Sustainability is about the balance between three main structures, which are environment, equity, and economy. Sustainability also implies that people’s necessary material things for survival depend on the natural environment (United States Environmental Protection Agency [US EPA], n.d.). It means living in such conditions that will provide for future generations and will ensure harmony in the current existence. Sustainable development is the progress that meets the needs of the people in the present without compromising the ability to sustain their needs for people in the future.
The three components of a sustainable society are ecological integrity, social justice, and economic prosperity. Ecological integrity is about protecting the Earth and its systems without reduction of the variety. Social justice means providing all members of society with an equal amount of Earth resources and making sure there are prospects for future generations. Finally, economic prosperity implies humans are getting enough resources for their needs. Economic prosperity works well with social justice, as both are aimed at human beings gaining enough resources; however, they might interfere with ecological integrity, as there may not be enough of the resources. Social justice seeks to sustain some of the resources for future generations, which is beneficial for ecological integrity.
Humans now tend to emulate nature for multiple different reasons. One of the examples for that might be freshwater marshes created in flat, low areas with surface waters. The wetlands are filled with grass and are located at the edge of lakes and ponds. People make marshes with benefits for nature, including water purification, flood control, temperature moderation, climate control, water storage, and wildlife habitat.
Being a more sustainable individual might seem complicated, yet reflecting on the topic helps understand its simplicity better. It is necessary to cut down on plastic use to ensure future generations do not have to reap the rewards of its slow decompose. It is also vital to neglect the culture of overconsumption and stick to smaller amounts of provisions and water usage. Finally, another behavior worth practicing to be more sustainable is recycling the materials and reusing them as much as possible not to deprive the Earth of its resources.
References
United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.) Learn about sustainability. Web.