Sustainable living
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Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet.[1] Proponents of sustainable and ecological living aim to conduct their lives in manners that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles.[2] The practice and general philosophy of ecological living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of sustainable development. By minimizing their "ecological footprints"—the extent to which they create an environmental impact—proponents of ecological living hope to preserve the Earth for future generations of human beings and other life.
Lester R. Brown, a prominent environmentalist and founder of the Worldwatch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, describes sustainable living in the 21st century as "shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system."[3]
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[edit] Overview
Sustainable living branches from the concepts of sustainability and self-sufficiency. Sustainability, in recent years, has been expressed as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."[4] Similarly, self-sufficiency is the principle in which individuals or societies consume only that which they have produced.[5] It is generally a stricter ideology and practice than that of sustainable living.
Sustainable urban infrastructure is a form of sustainable design, which adheres to the principles of sustainable living. Its main principles are to achieve technological and governmental policies that enable urban planning for sustainable architecture and agriculture.[6]
There a many movements that may appear similar to sustainable living, which oppose further mechanization of society vis-à-vis technological achievements.[1] Sustainable living, however, adheres to the belief that technological progress can be effectively achieved through appropriate technology.[7]
[edit] History
- 1854 Henry David Thoreau published Walden, which is the earliest piece of literature to specifically address the issue of sustainable living.[8]
- 1954 The publication of Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing marked the beginning of the modern day sustainable living movement. The publication paved the way for the "back-to-the-land movement" in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[9][10]
- 1962 The publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson marked another major milestone for the sustainability movement.[11]
- 1972 Donella Meadows wrote the international bestseller The Limits to Growth, which reported on a study of long-term global trends in population, economics and the environment. It sold millions of copies and was translated into 28 languages.[12]
- 1973 E. F. Schumacher published a collection of essays on shifting towards sustainable living through the appropriate use of technology in his book Small is Beautiful.[13]
- 1992–2002 The United Nations held a series of conferences, which focused on increasing sustainability within societies in order to conserve the Earth's natural resources. The Earth Summit conferences were held in 1992, 1997 and 2002.[14]
- 2007 the United Nations published Sustainable Consumption and Production, Promoting Climate-Friendly Household Consumption Patterns, which promoted sustainable lifestyles in communities and homes.[15]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Winter, Mick (2007). Sustainable Living: For Home, Neighborhood and Community. Westsong Publishing. ISBN 0-9659-0005-3.
- ^ The Center for Ecological Living and Learning (CELL) - philosophy from (CELL)
- ^ An interview with Lester Brown by Greg Ross [1] American Scientist.
- ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [2] What is sustainability? 2007-08-20.
- ^ Rose, J. (1990). Environmental Concepts, Policies, and Strategies. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 2-8812-4737-7.
- ^ Wheeler, Stephen Maxwell; Timothy Beatley (2004). The Sustainable Urban Development Reader. Routledge. ISBN 0-4153-1187-X.
- ^ Fritsch, Al; Paul Gallimore (2007). Healing Appalachia: Sustainable Living Through Appropriate Technology. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 2. ISBN 0-8131-2431-X.
- ^ The Walden Woods Projects Thoreau Institute The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods 2007.
- ^ Nearing, Scott; Helen Nearing (1953). Living the Good Life.
- ^ Scott Nearing by Ryan Eroh [3]
- ^ Rachel Carson's Biography by Linda Lear [4]
- ^ SI: Donella Meadows Bio Sustainability Institute 2004.
- ^ E.F. Schumacher Bibliography Schumacher UK.
- ^ National Sustainable Development Strategies United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs April 2008.
- ^ Sustainable Consumption and Production: Promoting Climate-Friendly Household Consumption Patterns United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2007-04-30.
[edit] External links
- Ecovian Provides ideas and green resources for sustainable living in your city
- Metro: Sustainable Living
- The Center for Sustainable Living
- Solar Living Institute
- Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association
- Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on ecological living, with an emphasis on green buildings.
- The Center for Ecological Living and Learning (CELL) A non-profit educational organization promoting "sustainability through community"
- "The Ecological Living Group" by Lee Altenberg
- Countryside Magazine - The magazine of modern homesteading
- Backwoods Home Magazine - Practical ideas for self-reliant living
- The Green Age - Article database for sustainable living
