Yes, it’s the S-word that everybody’s been talking about for at least the past decade: sustainability. For something that has become so ubiquitous, not enough has been done to educate others about what it really entails. Many harbor misconceptions about the concept. Some think it requires a huge investment of time and money, or that it involves giving up certain creature comforts. Many hear the word and feel the sting of apathy, assuming that the actions of one person can’t counteract the impact that billions of us have made. More than all this, though, most people simply don’t know what sustainability is!
Let us be the first to bring this subject into focus for you. Sustainability is best summarized with one simple phrase: doing more with less. That’s it! And if even such a simple credo seems ambitious and vague, think of it this way. Sustainability is fulfilling all of your current needs while using fewer costly resources in the process.
Considering the frigid economic climate we find ourselves in, sustainability makes more and more sense each day. Many may disagree. Often, sustainability is seen as a monetary investment, and people who are tight on cash think they fear even a small “unnecessary“ investment, regardless of the fact that it may pay itself off in mere weeks. People have likened our situation to The Great Depression. But this is all the more reason to start! Go ask an older adult what the phrase “Use it up, wear it out, make it do” means and you’ll see. When times get tough, we as a nation have banded together to pool our knowledge and our resources in order to secure our collective future. The challenges we face now are no different from any other except in their intensity. It is for this reason that sustainability is now more important than ever. We must rise to the occasion; our efforts must outweigh the challenges we face if we are to survive.
But we aren’t asking you to sell your cars, install a wind turbine, or go vegan (though we certainly support those choices). Remember, sustainability is astonishingly simple. The only truly required change is that you keep the credo “do more with less” in your mind at all times. Everything around us is a resource, and every resource can be utilized in more than one way. It’s as easy as holding onto that plastic bottle for a little while longer until you find a recycling bin, or even taking it home and filling it up with water when you go biking! It’s as easy as clicking “Properties” on the print screen and selecting “Duplex”; that way, you’re using one piece of paper for twice as much work! It’s as easy as putting a brick in your toilet tank; every time you flush, you’ll save a liter of water that doesn’t need to be processed a second time, one that can be used for drinking, cooking, or growing crops.
If you’re like us and shudder at seeing a recyclable going into the garbage or a sprinkler running when it’s raining, we’d like to speak to you. We are Students for Sustainability! We’re looking for motivated and passionate people who believe, like us, that one person CAN make a difference, and that when we band together, we become far greater than the sum of our parts. We’re looking for ideas about how to change our campus and educate our students and our community. We’re looking for people who can share with us skills and knowledge that we don’t have. Basically, we’re looking for YOU! If you’re interested, email us, check us out online, and especially be sure to attend our meeting on October 8th!
