Sunday, 10 June 2012

Sunsets and Sustainability

It is 10 days till Rio +20 (the UN Conference on Sustainable Development), taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Much excitement and controversy, I am sure. But check this out, they have this year done a picture amalgamation of people's views of sustainability. Quite literally. They have asked people to send pictures of what they think a sustainable lifestyle looks like.

It's a really interesting of way of seeing people's thoughts on the matter from all across the world. It's not very well set out or easy to look through all the pictures carefully, but just clicking on a few of them shows three major themes in the uploaded pictures.

There's lots of kids. Kids recycling. Kids planting trees. Kids volunteering or taking part in other sustainable activities / events. That make sense; sustainability / sustainable development is about a world where our children are guaranteed the same earthly privileges we have. It also shows kids taking the reigns: they are the future so it's generally a good thing if they're on board!

Animals of all shapes and sizes are also prevalent. Toucans, frogs, reptiles - all the exotic ones.That shows a strong focus on conservation... which links in well with the final theme, which seems to be most evident throughout the pictures: Nature. Islands, beaches, trees, rivers, lakes, and sunsets. Lots and lots of sunsets. All pretty much uninhabited other than perhaps a few huts or people jumping in the air in a very timely manner.

That tells me that people's 'views' on sustainability is focused on conservation, but perhaps more so on a lifestyle without urban settings. You get a sense of people wanting to 'get back to their natural roots'. Which I guess is an important part of sustainable development, but I can't help but feel there is a disappointing lack of pictures to do with sustainability within the 'non-conservation' area. There are a few pictures of solar panels, I even saw BedZed in there somewhere. Other than that, there's nothing very 21st century about it - which sort of defies the point of sustainable "development" doesn't it? Oh well, better to have sunsets than to have coal power stations!

Tell you what though, all those sunset pictures has made me want to go on holiday.

Monday, 4 June 2012

My belief.

I've started to wonder what it is that makes me an 'environmentalist'. Is it nature? Doubtful that it is nurture. A colleague recently asked me what 'made me green', and the question took me by surprise. My year studying for my Masters was spent with like-minded people - there were no questions as to why we would be studying such a subject, nobody would deny the importance of sustainability, of environmental thinking, or of trying to be green. This wasn't simply an understanding of the world around us, it was a motivation to act.

I now find myself in a situation where I am no longer surrounded by people with the same mentality. That is not at all to say that I am surrounded by climate sceptics or people of an 'anti-green' perspective, by any means. Rather, I get the feeling that people would be more likely to recycle because the facilities are available or because of a sense of obligation. It is a worthy cause, and quite rightly so. But what makes me green? Perhaps none of the above...

People's views are undoubtedly based on their experiences, on their understandings, and on their perceptions of the world around them. My multicultural upbringing, combined with my geographical background, has shaped the way I see humanity. I tend to look at things holistically, always trying to see the bigger picture. The world does not turn on its axis because of millions of separate processes, but because of the interconnections between those processes.

That's the environment; a series of cycles and balances between systems, all coming together to create one tiny rock within the vast emptiness of our universe. And I am a part of that process. Without it, I would not be. Volcanic eruptions, meteorite showers and god knows what other major events brought the chemical elements in the shape of our atmosphere, protecting us to this day from the dangers of outer space. It is those same chemical elements which give us water, which in turn sources life. Life bustles, creating smaller but no less important cycles. Societies develop, interconnect, and grow. And they do so by adapting to the elements of their localised environments, including weather patterns and geology. But societies will have just as much of an effect on the wider process as the process may have on society. Chemical elements will be returned to the atmosphere or oceanic currents may be altered. Not to plagiarise Walt Disney, but there's a certain circle to life!

If that's the environment, then being an environmentalist is about understanding those cycles, balances, processes or whatever you want to call them. And it is also about wanting to maintain a healthy balance between systems. Just like a dietician would tell you, balance is important - in your food groups and in socio-environmental systems.

So why am I green? Because I see something beautiful in the way our world works. Because it's so intricate that is is practically beyond comprehension. Because humans should not be arrogant enough to assume that they live external to the environment. Because being part of such a miraculous environment, millions of miles away from anything nearly as wonderful as our Earth makes us important. And because societal, political, and other human issues seem nearly insignificant compared to the immenseness of our world. (I said NEARLY insignificant - I'm not saying that they aren't important).

Yes The Lion King is my favourite Disney movie... how did you know? NAAAAAAAAAAAAAH SOWENYAAA MAMABEETSAMAMA.