As great as it is that talking about climate change is more mainstream, sustainability has become a buzzword. The emphasis on buying and making sustainable products has grown so much in recent years, but the word itself is used carelessly. Generally, sustainability is used as a way to refer merely to “better” practices, with nothing actionable beyond that attached to the word.
You may wonder why that’s even a problem and maybe I am being nitpicky. But, the word sustainability is supposed to drive the environmental movement. So, when you remove the core action from a word that should be foundational to conservation goals nothing gets done.
To be actionable, we should know what it means to be sustainable.
The intent behind this platform, in general, is to make sustainability easy to understand since science topics and environmental conversations are often complex and filled with jargon. Words have power and the principles behind sustainability should be concretely defined for everyone.
At first glance, it may seem like I’m placing too much importance on defining sustainability. But, our current system has made understanding what sustainability truly means convoluted by design and, as a result, undermines climate action. After all, for conservation efforts to succeed, we need to be on the same page, even with something as seemingly simple as defining sustainability.
As it stands now, environmental disinformation has gotten so bad that many tout sustainability as either too costly, unachievable, or just flat-out unnecessary. The opposite side of that coin is the boom of companies hopping onto the eco-friendly bandwagon to exploit those trying to be more sustainable by using dishonest labeling.
In the end, it can be extremely hard to discern what is truly sustainable thanks to marketing tricks, greenwashing, and a lack of understanding. It’s no wonder sustainability is confusing and hard to define! Nonetheless, with more people understanding the value of our environment and what’s at stake, we absolutely need to nail down what it means to be sustainable and learn how to make actionable positive change.
Let's talk about the textbook definition of sustainability.
The textbook definition of being sustainable is pretty straightforward. Essentially, something is sustainable if it can be maintained over time. So, to be considered sustainable, it must be something that you can continue doing indefinitely. We must be able to produce, consume, behave, or act in a way that doesn’t result in harm or degradation and that can be continued forever.
For that to happen, we have to keep resource use at a rate below natural reproduction. In other words, resources must be able to renew themselves at the rate they do naturally or at a rate below the development of alternative resources.
To add to that, to be sustainable, you must act in a way that does not degrade ecosystem services. That means that to be considered truly sustainable, using resources should not cause things like emissions that accumulate in the environment and have negative consequences.
By implication, any unsustainable society cannot be maintained for long and will stop functioning at some point. So, if a product or activity requires nonrenewable resources, damages the environment, or results in harm to individuals or society it doesn’t fall under the umbrella of sustainability.
Despite being fairly straightforward, sustainability exists in a gray area.
Despite many industries’ inability to fall under that umbrella of sustainability, a shadow of doubt has been cast on this issue. When you have endless money to throw at a problem to sway public opinion or muddy the waters, unsustainable industries become even more dangerous.
I would argue that to move towards a holistic and equitable society we should not be affording unsustainable industries or practices the ability to thrive. When it comes to productive sustainability, we all need to share this understanding. Again, therein lies the essence of why ambiguous terminology is a problem.
Let's get specific and talk about how ambiguous terminology is a problem for sustainability.
People value authenticity and transparency, and transparency happens to be a defining characteristic of genuine sustainability! With how creative corporations have become it can be confusing to even pin down what it is we’re talking about. You can find almost everything under the sun has a “sustainable” alternative. But is it marketing and branding or does sustainability mean more than that in a consumerist space? Well, it depends. That’s why it’s critical to define and understand sustainability.
Speaking about something with ambiguous verbiage is not productive, it keeps people guessing and maintains the status quo through consequential inaction. Climate issues can hardly be addressed when dealing with vagueness and issues of greenwashing. Just like if you’re trying to work towards a goal, you first need to define that goal to determine the proper steps you’d need to take to achieve it. So, making applicable goals for positive change needs a tangible definition or standard for everyone to look to in order to lead to actionable changes.
If there is a claim to being sustainable then there should be complete transparency about sustainability efforts and agendas. If a brand is sustainable, for example, it’s likely willing to communicate its philosophy and processes openly. The bottom line is ambiguous language and indirectness undermines climate action.
Climate change isn’t up for debate, no matter what certain public figures may tell you. The science is concrete and as such our path forward needs to be as well.
Checking nuances.
Now that we’re on the same page regarding the downsides to ambiguity, there are some things we must be aware of now that we’re trying to tackle this problem. We must understand the inevitable gray areas when it comes to practical lifestyle sustainability. Educating yourself also means understanding the nuances of trying to live as sustainably as possible.
