What is the Importance of Sustainability in our Environment Today?

By: Arushi Rai
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In our ever changing and growing population, sustainability is vital to preserving the Earth. As our communities expand, our carbon emissions continue to grow which causes us to have a greater carbon footprint. A large carbon footprint/CO2 emissions is very harmful to our environment. One negative impact is global climate change. This is endangering natural habitats of animals, causing glaciers to melt resulting in sea level rise, harsher weather patterns, and it’s making agriculture and human life very difficult. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we all need to learn how to become environmentally sustainable in our community.

What Causes a High Carbon Footprint?

The main factors of a high carbon footprint are large consumptions of fossil fuels (energy and transportation) and food. Fossil fuels are created from the remains of plants and animals which are then harnessed into energy that is used to power cars, homes, etc. However, in the process, fossil fuels cause a lot of environmental issues as well as human health issues, such as water and air pollution. Fossil fuels also release large amounts of carbon dioxide which are large contributors to global climate change. Additionally, fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources that are depleting. It is becoming harder to mine fossil fuels, so companies are finding newer, more challenging, and harmful methods to extract fossil fuels, leading to more dangerous environmental issues. Despite all the problems with fossil fuels, they are still the world’s dominant energy source, providing for about 80 percent of our energy needs (Melissa Dunchak from NRDC). 

Food production makes up a large chunk of our carbon footprint. Meat or Animal- based products make up 14.5% percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions(“Key Facts and Findings,” FAO). Animal-based foods such as beef produce up to 300 kg CO2eq./kg(greenhouse gasses such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide). Switching to a plant-based diet can effectively decrease CO2 emissions by 53%(Scientific American). A good and healthy plant based diet is made up of lots of fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and legumes. If we can reduce our consumption of animal products then we can lessen our carbon footprint. 

What is Sustainability?
According to Oxford Dictionary sustainability is the act of avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to ensure healthy and balanced environments. We all need to try to learn and incorporate sustainable habits into our lifestyles, so we can reduce (and try to reverse) the effects of climate change on our planet.
Sustainability Tips:

• Plant a garden. Plants help clean the air by converting the CO2 into fresh oxygen. It also replenishes the soil with nutrients. Having a garden can help reduce your carbon footprint. Additionally, when you grow your own herbs and vegetables at home, there aren’t any pesticides or harmful chemicals, because it’s all fresh and locally grown.
  
• Ride a bike or walk instead of using a car. Cars release harmful carbon emissions which damage the environment. However, biking and walking doesn’t release any harmful chemicals into the air, which helps reduce your carbon footprint. This is also a good way to get exercise and stay healthy.
  
• Reduce the consumption of animal-based products. Animal-based products release a lot of CO2 (greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere. By reducing the amount of meat we eat we can also lower our saturated fat intake. A high saturated fat intake can lead to heart diseases and even cancer (Today, Eun Kim).
  
• Be conscious of your water usage/consumption. We are running out of freshwater here. According to America’s Rivers, the average American uses about 170 gallons of water everyday. To put that in perspective, that’s 1419.5 pounds which is the same weight of a female cow. Additionally, only 3% of the earth’s water is fresh, and we really only have access to 1%(the other 2% comes from glaciers). These numbers are going down quickly, so it’s important that we learn ways to conserve the water.
  
• Avoid plastic consumption. Substances such as plastic bags, bottles, and straws contain harmful toxins and chemicals that permanently damage the environment. Plastic is not biodegradable, which means that it takes a long time to break down or decompose into natural material. Hence, plastic continuously harms the environment by polluting oceans, animal habitats, and more. In addition, most plastics contain low-density polyethylene, which releases large amounts of methane and ethylene(greenhouse gases) which contribute towards climate change. One way to solve this problem is to replace plastic products with reusable ones. You can get straws, bottles, and containers. When you go to the store, try to bring your own bag to carry your groceries in. By switching to reusable products we can reduce our plastic consumption, and avoid plastic products harming the environment.
  

If everyone made these small changes to their lifestyle think about the impact we could have on the world. We should all be doing our part by following these sustainability tips in order to prevent global destruction for future generations.