Sustainability

What does it mean for me?|

Why should I care?|

Can my choices really make such a difference?|

The main principles of sustainable development|

You can choose sustainable development to....|

What does it mean for me?

It's an accepted fact that humans, their knowledge, technologies and economies continue to develop and grow. Over the past two centuries, industrial development has made life better for many people in ways which would have been unimaginable even a generation ago such as good health, food, shelter, education, material goods, personal freedom and political representation. Our ideas have changed at a rapid pace, and continue to develop about the way we work, where and how we live and what we value. There is widespread agreement that everyone should have access to those things which make up quality of life. But development has come at a price!

We are all becoming increasingly concerned about the affects we are having on our environment. Climate change, drought, pollution, waste, poverty, ill health and wealth inequalities are regularly in the news, along with the effects that they are having on our planet, people and economies. If matched with actions now and in the long-term, our combined concerns over people, profit and the planet can create a powerful force for change; this is called sustainable development. Though this seems too big for one person to tackle, we can all help by considering the outcomes and impacts of our choices and the things we do - this happened through Local Agenda 21, nationally and internationally. It is the intention that sustainable development should underpin the community planning processes across the UK.

Why should I care?

The planet currently provides us with everything we need but our resources will not last either for ourselves or in the future for our children, unless we start looking after them now. You can start by asking yourself simple questions such as, "who will my choices affect?" "How will my choice impact on the environment?" "What positive changes can I make now, and what could I work towards doing?" We can then all start to make changes, as we only have to trace back the causal links to discover we humans in our pursuit of growth and development are to blame. In effect, we can choose the way we develop. We can either continue down the same development path without consideration of our social, economic and environmental impacts, or, we can take a different development route through sustainable development.

Can my choices really make such a difference?

Sustainable development requires changes in our lives, and each individual sustainable choice really does build up into positive global action and change over the long-term. It provides us with the opportunity to create and choose a future we want, rather than allowing the future to just happen.

What you need to do . . .

The main principles of sustainable development are:

• Global to Local – your decisions and choice will affect people, the planet and profit, here and on the other side of the world, and their choices equally affect us!
• Using Resources Wisely – looking for alternatives that do not adversely affect people, the planet and profit by changing your purchasing and consumption patterns
• Meeting the Needs of Future Generations – taking care to consider the long-term impacts of your choices, alongside the short-term. Your children need a planet with resources that is not damaged, societies that function and economies to support this
• Integrating Social, Economic and Environmental Principles (People, profit, planet), and looking at each choice or decision in an holistic and long term way

You can choose sustainable development to:

• live within the earths capacity to supply resources without reducing the earth's capacity to reproduce itself. We currently need three planets to sustain our lifestyle here in the UK - what resources or kind of environment will be left for your children?
• change your pattern of procurement and consumption – do you really need it? Refuse before reuse before recycling
• use new efficient technologies which reduce your consumption. Supporting new technologies also will increase Bedfordshire's economic scope and will improve local economic development
• take active steps to reduce your waste and your pollution
• change the way you perceive development change and investment
• give it full political and economic support
• give it individual and collective action, each of us creates the problems and we are equally responsible for the solutions!
• go that extra inch or mile!