It's 2016. Our population has spiraled into a constant debate about the prosperity of our planet. About the oceans, the climate, the wildlife and the atmosphere. Down to the clean air we need to breath and the fresh water we need to drink — we have officially used up all but a small portion of usable fossil fuels.
Of this small portion, 80 percent is unusable, without causing a vastly devastating change to our earth's climate and the well being of all who inhabit it. With this being said, I guarantee we have all seen it. The signs plastered around stating "Recycle" and "Save the Planet." The constant promotion for saving the animals in the oceans from pollution and keeping our cities clean by choosing to ride a bike rather than drive a car. And guilty as charged, I too have followed this seemingly endless campaign for a better world and a more sustainable lifestyle.
But recently, I was asked a question by a fellow student. A question I have ironically never been asked. I have been an environment and sustainability major for about a year. But as the words, "What is sustainability?" rolled off his tongue, I drew an absolute blank. Granted, I'm sure I had been asked this question on an application for the program or somewhere along the way of acquiring my declared major, but I had never truly thought about what sustainability really meant.
I sat in the garden I had been working in all summer and pondered his question. I observed my surroundings, hoping the busheling potatoes would bless me with an answer. And the simplest way I could amass my swirling thoughts was this. Sustainability, in all its seemingly complicated glory, was to give back to the earth just as much as you take. I told him this, and with a shrug, he accepted my answer.
I spent my summer working at our local farmers market. While selling a variety of fresh produce at our booth, the question, "Is this organic?" seemed to pop up all too frequently among our customers. To me, this is not all that surprising, given that an organic lifestyle has become an arbitrary fad. And truthfully, with all good intentions considered, our focus is in the wrong place.
Do we all even truly know what "organic" entails? Yes, typically what comes to mind is food that has been grown without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Non-GMO, locally grown and thoroughly raised with love. Now I could go off on a rant about the massive scale of pesticide use, how many crops are actually GMOs and how thin the line truly is to obtain a "certified organic" label. But that is not the idea I want to portray through this piece.
Think back to a moment in your life that you wish you could hold onto forever. A moment you wish you could sustain and cherish at your heart's desire. Did you ever wish to change this moment? Chances are the answer is no, because any alteration, intrusion or disturbance would disrupt the serene entirety of that moment. Now I will ask you the question again. What is sustainability?
We spend so much time articulating upon an organic diet and consuming organically-made products. Well, I hate to break it to you all, but this, my friends, is still in fact consumerism. And Isn't this the exact concept we are all trying to avoid with this luxurious, all-natural lifestyle?
Ultimately, sustainability is something that can only be achieved with the simple act of appreciation for our earth. Lifestyles around the world are so vastly diverse, and this only proves that sustainability, in and of itself, is a virtue to live by. So my fellow tree huggers, self-proclaimed organic gurus and anyone else who will listen, I leave you with a quote from Lady Bird Johnson, and a fine one at that.
“The environment, after all, is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.”
