Definition Of Sustainability

At the start of this course, I thought sustainability was about balancing the priorities of today, and the needs of tomorrow. While I would still include that in my definition, it has been expanded and developed. For me, sustainability is now a way of being the world that balances the well being of humans and the planet. The equilibrium between humans, and the environment is a delicate one. While the earth is our home, we’ve never known what we’ve been doing because we’ve never known what we’ve been undoing (Steven Mannell, personal communication, SUST1000 Cluster 1, 2015). Humans do not always consider the consequences of our actions, or stop to think about how devastating they can be for the planet; it is as though we sometimes …show more content…
That is the sort of the balance that society needs to be working towards as being the new normal, instead of as an anomaly. Instead of embracing the status quo, sustainability means constantly looking for better ways to do things, and takes into account not just our wants but the needs of those around us. Small individual efforts can make a difference, by contributing not to the problem, but to the solution (Joel Greenberg, personal communication, SUST1000 Evening Lecture Series, November 5, 2015). Fundamentally, sustainability is about humans working towards making it a consequence of how we live and work. Society needs to recognize that every one of us has a responsibility to drive to make change in the world (Jeff Schnurr, personal communication, SUST1000 Evening Lecture Series, November 26, 2015). No part of the earth goes unaffected given how many people live their lives. In my third lecture reflection, I discussed how the world is in danger because of our indifference. Humans need to learn to not only appreciate the earth, but to respect it. People need to recognize the consequences of the economic, social, and environmental choices that society makes. By balancing our needs, and those of the planet, we can achieve a way of being, in relation to the earth that can make for a better world (Steven Mannell, personal communication, SUST1000 Cluster 4, 2015). Sustainability is not just about meeting “the needs of the present and not compromising the ability of future generations”, it is about working towards that becoming second nature to us (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). This earth is all we have ever had, and all we will ever have, which is the best case to be had for doing everything in our power to work towards achieving