Sustainability: more than words

The concept of sustainability as we know it today, was used for the first time thirty years ago, when it appeared in the Brundtland Report (also known as’Our Common Future’) which was released in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD).

Since then until now, all kind of research and investigation has been done, and still there is much to do, considering that sustainability is a holistic concept, with issues to be solved in short and long term periods. Putting the topic in the spotlight, has helped humanity to understand that earth resources are limited and that we need to care about them. We are in a turning point where things need to be done if we want to avoid catastrophic consequences.

In that way, i think that sustainability is more than words, it’s facts. We are all part of the environment and each of us must be a relevant actor in it, if we want to achieve the goals that sustainable principles aspire. All counts, major changes and things that for some may be considered , insignificant or non relevant.

A good example of what i mentioned before, is what is done by the University of New South Wales across its Kensington Campus. It is easy to find in main points, highly frequented by people,this kind of signals:

UNSW bins

UNSW water refill point

UNSW solar power charger

Three simple cases than can have high impact. The first one refers to bottle refill, giving a direct message on taking action on climate change, maybe the most important pressure that affects our environment. The second is about recycling, due to population growth, we must worry about waste management. The third picture of the solar powered charging station, is an easy way of promoting the use of renewable energy, to which we should switch the energy supply.

In summary, three examples of education and public awareness which have an important role in the achievement of sustainability are shown to encourage others to do the same.