Attaining the sustainable

Sustainability Week began on the University of Louisville campus on Oct. 18. Are you green enough?

By definition, a sustainable society is one that can meet an individual’s and an economy’s basic needs, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems. Sustainability is the effort to protect Earth’s current and future resources.

Paul Hawken, an environmental activist and author, has written that sustainability concerns the “disruptive relationship between Earth’s two most complex systems – human culture and the living world.” Hawken is exactly right. Human abuse has worn down our environment and human effort must restore it.

But, is it possible to simultaneously develop society while remaining environmentally aware and protective? Conflicts arise in politics, business and daily life between groups who firmly believe in one way or the other.

Federal law has played a huge role in advocating the green movement. Legal action has forced companies to follow strict guidelines and ensure some prevention of environmental degradation. The Clean Air Act of 1990 requires the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent hazardous air pollution emissions. The stimulus package offered grants to businesses that utilized renewable energy sources, such as biomass, wind and solar energy. President Barack Obama recently formed the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force in order to rejuvenate the Gulf Coast. Other laws forbid dumping into water sources and release of toxic chemicals, require daily inspections of equipment, and regulate energy output.

Call me a crazy hippie. But the pollution and exploitation of earth’s natural resources will affect our future. Our supply of resources and clean living space will dwindle.

Sustainability is an idea that unfortunately requires not only legal action, but personal life changes. Individuals must adapt to a less wasteful lifestyle and continually encourage others to pursue sustainable activities. Due to the recession, a growing amount of distractions in our lives, and commercial growth, we lose sight of very important values. We must rid ourselves of materialism and disregard for our environment. We can start by slowly taking a more proactive approach to conserving our environment.

For students on a college campus, this could be as simple as choosing to throw your cigarette in the garbage. Numerous recycling containers and trash cans are located throughout campus. Students can also choose to bike to campus, turn off lights, reuse plastic bags, invest in dishes that are reusable and buy refillable water bottles.

Living sustainably will take the idea of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” to a level of endless conscious activity. With knowledge of the effects of pollution and misuse of natural resources, we are able to make more conscious decisions about our lifestyle. Shouldn’t the urge to protect our environment be natural for us?