Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
– Dr Edward O. Wilson
In 1969, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) introduced the idea of sustainable development because air quality, water quality, and other environmental problems were a concern for congress at the time. With this in mind, NEPA addressed the fears and defined sustainable development as such: “to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfil the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans”.
SUSTAINABILITY DAY
Sustainability day is celebrated on the fourth Wednesday of October each year. On this day, people get together and think about how to be more sustainable and make sustainable plans and goals for the future, and what problems we need to address for a better future.
WHY IS THERE A SUSTAINABILITY DAY?
In the current day, sustainability is not a blue moon anymore. It started as a trend but it has proved to everyone that it is here to stay. As it is a moment to remind us of the importance of our planet and our kind deeds to protect it for future generations. This day focuses not on the adaptation of sustainable principles but to incorporate the ideologies in our daily lives in every phase. As, Sustainable translated to “to be maintained for a very long time” which is exactly our goal, to be able to take care of the planet forever.
HISTORY OF THE DAY “Sustainability Day was created to teach people about the importance of caring for the environment and the steps on how to do so” It is hard to say who exactly came up with Sustainability Day, however, many universities all over the world celebrated Sustainability Day. Hence, it seems to be connected to Campus Sustainability Day (CSD), which was started in 2014. Each October, colleges and universities are encouraged to create events on campus and elsewhere that draw participants for the exchange of ideas and knowledge among faculty, staff, and students, from across all departments and disciplines, and even from across the campus ‘edge’ between town and gown. CSD is devoted to the achievements of, and challenges for, the tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff working to instill sustainability principles in higher education institutions and their surrounding communities. CSD is held annually on the 4th Wednesday of October, with celebrations occurring all week, and throughout the entire month of October. While each university celebrates differently, there is a common theme of reflecting and planning around the topic of sustainability. “How to be more sustainable and what actions we can take to make the world a better place, a more sustainable place.”
Benefits of sustainability for human beings and nature:
Sustainability is vital for maintaining the health and biocapacity of the environment. It supports the well-being of not only individuals and communities but also our environment. There are diverse benefits of sustainability.
FOR HUMAN BEINGS:
● Sustainability promotes healthier living. It wards off illness.
● Sustainability is crucial for food security. It is critical because of its sustainable agricultural methods.
● Sustainability helps to reduce poverty.
● Sustainability ensures economic development and thus improves the quality of life of people.
● Sustainability is the path to a clean energy future.
● Sustainability promotes peace by building strong and healthy communities.
FOR NATURE :
● Sustainability and its practices conserve our natural resources.
● Sustainability prevents loss of biodiversity.
● Sustainability is the solution to climate change.
Therefore, Sustainability is the key to preserving our nature and meeting our global challenges like climate change, poverty, and inequality. So Society as a whole benefits from sustainability.
Various ways to follow the path of sustainability:
Our everyday choices in our lives can affect our environment, the climate and other species. The path of sustainability is not very difficult to follow. Our little and small steps can have a great impact and lead to sustainability. Various ways to practice it can be:
● Go Plastic-free.
● Boycott products that endanger wildlife.
● Compost the food waste.
● Do it or make it yourself. (DIY)
● Buy local.
● Thrifting.
● Know how to recycle properly.
● Share transportation.
The path of sustainability is easy yet we need our collective support to make it a reality. We ought to promise ourselves to involve such small steps in our daily lives and become a follower of the path of sustainability.
Path to the sustainable Earth ~
In the wake of the current Covid-pandemic situation around the world, environmentalists and environmental activits have raised their voices enough in the past few months. They have raised an alarm to rethink and evaluate the ways we have been exploring nature, extreme weather events; the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation, major natural disasters; major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; and human-induced environmental damage and disaster have been big concerns to intellectuals and scientists alike.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The sustainable development goals are to transform our world. They are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy justice and prosperity. It is critical that no one is left behind.
All Sustainable Goals :
No Poverty
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Gender equality
Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Reduced inequality
Industry innovation and infrastructure
Sustainable cities and communities
Responsible consumption and production
Climate action
Life below water
Life on land
Peace, justice and institutions
Partnership for the goals
Sustainability: challenges & solutions
Sustainability challenges are defined by United Nation (UN) sustainable solutions along with nature preservation is the only choice we are left with. We find a new way forward, a collective path that leads us to a shared safe future, in harmony with nature.
Even when we include "life cycle" emissions of clean energy ( i.e., the emission from each stage of a technology's life – ( manufacturing, installation, operations ) the global warming emissions associated with renewable energy are minimal.
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