Have you ever wondered what sustainability means and why it is becoming such a hot topic?
We have just come to the end of 2021, a year greatly affected by the global pandemic, where our quality of life was jeopardized, political and environmental turmoil was constantly being broadcast, and mental health issues skyrocketed. What does sustainability have to do with any of this? Many of the world pillars we once thought were set on solid foundations have been shaken and started to crack. The reason? Because we live in an unsustainable manner.
Everything we do in our everyday lives impacts the planet, from the food we eat to the cars we drive. This doesn’t mean we ought only to eat vegetables and ride bicycles. Although, you could try eating less meat due to the pressures it puts on the planet as a whole, and at the same time, only drive when necessary. Small changes like these can reduce our environmental footprint and help us to live more sustainable lifestyles.
Okay, but how do we know if we’re advocating for a comprehensive version of sustainability? How can we ensure that the strategy we’re employing isn’t an open system, i.e. a system that constantly takes in items from another system and then releases them as waste? To fully understand this, we first need to grasp sustainability as a term, and what it means to our species’ survival.
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), published a report entitled Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, which defined sustainability as a: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Although this doesn’t tell us what we should actually do to be sustainable, it is a straightforward definition to comprehend and communicate.
In 1989, a more scientific explanation was recognized by an NGO called The Natural Step, which focuses its efforts on understanding universal laws and the characteristics of our social-ecological system. The Natural Step argues that the origins of unsustainability should be considered when structuring sustainable solutions to meet essential needs. This understanding is also linked with the way humans interact with each other and their ecosystems.
The Natural Step identifies four root causes that we need to be aware of in order to be sustainable:
We extract large amounts of materials from the lithosphere, i.e., the earth’s crust, including minerals, natural gas, oil, and heavy metals that are scarce in the biosphere, that cannot be replaced;
We create and accumulate chemical compounds and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere faster than natural processes can break them down;
We physically constrain nature’s capacity to run natural cycles, by over-harvesting trees and destroying natural ecosystems;
We create obstacles for people trying to meet their basic needs worldwide, like supporting businesses that exploit their workers. We could be indirectly helping a company while simultaneously contributing to the poor working conditions of its employees who are incapable of attaining their fundamental needs.
Having this overview of what sustainability comprises, it is clear that living an unsustainable lifestyle in any way, exponentially erodes and breaks down nature’s natural cycles.
What is Macau currently doing about sustainability? As per the Five Year Plan for Economic and Social Development 2021 – 2025, the government announced that it is focused on turning the city into a “low carbon emission centre”, abiding by China’s environmental goals to achieve carbon neutrality prior to 2060.
On a more personal level, what can we all do about it? The first step is to know where you stand and your actual carbon footprint. Try going to: www.footprintcalculator.org and start from there. Understand your baseline, measure it, and take action!
In case you would like to embrace a more sustainable regime and don’t know how, try following the following: (1) Save energy; (2) Eat less meat; (3) Use reusable solutions; (4) Go paperless; (5) Resort to renewable energy; (6) Recycle and upcycle; (7) Grow your own produce; (8) Save water; (9) Purchase fair trade goods; (10) Drive less, do some carpooling or take a bus; (11) Reduce your food waste; (12) Wear sustainable clothing; (13) Use eco-friendly cleaning products.
Sustainability begins with a footprint, so take the first step! Be brave and bold. Don’t get overwhelmed and take it one step at a time. Our creator gave us a conscience for the greater good of humanity. Let’s make good use of it.
