What is it?

Everything we do impacts on our world, now and into the future. We may think that our environmental impact is small but think what a difference it would make to our world if everyone, all 7 billion of us, changed just one thing about our lifestyles.

A sustainable society lives in harmony with its surroundings, meaning that future generations are afforded the opportunity to have the same quality of life. If allowed to continue, current pressures on the global environment will have a negative effect on our children's lives. Our planet is at a very delicate stage of its existence as the very systems that support us are under threat. Pollution, climate change and excessive consumption are beginning to take control. A human centred view of the world has created systems that are out of balance with the rest of nature.

How to change

Most changes are practical and can be fun too, resulting in things that make you feel good like exercise, social interaction and a feeling of achievement.

  • Be energy efficient

  • Reduce your waste

  • Grow your own

  • Shop smarter - think about the lifecycle of a product

  • Travel greener

  • Eat Locally

The benefits include having a healthier planet and a better home, while saving money at the same time!

Living greener needn’t involve major life-changing or expensive decisions. In fact, saving resources and saving money go hand-in-hand. Re-evaluating your transport methods doesn’t always mean buying a newer, more fuel efficient car—it could mean striving to drive less. Changing your diet doesn’t always mean expensive organic foods—it means being smarter about the kind of things you’re already buying. Making your home sustainable doesn’t necessarily mean major projects—it means changing one or two of your personal routines.

There are changes big and small that can help you achieve a sustainable lifestyle, which ultimately can help the planet now, and into the future.

Why

We all know that our global environment is suffering.

  • Temperatures are rising

  • Forests are shrinking

  • Water tables are falling

  • Soils are eroding

  • Wetlands, boglands and hedgerows are under threat

  • Fisheries are collapsing

  • Plant and animal species are disappearing

In 2006 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for nature published the Living Planet  Report which told us we are using the planets resources faster than they can be renewed. That is still the case to day. To overcome these growing issues we must remember that working together will help the situation, as each of us contributes to the final outcome. This is a critical time for sustainable green lifestyles.

We must think globally and act locally.


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