Cutting through the jargon. Today's word: sustainable

Do you ever get confused by all the jargon being tossed around by green-minded folks like me? I know I do. There's organic, fairly traded, non-GMO, environmental, eco-friendly, sustainable... Sometimes it sounds like a foreign language! 


The most confusing to me is the term "sustainable," so I thought I'd flesh it out a bit for any of you who experience the same confusion. Some may say sustainable living is just a catch phrase created by a bunch of tree huggers. But they'd be wrong.

However, sustainability cannot be easily defined. It's like an onion with many layers and involves people choosing healthy lifestyles, supporting their communities (you know, shopping local and all of that), and even doing our part to contribute to the economy. Of course, it also is about green living and it involves local and global actions.

Here are some more defined definitions (thank you Google):

• To keep in existence, nourish, maintain, or prolong
• Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Long-term preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems
• Providing for the needs of the current population without compromising the needs of future generations

Sustainable practices are those that can be repeated without any negative consequences to the environment or to people's pocketbooks or bank accounts. 

See, it's not just about being green (which involves simply caring for the environment). It's a body of conscious choices that sustain a good life for us and for our grandchildren. Does that make sense? 

If people continue to think only of their current needs without regard to the future of this planet, the consequences will be immense. While you may not be able to make huge changes in your life or home, we can all make a difference if we choose a sustainable mindset. 

That means

• Stop mindlessly tossing things into the trash. Ask yourself: Can this be recycled, reused, or composted? The lazy way is to toss it. The sustainable way is to care enough to at least contemplate the answer.
• Turn off the water when it doesn't have a direct purpose. Does it really need to run while you're brushing your teeth or washing your hair?
• Turn off the lights when no one is in the room. Teach your children to do the same.
• Opt for local shopping, even if it does cost a wee bit more. Support your small mom and pop stores before they become a thing of the past. Walmart's not going to mind if you spend your dollars at the local market. But you can't say the opposite is true.
• Don't pollute your yard and garden with harmful chemicals that kill the pollinators, like the bees and butterflies. Seriously... think about what you're doing!
• Start using more reusable products rather than depending on disposables. In our home, we use rags instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper ones, and reusable dishes, cups, and flatware instead of throwaways (even for picnics and parties). And our grandbabies don cloth diapers, not Huggies or Pampers.

Are you starting to get the picture? I hope so. 

I'd love to hear your suggestions for sustainable living, so why not post a comment? The best part of community is learning from each other, don't you think?

 

A spilled cup of coffee

Note: In exchange for participating in the challenge and writing this post, I was given a gift package from Green is Universal. All opinions here are still my own.

It's an easy challenge... and an important one. I found there was little in the challenge I wasn't already doing, but One Small Act has spurred me on to keep at it and to remember the reasons why I do these things in the first place.

Do you want to know the number one reason why I care about doing things that are good for me and for the environment? I do it for my grandchildren. Let's face it. I probably won't be around to see the devastating effects of our carelessness and self-centered living. But my grandbabies will. And I don't want them to have to live with the consequences of my generation's, and yours, reckless behavior. So, when you start focusing on future generations, how can you not care what happens to this earth? 

Some people have actually said to me, "God created the earth and He can take care of it." What blatant disregard to God's instruction to Adam in the Garden of Eden found in Genesis 2:15. God told Adam to tend the garden, not destroy it. He gave the responsibility to mankind. I take that seriously.

That's why I love challenges like the Eco Eats Challenge! I think you will, too. So far, in the past few days, I've completed quite a few of the challenges, like ditching the paper towels and using rags instead. Just this morning, I knocked over a full cup of coffee, which spilled across the kitchen table and onto the floor, splashing nearly everywhere! What can I say? It's been that kind of day. I also tripped going up the steps and smashed my right hand against the wall. Ouch.

In past years, after a spill like that, I would have reached for the paper towels and used half a roll to clean up the mess. What a waste!! It makes me cringe to think of my blatant disregard for the environmental impact of that action. Today, however, I just reached under my sink for several absorbent rags and old towels. The mess was cleaned up and I felt good about having only wasted a good cup of coffee (fair trade, by the way) and not half a roll of paper towels.

It's the little things, folks. I keep saying it because I mean it. And that's what the One Small Act campaign is all about... the little things. Won't you join me? You'll be glad you did.

Are you interested in 'eco-eating'? NBC's Green is Universal is hosting an "Eco Eats" sweepstakes from September 29 - October 17. To join, visit their free green-living tool, One Small Act, and join the "Eco Eats" challenge. Everyone who signs up and tackles at least one action by October 17th will be entered to win one of five 6-month subscriptions to NatureBox. No Purchase Necessary. Must be US resident and 18+. Read official rules here.

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