No product can be truly sustainable, but shifting your mindset towards more sustainable living comes down to doing things where and when you can. This includes doing the work to identify and buy sustainable products or deciding to abstain from consuming more where you don’t need it.
It comes down to us as consumers to examine a product or company’s overall impact and find ways to mitigate it until better laws and practices are put in place. We must be curious, do our homework, and be smart about weighing the pros and cons.
I do firmly believe that everyone is just doing the best they can with the resources they have available to them. Generally speaking, people mean well, but the solution to finding sustainability in our world isn’t black and white. Our society is filled with smoke and mirrors and just plain old human error. The path to sustainability won’t be a linear one, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth embarking on.
So, what actually makes something sustainable?
When discussing sustainability, the relationship between humanity and nature is typically the center of the conversation. It’s important to manage human use of our environment so that present generations’ needs are met without compromising the potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.
To define true sustainability, we must, therefore, include intergenerational equity. But it’s important to ask not only what degree of well-being we should give to future generations but also ask more profound questions relating to the long-term survival of our species as well as our responsibilities towards other species. So, to nail down a concrete framework for sustainability, we must think about the overarching effect of our resource use and how our actions influence the ecosystem.
There are three crucial aspects to sustainability:
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
We must be able to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In tandem with that, we must be aware of Earth’s capacity to produce renewable resources and maintain them while also striving to restore and improve other resources. Sustainability also requires that substances introduced into the environment from human activities are minimized and harmless.
An accurate definition of sustainability must also address how unsustainable the use of nonrenewable resources is. No continuous use of any nonrenewable resource is sustainable. After all, using critical resources unsustainably will ensure a society’s collapse unless replacement resources are found. Realistically though, in a finite world, the number of possible replacement resources is also finite.
Many people fail to realize that innovation and industry can only get us so far. True sustainability, therefore, requires more than slick advertising and surface-level appeals. Sustainability efforts must be credible and drive measurable results.
Something is sustainable if it:
- Doesn’t deplete natural, nonrenewable resources
- Doesn’t directly harm the environment (including production, distribution, and consumption!)
- Wasn’t made in a socially irresponsible way
We have to do better, but we also have to keep in mind that we only know what we know. We need to keep the true definition of sustainability in mind while continuing to learn more, communicate more, and find positive solutions to the problems we’ve created or now face.
How I define sustainability:
So, now that we’ve talked at length about what sustainability entails what can the takeaway be for the average person? I still view the term as something pivotal to being environmentally conscious. The concept is indispensable and should be the cornerstone for all long-range planning.
We, as inhabitants of this planet, must reframe the conversation to focus on social and economic well-being and environmental sustainability. We must critically assess the impacts of our choices and policies to determine the best choices we can make to ensure intergenerational equity.
Moreover, although being sustainable isn’t all about what we buy, it’s still a key part of the equation. We must think about the overarching effects we may have on the world around us. We must be informed consumers!
Our consumption habits must be evaluated when building a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle. Take the guesswork out of the equation and commit to learning more. We should be aware of product lifecycles and corporate ethics. So, get curious about where things come from, how materials are sourced, how long they last, and whether they’re reusable or recyclable.
Do your due diligence and hold companies accountable.
When shopping, always make sure to check the label. Often labels will convey how a product is made and what its environmental impact may be, you may also see marks of approval from organizations like the Leaping Bunny or the World Fair Trade Organization which are important indicators of the standards these products are being held to.
Furthermore, we must act in a meaningful manner according to the research we do and the information we find. Hold companies accountable and lend support to grassroots movements and community action to drive positive change. Choose to support ethical companies or focus on supporting local businesses. Overall, look at the bigger picture and try to do the best you can.
To be truly sustainable, a product needs:
- Responsible resource use
- Ethical manufacturing and supply
- Efficiency throughout the entire life cycle
- Reusability and/or minimal impact upon disposal (upcycling, recycling, or composting)
The most important piece of advice I could give you regarding sustainability in totality and consuming sustainably is to get acquainted with saying no. In our time of hyper-consumerism, it can be hard to not fall into the trap of the trend cycles or the never-ending cycle of kitschy gadgets. So, it’s extremely beneficial to first refuse things. Get comfortable with saying no to harmful products or trends!
Learn how to say no to things you don’t need. Ultimately, the point of determining if something is sustainable is balance. A balance between the requirements of stewardship and the desire for a better life must be sought. Sustainability embodies integration and understanding of the complexities between the environment, economy, and society. Let’s commit to learning more and doing better.