The first aspects that come to our mind when it is about sustainability are the renewable sources of energy. The biomass, the wind, the sun and the waves are some excellent examples of sustainable strategies. Their sustainability is defined by their reliance upon infinitely available resources that are naturally occurring, and thus we have constant and free access to them. These factors mean that these resources will be indefinitely accessible by humans, which makes them ‘sustainable resources’.
However, for everyday people, that are not familiar with the term of sustainability, sustainability doesn't refer to scientific terms but it is reflected through their activities; such as recycling, re-using, buying only the products that are needed and using them wisely, etc.
Some more things that individually can be done to create a greener world and leave a smaller footprint include: [1], [2]
- Reduce, reuse and recycle when possible
- Upgrade your home to be energy efficient
- Apply green building principles to new construction and remodeling projects
- Apply solar collectors, PV cells and other renewable systems of energy/heat generation
- Replace light bulbs with more energy efficient and non-heat producing LED bulbs
- Reduce the amount of hot water used
- Use water wisely
- Use alternative-fuel vehicles. Try to cycle or walk more
- Grow your own food, if possible, or buy organic vegetables, fruits, meats and poultry
- Practice waste management by composting and use biodegradable products
- Replace household chemicals with green cleaning products
- Use rechargeable batteries
These are only a few actions that one can do in order to contribute in the well-being of the future generations. In the same time, sustainable development needs to take economic and social parameters into account in order to be feasible. If the programs planed and the actions that have to be taken are expensive or don’t reflect the societal behavior, then there is a serious risk of failure. The people need to endorse all these efforts and embrace such behaviors for a better future.
As you can see, going green is a complex process, but it consists of simple actions; thus one step at a time needs to be taken while replacing current methods and products with green ones.
1. Go green initiative: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Why_Is_it_Important_to_Go_Green
2. 25 easy steps towards sustainability: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/node/6073
