Apr
What is it? What does true sustainability look like, and how does it work?
The definition of sustainable is:
- Capable of being sustained
- a. of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. b. of, or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.
The first definition doesn’t really help us much. Many things are capable of being sustained from the notes on your piano to your sourdough starter. It does seem to rule out genetically modified foods and mules… Well, the GMOs anyway.
The next definition (2 a.) is much more conclusive for our use. It seems rather geared towards agriculture, which certainly has a huge part in sustainability, but that’s not necessarily everybody’s forte. What resources are they talking about here? Well, obviously not fossil fuels. They aren’t very sustainable in the most liberal sense of the word, and you can’t really use them without depleting them. Wood perhaps, and water, and soil maybe. Could it not also include people though? Everything needs to be worked by people with enough energy to do their job (perhaps yourself, or your family), and if they are pushed too hard, too long, or too often then your efficiency is going to drop dramatically, and your “resource” will be depleted. Just a thought there.
The final definition (2 b.) also has some interesting aspects to it. An entirely sustainable lifestyle? Sounds a little Amish to me. In many respects their societies seem ideal: disconnected from the grid, growing enough food to sustain not only themselves but also to sell for profit, many even use horses or mules in lieu of tractors or trucks. They also have large families that work and learn together. In many ways they are generational thinkers. They pass on the family trade from father to son, mother to daughter. This used to be standard for everyone, not just the Amish/Mennonite communities, but that is not something to go into right now.
The last thought I want to leave here with is this: Is it possible to be utterly and completely sustainable outside a community? Can one man or woman or family go out into the wilds and create a sustainable lifestyle for themselves without others around them? Is that true sustainability?
Alright, I’m done now. 