What Is Sustainability?
We live in a dry country, we all know this, and we have had it drilled into us when we were kids that we need to save water. The public perception of the role of sustainability and sustainable living is changing; it’s no longer just about saving water. The world is changing, more and more are governments moving away from fossil fuels and pouring more money into the development of ‘green technologies’.
That’s one side, and a significant one indeed; however, it can seem a little impersonal and out of reach of the average person. Sustainability transcends this, it exists across all levels of society, no matter where you are, who you are or how you live, it impacts your daily life. It's more important than ever that we know what we can do to help, to live sustainably and preserve our environment for future generations.
Courtesy Australian Museum, Public Domain, Photographer: Melissa Murray, Date: [year] (This image is in the Australian Museum collection, but copyright has expired. This licence allows sharing, remixing and use for commercial purposes)
Therefore, let’s have a look at exactly what sustainability is and what sustainable living is all about. If you have a look at the M2U page, you will be able to see what we here at the Australian Museum are doing. You can also have a look at how one of our bloggers reports on living sustainably by going to our Cut the Carbon blog.
To be sustainable you don’t have to rush out and buy the latest solar cell technology to power your house, you can start very small scale. Grow a pot of herbs in the kitchen, you’ll save a few extra dollars and you will also have taken your first step towards living sustainably. If you have the space, set up a simple veggie garden or even easier why not leave the car at home and get the bus or train to work? Even the smallest contribution helps, and if we can all pitch in and do our bit the total effect will be much greater in the long run.
It’s up to us to make positive changes to reduce our impact on the environment and one of the changes that we can make is to live sustainably. Without wanting to sound over dramatic it really is all about “Preserving the earth for future generations to come.” For tips on what we can all do to live more sustainably why not visit the NSW government’s site.
The question here is what does sustainability mean to you? Also, how can we best educate people about living sustainably and its benefits?
Let us know!
