What Does Environmental Sustainability Mean?

The environment is at risk, and its preservation has become a huge hot button topic. From political arguments to natural disasters, you can't go a day without seeing something related to the environment in the news.

One of the keywords in the fight to save our planet is environmental sustainability. It's a word with a lot of meaning and practices, but the core values are something that everyone can utilize to help, from big corporations to individuals.

If you want to learn about the basics of environmental sustainability, and why sustainability is important, you're in the right place. Read on and learn how you can help save the planet. 

What is Environmental Sustainability?

Sustainability

There are differing definitions of environmental sustainability, as the words are more than just a concrete definition.

The definition of environmental sustainability according to the UN World Commission on Environment and Development is that "Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This is widely accepted as the basic definition, however, environmentalists argue that it's not specific enough.

The basic definition of the word sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. When applied to the environment, this means that we should not be harvesting more than we're regenerating. It means that the amount of waste we generate shouldn't exceed how much waste we can dispose of. And it means that for all the nonrenewable resources we're using, we need to develop more renewable resources.

What Does This Mean For You?

There are a lot of ways that we can move towards environmental sustainability. Many of them are out of our hands, and involve government policy and big companies doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint. However, there are plenty of ways individuals and small businesses can help. 

Conserve electricity by using energy-saving bulbs, turning off your electronics when not in use, and using energy-saving power strips.

Reduce your carbon footprint by driving less, or getting an electric vehicle. You should also utilize public transit, carpool, or bike or walk to where you need to go whenever possible.

Reduce waste in your everyday life. Use biodegradable trash bags. Drink out of reusable water bottles and bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop. Bring reusable shopping bags to the store. Try to avoid single-use plastic as much as possible, and go paper-free with your documents as often as you can.

Start Your Path Towards Sustainability Today!

Now that you're educated on the basics of environmental sustainability and what you can do to help save our planet, it's time to start putting that knowledge to practice!

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