Recycling: Enough Already?
Does it make more sense to recycle our trash or to just, well, trash it? The popularity of recycling waste is undeniable. Recycling waste is a topic many now agree on. And yet, its critics abound.
Sustainability means meeting the needs of our present generation while ensuring future generations have the means to meet their needs. The three branches of sustainability are examined: environment, society, and economy.
Does it make more sense to recycle our trash or to just, well, trash it? The popularity of recycling waste is undeniable. Recycling waste is a topic many now agree on. And yet, its critics abound.
People have needed effective solutions to deal with trash since the beginning of human civilization. Native Americans kept dedicated sites for their trash, too. These mounds of refuse provide a glimpse of prehistoric life. What can we do with all our trash today?
By now, sustainability as a concept has worked its way into everyday life. But knowing the definition will not by itself bring sustainability into your life. What does sustainability mean to you, and how can you incorporate it into your everyday life?
We hear from most news channels about the degraded state of our planet. It’s bound to produce anxiety for many. And yet, there are things you can do to reduce that anxiety. Taking small actions to save our planet is a worthwhile way to relieve climate anxiety.
The United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2020. After the carnage that was World War II, 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to agree to the “United Nations Declaration” that no such war would again occur.
By now, most people are quite aware of climate change and at least some of the problems it’s causing. So what is being done to counter it? The UN has an answer, or 17 of them, called the Sustainability Development Goals.
Ever since the induction of the Industrial Revolution, the developed world has run on the concept of a linear economy. Based on the “take-make-waste,” model of production, a linear economy has been the preferred method of commerce since the mid-nineteenth century. A circular economy, on the other hand …
Prudence tells us we all will be better off when sustainable lifestyles are adopted by all. Minimalism, the disciplined pursuit of a lifestyle that emphasizes owning only those items that add meaning or answer a genuine need, can work hand-in-glove with the pursuit of sustainability.
There isn’t a better time to achieve economic sustainability than now. But what is it, and why is it important? We must work to meet our needs while ensuring that our descendants have the means to meet their needs.
The United States emits greenhouse gases at a rate greater than any nation on Earth except China. Although much smaller in population — the US has just over 332 million to China’s nearly 1.4 billion — the US emits greenhouse gases at a rate roughly half of that of China.