What is Sustainable Living?

The buzzwords of “sustainable living” seem to have created an aura of hype around them, without giving away a whole lot about what they mean. Perhaps the reason for this is that they can mean different things to different people – there are varying degrees of sustainability.

Simply put, sustainable living means leaving as little of an impact on the Earth as possible. This can be achieved by reducing your carbon footprint, using renewable energy and eating only organically grown food. Of course, living 100% sustainable is incredibly difficult (and in many cases, impossible), and as such, people may choose different levels of sustainability to suit themselves.

Here are some of the main spheres which sustainable living affects.

Housing

A sustainable house should ideally be constructed from renewable materials, which cause little or no pollution in their construction. Therefore, the cement which forms the foundation of the majority of our homes in the UK immediately goes out of the window, since this is responsible for massive amounts of carbon dioxide in its production process. Reclaimed stone or brick and adobe are preferable options, while wooden housing is acceptable – as long as reforestation is encouraged through the planting of more trees to replace those culled.

Energy

Sustainable homes should use a minimum of energy and ideally, it should all come from a clean, renewable source such as solar, wind, wave or geothermal power. Fossil fuels, the crux upon which we currently rely for the majority of our energy needs, is a definite no-no, since it is finite and incredibly damaging to the environment. Luckily, the falling prices and growing popularity (as seen at this year's PittCon conference in New Orleans) of solar panels make them an increasingly attractive alternative.

Transportation

Although petrol and diesel cars are being brought into line with emissions standards by rulings such as the EU’s ‘Euro 6’, they are still far from environmentally-friendly. Cycling or walking are the most preferable methods of transport (which also encourage a fitter, healthier lifestyle, too). Buses are acceptable for longer journeys – trains and planes should be avoided as much as possible.

Diet

Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are most suited to sustainable living, since they do not involve the mistreatment of animals, the consumption of vast amounts of resources (feed and land) to raise them or the necessary pollutant emissions that livestock in particular entail. Furthermore, organic measures should be taken to ensure that the use of harmful pesticides are kept to a minimum and our soil does not become further polluted. Neonicotinoids in particular have been demonstrated to have devastating consequences for bees and invertebrate populations.  

Degrees of Sustainability

As mentioned above, those wishing to pursue a sustainable lifestyle may find it harder in some circumstances than others. For example, city-dwellers may find that the housing conundrum too difficult to navigate (good luck living in an adobe hut in London!). However, if everyone makes an effort to live their lives as sustainably as possible, we can preserve the paradisiacal state of the Earth for our children and for generations to come.