I am not a specialist on the topic of sustainable development however, I do know a few things about it. In this article, I’d like to share my opinion on the topic of sustainable development and my relationship with it.
The beauty of the internet is this; everything that we want to know about is there. We just need to be curious and disciplined enough to learn. However, sometimes that is not enough. The internet is a vast space that contains a lot of different information. It is important to learn to know how and where to look for sources that are credible. My first introduction on the topic of Sustainable Development might have been in school but I don’t remember it being such an important topic. It could be because of the teacher’s teaching style. But that’s another topic for another day.
My proper introduction to Sustainable Development has been through the internet. If you asked me to explain what Sustainable Development means right now, I would say that it is a development pattern that is beneficial not just to the individual who is pursuing the ‘development’ but also to his/her immediate surroundings such as their community, bio-diversity, and future. Sustainable Development is an unselfish and compassionate way to pursue development; this is what I would say.
On the other hand, how do the experts define sustainable development? One expert, the Sustainable Development Commission UK, defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Let’s take an example of a wood company who wants to make more money (development). For this purpose, they clear forests after forests which definitely leads to their growth (especially their bank balance) however they’ve put both themselves and other future wood companies in danger by leaving no forest behind to source from.
This not only affects their bank balance, but the ecosystem in which they live where now there are not enough trees in the environment to help create Oxygen. Not only that, suddenly a few birds and animals are left without homes because they of the way the wood company pursued their ‘development’. Personally, I am a fairly environmentally conscious individual. This means that I try to make decisions that are good for our environment.
Since, I do not own a large factory or business in which my environmental impact is big, I try to do the little that I can. Most of the time, I will take my own shopping bag while going out. I carry a water bottle to avoid buying water in a plastic bottle. I switch off the electricity when not in use and try to be mindful of my water consumption. I purchase environment-friendly products if they are available in the market such as bamboo toothbrushes, chemical-free soaps, or environment-friendly sanitary napkins.
Finally, I look forward to the day when environmental products are available and affordable in all shops and supermarkets. Most importantly, I look forward to living in a world where organizations and institutions in power, such as the government and corporations, pursue development ‘without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Until then, I will do my best to support and live a sustainable lifestyle.
This is easy now as all the information is just a click away. I hope that you too can afford to live a sustainable lifestyle and together we can leave this world a better place than we found it.
