2.1 Start where you are
Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe
Honestly, I am a bit overwhelmed about this whole project, because where do one start?
When I read about animal suffering due to lack of food and disappearing habitats, risk of several species soon to be extinct, the ice that is rapidly melting, ocean currents that are changing, more extreme weather, oceans and beaches full of plastic, drinking water full of pesticides and micro plastic, the high amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and different kind of forests, that are globally being destroyed in a pace that is incomprehensible, just to mention a few things. Makes me want to give up before I have even started.
The more I read and learn about the climate crisis, the more I think, that something should have been done yesterday and preferable the day before that. Because today already seems to be a little to late to save the future of this planet.
So, what to do? One thing that seems to be mentioned time and time again, when it comes to fighting the climate crises is “SUSTAINABILITY”. But I am finding it quite difficult to figure out the exact definition of the term sustainability.
In the “Brundtland Report” from 1987 there is a mentioning of “Sustainable development” and it is defined as;
“- development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own need.” [1]
The report was made under the UN and was meant to find solutions for the accelerating ecological degradation that was happening due to the world’s financial growth. But since Earth Overshoot Day seems to be earlier and earlier year by year, I guess that it is safe to say, that as humanity we haven’t had too much success with finding sustainable solutions.
I have also found different graphical figures that tries to give an explanation of the term “Sustainability”. But the whole concept still seems to abstract for me to grasp as a newbie on this area. And it seems as though these graphical figures, reports books etc. is more a showoff for people in power to say, we did something, without any real action actually being taken.
So, therefore I went on a webpage for children[2]. And with a few words, it finally gave me the understanding of the term “Sustainability” that I needed to get started. It said as following;
“The word ”sustainability” is often used, when one is talking about taking care of Earth. It is about passing on the Earth to the next generation, in the same state, that we inherited it.
The choices that we make in our everyday life, have an impact and consequences for the Earth.
Consequences that we might not see today, but which can have an impact, way into the future.
Sustainability is therefore about all of the things and choices we do in our everyday life. If we buy lots of things or only a few things. If we sort our waste or not. If we ride our bike or drive our car. It is about all the small things/choices that we do in our everyday life, that makes an impact on Earth.
And all humans on Earth and their way of living are a part of Earths collected circuit. When we talk of sustainability, environment and pollution, there are no borders between countries – it is a global agenda. Therefore, it is a task for all countries and every human on Earth, to stand together on finding a solution “.
BUT and yes there is a but in my world. I saw the article on Earths Overshoot Day three years ago and even though I call this article my awakening, I have not made any notable action or committing myself to make the changes that it will require in order to reduce my impact on Mother Nature.
If I have learned anything from my nonchange, within the last three years, it is that if I keep blocking my wishes and desires for change and action with my everyday excuses, then nothing is really going to change in my world. And even though I have always hated this phrase, while I find it very egocentric;
“You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others”
Dr. Phil
The last three years have shown me, that there is a truth in it. Therefore, my starting point for this journey, is to take a step back from everything that has to do with Mother Nature and put all of my energy on me. I am going to go through all of my excuses, introduced in the introduction,
- Lack of money
- Lack of time
- Lack of energy
- Lack of knowledge
- Lack of understanding
- Lack of prioritizing
- Lack of courage
with the intention to become conscious on why they are creating blockages for me, to create the changes in my world, that I am so desperately longing to see in the whole world.
It is important for me to clarify, that I don’t see my excuses in a negative light. They are merely the framework of my life’s reality at the present moment, but hopefully by giving them some conscious awareness, I will be able to change my reality for my future life. At least that is what I am hoping.
So, the next post in this category will be about the “Lack of money” excuse.
[1] Our Commen Future: From One Earth to One World – A/42/427 Annex, Overview – UN Documents: Gathering a body of global agreements (un-documents.net)
[2] https://heleverdeniskole.dk/bibliotek/hvad-betyder-baeredygtighed/
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