There’s a lot more written about simple living than about sustainable living, so I was glad to get this guest article on the latter. Of course, they overlap. — Zana

What is Sustainable Living and How Do We Achieve it?

By Paul J Martin

The answer would probably depend on the one who is speaking as there are numerous schools of thought as to the meaning of what is sustainable living. In a broad sense, sustainable living would mean embracing the principle of sustainability which is loosely defined as the capacity to endure or the ability to continue without lessening. Continuing of what? Life itself. Lessening of what? Earth’s natural resources. In a nut shell, sustainable living is adhering to a lifestyle that is fulfilling, satisfying, appealing and at the same time accountable to the environment.

Living more Simply

What is sustainable living? It’s living more simply where “simply” may be defined as “regular” or “unpretentious”. It does not, however, means that you go pack your backpack and tent and go live in the woods and be a hermit. It does not mean you stop eating meat and go vegetarian. It does not mean you forgo of the finer things in life and sulk for the rest of your natural existence. In plain words, living more simply is doing without the unnecessary clutter that you constantly surround yourself.

Environmental Friendly Lifestyle and Consumer Choices

Try to adhere to a more earth-friendly lifestyle. You can go on ahead and buy the car of your dream (if you must!), but go slow on the gas pedal. You can cook all the food that you want but make sure nothing goes to waste. Go on and buy organic veggies but wouldn’t it be better if you grow one in your backyard? Not buying anything ever again is not what sustainable living is. It is about weighing the pros and cons before buying any product with regards to: how much you need it, its impact on the environment and consideration about alternative products that are greener. Limit yourself.

Conserve Earth’s Natural Resources

What is sustainable living? It is conserving the earth’s natural resources for the future generations. The earth’s natural resources have been on the decline since man came to be. It has been said that the price of progress is the earth’s natural wealth. Do you even know what the natural resources are? It is anything that is not manmade: air, water, land, plants, animals, fossil and more. As responsible citizen of the world, you must take measures on preserving and conserving our natural resources. This is not to say that you go picket the lumber mills and stop driving a fuel-powered car. Ask yourself these simple questions. Do you really need to take a long bath on a daily basis? Wouldn’t a quick shower do?

Guilt-free Living

What is sustainable living? It is not dwelling on the past but doing something for the future. Start conserving energy. Save Water! Aim for cleaner air! Buy only what you need when you need it. Use. Reuse. Recycle.

What is sustainable living? It is do-able. One baby step after another. Each constructive action at your personal and family level will eventually have an impact in the community you live and the rest of the world.

One Small step you can take now

We are all searching for ways to lessen our impact on the environment and do our bit for the planet. The best ways to achieve this are by taking small steps and doing things that are achievable and realistic.

http://www.greenysearch.com is an environmentally friendly website that lets you take one of these small achievable steps right now. It’s a browser powered by Google but with a dark page background. This causes your monitor to emit less light, reduces your electricity bill and saves the environment all in one. Just set it as your home page and you will save the environment every time you search. Try it now and see how easy it is to do your bit.

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