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What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is the capacity to maintain or continue a process throughout our lives on Earth without consuming all of the available resources such as air, water, soil, minerals, fuels, plants and animals. The goal of sustainability is to use resources in a way that is not harmful to the planet by recycling, reusing, and repurposing materials. This approach enables humans to live harmoniously with the planet by preserving, protecting, and sustaining all forms of life.


Image by Noah Buscher, Unplash


According to Greenpeace, sustainability is "a way of using resources that could continue forever. A sustainable activity is able to be sustained without running out of resources or causing harm. If something is unsustainable, it means it’s using up resources faster than they’re being replaced. Eventually, the resources will run out, and the activity won’t be able to carry on." – Greenpeace

To conserve Earth's resources and ensure a healthy planet, we urgently need to develop new methods of resource conservation. This requires society to come together and find new ways of sustainable living. If we continue wasting food and water, using single-use plastics, relying on fossil fuels, overpopulating our cities, and contaminating our natural resources, we are causing irreversible damage to our planet, ourselves, and future generations.

Sustainability involves the practice of environmental protection efforts within our society, raising awareness among individuals and organisations about how most human activities can impact nature and lead to irreversible consequences.

Finding ways to balance environmental, economic, and social sustainability can have a long-term positive impact on future generations. Focusing on environmental sustainability will help protect and preserve our natural resources and ecosystems. Small actions, such as reducing pollution and conserving water and energy at home, can make a significant difference. If we all take part in this effort together, we can positively impact the climate crisis.

On the other hand, social sustainability is a crucial aspect of the process. Ensuring people have access to basic needs, such as clean water, healthy food, education, and healthcare, will enhance community development and promote social equality, justice, and well-being.
One of the most important aspects of sustainability is ensuring that countries can achieve economic growth in a balanced and stable way, meaning that it won't cause harm to society or the environment.

Sustainability connects fundamental aspects of our society through the environment and the economy. It’s important to embrace it as a whole and not just focus on one part, as they are interconnected. 
We need to be aware that actions impacting the environment will affect our social life, and actions affecting the environment and social life will impact our economy. Integrating sustainable steps into your daily life, such as reducing single-use plastics, conserving resources, shopping consciously, supporting local economies, and promoting fair trade and ethical business practices, are some of the practices we should consider as long-term actions. These steps help to create a resilient and adaptable society capable of withstanding future challenges.


Thank you for reading!
Sustainable Reads Team
Follow us on Instagram: @SustainableReads


Location: London, UK

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