What Is Sustainable Living

Sustainability is a concept derived out of the desire of humanity to survive and continue a reasonably civilised existence on planet Earth for a very long time. Sustaining human existence requires sustenance of many functions including economic, social and ecological environment with supportive political systems.

With our continued obsession with achieving economic growth and the exponential rate of increase in consumption of natural resources, we would need three planets by 2050. In this era when satisfaction with life is measured in terms of wealth and opulence; where people habituated with comforts of life are reluctant to alter their lifestyle, and an ever increasing aspiration to acquire more wealth way beyond what is required to live a decent life, the chase for the superfluous is becoming crazier and leading to an ever widening divide between the poorest and those who represent 1% of the population but control 50% of global wealth.

Impact of Consumption Behaviour

The prevalent consumption behaviour is not only leading to rising inequality and social polarisation but also contributing to severe environmental impact. The ever increasing emission of greenhouse gases induce extreme weather and climate events. The poor are most vulnerable to these changes. Our future generation also will not remain unscathed by the effects of this insensible consumption of our earth’s resources.

The rapidly growing human population is waging a war against nature, depleting the planet of its resources, destroying the biodiversity and undermining the ecological health of the very system that nurtures it. This self-defeating war has entered a decisive phase and unless there is a concerted effort to alter the course of this war, we are only hastening the doomsday. If we really care about others and do not want to sacrifice the well being of our future generations, we must act in ways that facilitate social justice and promote sustainable use of resources so that we do not leave a polluted and impoverished planet to those who come after us. We have the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

A Wider Viewpoint

Most debates around sustainability revolve around environmental impact of our lifestyles; how we are polluting our planet and depleting its natural resources; and climatic changes which are making lives more miserable than ever before. These, though significant, represent just one dimension of the sustainability issue.

The critical elements of sustainability are eternal joy, unabating optimism and a fulfilling life. As opposed to short-lived happiness stimulated by external events, sustained joyful living is driven by an attitude of blissfulness, enriched with intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual wellness.

Sustainable living is a way of life in which the exploitation of resources, the means of social change towards better living conditions and realisation of a purposeful life are consistent with the present needs, enables availability of resources for future needs and supports continued existence of a conducive socio-political environment that nurtures harmonious coexistence of diverse social groups.

Assume you are living a life in which all your basic needs are met. You have an interesting job that gives you immense satisfaction, a sense of fulfilment and purpose in life, a close network of family and friends that forms your most precious possession. If someone were to offer you a million dollars, you will turn it away because you already have all that you want. You are living a life of abundance where money is insignificant. You are enjoying a quality life full of joy and happiness. This has resulted from a way of thinking that places highest importance to your real wants rather than the superfluous, make-believe, consumption oriented view. Advancements in science and technology have definitely enhanced human capability to facilitate a better human existence. But a lopsided use of applied science which has created incredible comfort and convenience for people, has turned a blind eye to its negative consequences.