Our world is changing as we’re becoming a more technological society. The change, which used to be slow, is accelerating beyond anything we could have anticipated. As a result, we’re causing a lot of harm to the environment.
Sustainable living appeared as a means of countering the ongoing environmental issue on a personal level. Today we’ll try to explain some of the core concepts behind sustainable living, so stick around!
What Exactly is Sustainable Living?
Sustainable living is all about reducing your carbon footprint in this world. For some, that means avoiding using specific types of products. For others, sustainable living is more about finding versions of said products that aren’t damaging the environment.
The truth of the matter is that sustainable living isn’t something you dabble in during your free time. The concept of sustainable living isn’t compatible with short efforts. For most, it’s a way of life that is applied to all areas of one’s existence.
The Scope of Sustainable Living - Where to Start?
It is a common misconception that you have to drop all of your modern devices and tune out from modern society if you want to support the idea of sustained living. That’s not true at all.
The idea behind sustained living doesn’t have a strict definition of minimums or maximums of effort you need to put in. Whole People has a great few great pieces on this subject, check them out. As it turns out, it doesn’t take much to implement the idea of sustained living into your daily life.
Are you commuting to work down a known public transport route? Park your car and use that line to work. That alone makes a part of your daily schedule sustainable. Are you using plastic bags every time you go to the store? Try packing your groceries in sustainable, organic bags instead. You get the point.
Sure, there are those who dedicate their entire lives to sustainable living by subjecting their entire existence to this idea. However, no one is asking you to do that. In fact, that sort of lifestyle is not feasible in the long run for most people.
How Much of an Impact Can You Really Make?
One of the main questions people have about this lifestyle is “how much of a difference can I really make?” It’s hard to find an answer to this question, but only because the question itself is wrong.
Being sustainable isn’t a race. There are no thresholds. Any effort you put in will be a net positive for the movement and more importantly for the environment we live in. Can you imagine just how much toxic exhaust gas we could prevent from reaching our lungs if a single city block switched to using public transportation instead of cars? Each little individual thing you do helps and is worth it.
Sustainable Living is Frugal
One of the cool things about sustainable living is the fact that you’ll be saving money. Reusing things, recycling materials, and generally looking for products that have been made with renewable resources will leave your piggy bank heavier on average.
Additionally, you’ll also find that you’re spending less on average. Being sustainable forces you to think about your decisions and choices much more than you usually would. In a way, it’s a type of frugal filter that you can insert into your way of thinking.
Spread the Word, but Be Respectful
Many new members of the sustainable living movement are often overwhelmed with the idea to a point where they want to share it with the world. Spreading the message of recycling, carbon footprint control and reusable resources is a great way to attract more people to this idea. However, you should approach this with respect to others lifestyles.
You will run into resistance. There will be people with both founded and unfounded criticism of this way of life. It's no secret that sustainable living isn’t for everyone.
Start Small and Work Your Way Up
Just like with any other new thing you try in life, pace yourself. Start small and see how your new interest works with your lifestyle. Do something simple like using organic packaging or ditching plastic straws for your drinks. If you feel comfortable doing that, up the ante bit by bit. Sustained living can be quite invasive if you try to do too much too soon.
While some people are fine with that, most aren’t. More often than not, you need to acclimate to this type of lifestyle and that takes time. Take it slow and go as far as you feel comfortable going.
