living and to let live all beings and creatures under the sun, alike.On the other hand, Sustainable Development focuses on developing (ourselves and things around us) sustainably. Putting it otherwise, it may be stated that while sustainability is an aspiration, Sustainable Development is the objective. And all this, so that we humans aren’t too heavy on Planet Earth to… sustain!?!But why should sustainability be an aspiration?What’s so special about it?Let me paint you a picture:So you just came back home from a truck-load of shopping that resulted in your massive car full of huge boxes and bags. You got yourself clothes, makeup, some home decor, cool stationary, exotic fruits from around the world and some other stuff to eat. Let’s not forget that bought yourself a bottle of water as you ran dry during “Shopping”. Now, let’s just pause here for a while.What I want to underline here is that this shopping spree wouldn’t have been a topic of discussion had you shopped responsibly. And by responsible shopping, I mean the following:

• Checking labels every time. Buying items that are safe for the environment at the time of disposal, better if they can be reused or even recycled (Yes, there’s a difference between recycling and reusing! More on that later).
• Buying products that are animal-friendly, that is, in the production or generation of which, no animals were harmed in any way.
• Check if what you are buying is sourced locally. Buying products sourced by local farmers and local artisans/artists not only gives them a boost monetarily but also encourages them to carry forward their venture with renewed energy and zeal. Also, this ensures utilization of resources produced or extracted locally, saves up a heck of a huge sum!
• And while you went on the shopping expedition, did you carry with yourself a bag and a bottle of water while starting from home? This is a really tiny thing to accomplish, but has a HUGE implication! It seems these tiny things have been said so much, that it has lost its meaning and essence. I urge you to ponder over this and realize its impact on the larger scale, for yourself.

 I know that’s a LOT to ask for. But will you actually feel pretty using something that caused some sort of a damage to things around you?Sustainability is a style of living. A style that asks you to hold the responsibility for your mundane decisions- those that you don’t even realize you are making. These little decisions we make every now-n-then have the potential to shape the future of a lot of people, especially children, and this Planet too!I have only touched the surface of things here. We’ll scratch further and dig deep in coming posts! Stick by, and Stay Green!