These days, it’s more important to raise sustainability awareness than ever before.
A couple of decades ago, climate change was nothing more than an interesting topic for the far-flung future; today, it’s an urgent global matter – and Australia is no exception! While the degree to which we utilise renewable energy sources is steadily growing, the efforts in that department definitely need to increase. Which is precisely what we’re about to address right here, by providing a general overview of striving towards increased awareness.
Raising Sustainability Awareness
Luckily for Planet Earth, people are more aware of the urgency related to sustainability than they’ve been for the past 100 years. However, a large percentage of the general public doesn’t really consider this a pressing matter. And the issue of slow awareness growth isn’t just a local Australian question; far from it. People who follow global news are probably aware that the issue of sustainable energy is central to the public discourse in the United States as well. According to companies like Miami Movers For Less, more citizens are moving to Florida every day. But many of them are completely unaware that this state could be severely devastated by rising sea levels, according to current climate change models for the next half-century.
With that in mind, everyone needs to do what they can to raise sustainability awareness in their own communities. This is an issue that should be addressed from the grass-roots level, not top-to-bottom. However, that’s where a problem arises. Even those who want to aid Mother Nature in overcoming adverse human effects aren’t always sure of how they should go about doing it. Plus, many people have the wrong impression that going green and trying to be more sustainable on a local level is incredibly expensive; making the average lifestyle impossible. But while this does require changing your day-to-day habits, and making some investments; it’s still incredibly important.
Saving Trees
While there are many benefits to renewable energy sources for ordinary households, not all people are ready to make such a drastic change in their lives. Plus, the Australian solar power market for domestic use is still in its infancy. That’s why you could raise sustainability awareness in your community by suggesting people make some easier changes. For example, helping cut down on, well – the cutting down of trees. And there’s only one real way of doing this – not using as much paper.
Luckily, this is something that’s easier to do today than it has ever been; with the advent of the Internet, tablet and mobile devices, and digital content. There’s basically no magazine or publication of any kind that you can’t find online. So, exchange your paper subscription for a digital one. Sure, you’ll feel different not holding actual papers in your hand; but this is something everyone gets used to quite fast. When you recommend this move to other people, make sure you mention just how important such a small compromise is to the global ecosystem
Second-Hand Clothing
The fast-paced lifestyle of the 21st century means that everything changes pretty quickly – including fads. That’s why people find themselves throwing out last season’s clothes and buying new ones without a second thought. Plus, you can definitely notice that the synthetic fabrics of today aren’t as durable as organic materials; they break apart, their colors fade, and they rip apart quite easily.
So, why not go for organic clothing? With such a cool retro look, you won’t find yourself burning through an entire wardrobe’s worth of clothes in a single season. And perhaps even more importantly, burning through the entirety of your wallet. When you convince other people to go green even in their fashion – make sure to explain just how much money they’ll save this way. If you want to raise sustainability awareness in your community, it’s not always about appealing to people’s love for the environment. You should also make it clear to people that going green can be pragmatic and good for them on a practical level as well. If you declutter and recycle everything you don’t need, for example; you’ll find yourself living in a much more minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing environment. Indeed, caring about nature has all kinds of practical benefits for people as well.
Corporate Influencing
So far, we’ve talked about what you can do to raise sustainability awareness in your surroundings – but only in a personal capacity. And sure, talking to your friends and family about this, and showing them the importance of contemporary environmental issues is great. But on the other hand, depending on where you work – you might even be able to make a change in your corporate environment as well. For example, someone in a managerial position could do lots of things to steer the company culture towards sustainability awareness.
For starters, if your company already has a corporate policy about sustainability, make sure all of the employees know about it. Print some posters that shortly describe the sustainability goals and priorities of the firm. Also, talk to your CEO about mentioning green initiatives in their speech at an important meeting – like an annual gathering of the senior staff. You can also work to make regular sustainability reports, and distribute them as memos to the rest of the staff. That way, while everyone may not work towards sustainability all the time – at least they’ll keep it in mind. And if you can, consider pushing for energy-efficient changes around the office. There are financial advantages to having a self-sustaining home or office!
This article was kindly written and contributed by Sally Norton.
