Climate Change.  Global Warming.  Sustainability.

These words enstills a feeling of dread among many people, for impacts are individualistic but change is percieved as not.  Change often seems so difficult to implement that it appears not to be worth the effort.

What if you could have an impact without even trying?

In my opinion, sustainability needs to become more than just widespread practice; it needs to become the societal norm.  Because lifestyle changes are difficult to enstill, however, we need to find a way for people to be sustainable without changing their current habbits.

Seem impossible?

Perhaps, but let us first see what “sustainability” means…

What is Sustainability?

Although academia, such as McGill University, offer a relatively complex approach to “sustainability,” it really boils down to three key components:

1. People – all people are treated equally and fairly
2. Planet – earth’s natural resources are not exploited
3. Profit – economic gains are unhindered by #1 and #2

Sustainability, in essence, the short-term management of these three atributes with the goal of long-term survival.

Why is it Hard?

Perhaps what is more interesting than the definition of sustainability is the reasons why so many are uncapable, or unwilling, to participate.

Consultancy.uk has done some great research on the reasoning for this mentality, offering two reasons:

1. Leadership

Change, in general, is hard.  With leadership being the #1 driver of success, individuals must not percieve change as competetition with their idealology or previously established norms.  In comapnies, only 12% of large-scale change is actually successful but only 2% of sustainability-focused change is achieved.

1. Infastructure

Lacking infastructure and education hinders the ability of people to make change.  Even if strong leaders are present, people must feel like they are capable of making the change suggested.

Panda Express began using compostable containers last year.  Although a great idea, the lack of advertising (leaders) and compost bins near the HUB location (infastructure), most are still thrown into landfills.

Starbucks, although it has a recycling center right outside their entrance (infastructure), uses cups that need to be split into 3 different bins (education).  This means that many cups are either not recycled or recycled incorrectly.

Sustainability, in concept is not hard.  Our pre-established systems are what make it so.

Suggestions

Given my experiences with both sustainability and sustainability education, I understand how hard it is for people to drastically change their lifestyle.

In my opinion, it is impossible to make everyone want to live more sustainably, change their surroundings to make such a lifestyle feasible, and actually follow through.

Because of this, I see the future of sustainability as making it so easy, people will participate without even realizing it, making sustainability the new norm.

This can, and has, been done in a variety of ways…

1. Compost

In the President’s Box at Beaver Stadium, I lead a team that replaced all cups, plates, and silverware with compostable materials.  Trash cans, in turn, were replaced with compost bins.  The patrons in the box do what they have always done with their product but is now composted rather than sent to a landfill (image above).

1. Clean Energy

In 2016, State College began the switch from coal to natural gas, cutting Penn Satte emissions by 35%.  This means that all students, both on campus and downtown, are using clean energy, reducing GHG emissions, and change their habits.  Putting forth some effort, apartment complexes in State College will switch you to renewable energy for free if you call your energy provider.

Sustainability doesn’t have to die with a “no.”  In fact, conversation and education are just part of the battle.

We can make change, we just might have to make the change for others as well.