The Responsibility of a Citizen
First, people must assume the true responsibility of a citizen and humans living in this world, using its resources. This responsibility goes beyond simply paying taxes. For me, the first sustainable solution is to be politically active. The issues of the environment and the need for sustainable development must be addressed, but first, they need to be said and promoted. Bringing awareness to the problems, proposing and voting for the green initiatives, and other actions are the starting point for this solution. Public attention is essential to change in every sphere of our lives, even with huge examples like the Arab Spring.
Minimizing impact
Gaining this consciousness and committing to sustainability principles, it is essential to minimize the impact on the planet. Being human, we need to consume to survive. However, the rates of consumption today are unprecedented. Humans do not require that many resources lead a good and fulfilling life, despite the capitalistic marketing efforts. The void of buying can be easily filled with activities and connections with other people, as it was done before mass consumerism. As a result, this switch can make me even happier and more fulfilled.
Investment in “Green”
The next step is investing in green businesses and initiatives. Even with minimizing my consumption, I still need some things to survive. Therefore, I need to focus on buying from sustainable and ethical brands to diminish my impact on the environment, support them, and put financial pressure on other companies to become greener. However, it might be the most difficult change for me, being a poor college student, because of the price difference with more sustainable products costing more. However, all the consumers, including me, need to persevere, and with enough support and consequent competition, the prices will fall with more options becoming available.
Research and Education
Improving research and education in the greater sense for the country is like gaining consciousness. Thus, this solution is similar to my pathway. First, education is connected to establishing awareness as early as from formative years of childhood. They will not be as hesitant as adults now about the facts of global warming, as the latter view it as something new and untrustworthy, mitigating the efforts to deal with the issues. Proper education also can inspire future professionals to contribute to research and find more innovative solutions to our shared problems.
Encourage green technologies
The government can invest in green technologies as I “vote with my wallet.” According to Prata et al. (2019), the governments can “giv[e] fiscal incentives or subsidies to recycling companies or companies using recycled materials, giving concessions to environmental friendly activities” (p. 4). In other words, giving tax and subsidies incentives. Green businesses can also be rewarded for their contributions, making the public more aware of them and leading to sales growth and greater profitability.
Revolutionize Economic Growth
As I try to minimize my environmental impact and costume less, our country and we as a society can rethink the capitalistic structure of infinite economic growth. Now, this structure is undeniably unsustainable. The ocean is filled with waste, while the producers use more limited resources to produce new products, most of which become waste without even being bought and used. Many researchers conclude that people can live a good and fulfilling life, consuming as much as our ancestors, using and revolutionizing their practices. Amireh et al. (2019) argue for the hybrid “nomad-urban” society, which would apply innovative technology to nomadic traditions. Nomads are known for their minimal and overall positive environmental impact, which can be a starting point for the green revolution.
Works Cited
Amireh, O. M., Jordan, A., Al-Harasis, D. H. A., & Omar, Z. S. A. (2019). Nomads’ Quality of Life; Sustainability, in the Built Environment.
Prata, J. C., Silva, A. L. P., Da Costa, J. P., Mouneyrac, C., Walker, T. R., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2019). Solutions and integrated strategies for the control and mitigation of plastic and microplastic pollution. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(13), 2411.