Member-only story
Sustainability — Baby Steps for the Skeptic
Words occasionally lose their lustre. Words can be used so often we become agitated or numb to hearing it at the least. A word like, “sustainability” falls into that lexicon-like abyss, thus devaluing the intent of its meaning. Oxford dictionary defines, sustainability: “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”. The word is appropriately applied. Those who groan when the word is uttered may not quite understand its relevance, its importance to our planet.
There will always be skeptics and naysayers no matter how clear (and well presented) facts can be. Such is the case for environmentalists and advocates for the natural world, and most important the average layperson unsure on the topic.
A heady subject like global warming or climate change has its opponents, who often lump the concept of sustainability to the agenda of left leaning people. Justifying a philosophical aversion to the topic at its base creates a tough uphill battle to convince political conservatives and industrialist types, the true merits of ecological preservation.
This is not about politics or standing for an ideology. In fact, the early laws creating federally protected lands were championed by a political conservative, Theodore Roosevelt. The environmentalist movement is an amalgam of real world…
