How sustainable is my lifestyle?
“Sustainable” is a broad term, as many people have different opinions of the word. When I see the word I immediately think of the many problems we face today, such as climate change, global warming and running out of fossil fuels.
Due to these problems, the government and even individuals like me and you are beginning to change our lifestyles to help, “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland commissions definition)
I have now begun to think differently of the energy I use, and since coming to university and seeing how my flat mates are, I believe I’m beginning to become more sustainable.
When I go food shopping I always remember to take my bags for life, as they are much bigger and sturdier than the plastic shopping bags. This has become a big influence from big supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, by advertising the bags for life and now even more recently, charging for plastic bags to discourage them even more to shoppers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A28808490
I found an article that shows the pros and cons of plastic bags have on the environment and also how a town in Devon has become completely plastic bag free. If everyone used bags for life, this would decrease the energy that is used to make them in the first place, also will decrease the space in landfill sites and the bags wouldn’t harm the environment.
Most of the time I use public transport to get around the town and even when I was at home, I used to rely on public transport.
This web link shows how Curitiba in Brazil changed the whole city design, in order to have a more efficient and cheaper way of public transport. This has now led to 25% less congestion and 30% lower fuel consumption. This shows that if the proper public transport is put in place, more people will use it, therefore reducing the amount of fossil fuels that is extracted, therefore keeping it for the future.
Also being at university I now have the facilities to recycle plastics and cardboards, as at home I didn’t have the facilities to recycle, but my Nan does recycle, so when I used to go round for tea, she always made sure I put plastics and cardboards on the side for her to recycle!
When at home and at university, I always made sure that when leaving a room I turn off the lights and turn appliances of at the walls. Otherwise electricity is wasted on something that isn’t being used. My flat mates aren’t very good at this, as when they leave the kitchen, they hardly turn off the light when they are the last ones out! And even at home, I always made sure my television wasn’t left on standby.
These little and simple things that I do reduces my carbon foot print; therefore I don’t waste and use as much energy. This then reduces the amount of greenhouse gases that is released into the atmosphere, therefore decreases global warming.
So how sustainable is my lifestyle? I think, from an individual level its good, however sometimes it’s very low, but it will be hard to change everyone’s morals and perceptions of sustainability, as that means everyone will have to change their lifestyles.
