CC0 Public Domain
We all have an idea of what
sustainability is. Generally,
sustainability refers to the use of any resource in such a way that the
resource will remain available in perpetuity.
While this concept is easy enough to grasp, there are subtleties of
interpretation that can create divisions to our sustainable goals. Are our energy sources sustainable? Are our food sources sustainable? Is a business sustainable? Is a lifestyle sustainable? Sustainability can be analyzed on a small
scale where we examine our personal choices, and how those choices may affect
our future. It can also be applied
community wide as we create businesses and organizations that work together;
creating a better (or worse) place for our children. And larger still, issues of sustainability
can operate on a world-wide scale over generations. When framed from this perspective, we see
that sustainability needs to apply to the world as a whole, the community, as
well as the individual. Without hitting all
aspects of sustainability, we won’t be having the greatest impact.
A great example of sustainable
programs that hit all three aspects of sustainable reach comes from GreenEmpowerment, a non-profit from Portland, Oregon. Green Empowerment works with communities
around the globe to create solutions that not only benefit individuals by
solving every day problems, but also reduce humanity’s carbon footprint by being
green powered. For example, in 2015
Green Empowerment worked to install over 20 water systems in the Philippines. Included in these water systems are 20 ram
pumps which require zero electricity to operate. These systems achieve all three factors of
sustainability by freeing up the time of individuals who would have otherwise
been hauling water, providing reliable and safe drinking water to a community,
and not contributing to global emissions through the use of pumps that use
fossil fuels.
CC0 Public Domain
It is
important that we look for ways that our lives can be sustainable, this means
freeing up time and being efficient with our pursuits. It is also important that our communities are
looking to solve problems that will ensure our way of life can continue. But some of the most difficult choices can
come when we must think about the sustainability of our world. Sometimes this means making choices that don’t
bring us the most immediate benefit. Green
Empowerment is helping communities and their members make choices that not only
benefit in the short term, but the long term as well.
