Sustainability
Sustainability is being in harmony with the system you are a part of and doing what is beneficial for the whole system as well as each individual part of that system. It is about taking a holistic approach rather than an individualistic approach.
We are all part of the Earth ecosystem which is a network of delicately balanced interactions among its organisms and environment. The air we breathe, the food we eat, and the structures that give us shelter and warmth all come from Mother Earth. To sustain the ecosystem that provides what we need to live, we must realize our place in the overall system and harmonize with it, having as low of a negative impact as possible, and as high of a positive impact as possible. We need to be thankful and take care of the Earth, so it can take care of us.
Everything constantly changes and we now realize that the way we have been living is no longer sustainable. Unconscious behaviors of consumption and waste are obsolete. New sustainable systems that are in harmony with the Earth ecosystem have been developed and are now being implemented around the planet. What a wonderful opportunity we all have to get on board and be a part of reversing the damage we have done and rehabilitating the Earth that gives us our lives.
To Be Sustainable We Need to Shift Away From Our Consumer Based Economic System
Placing financial profits as a higher priority than sustainability is what creates a situation where the environment continues to be depleted. Simply shifting our economic perspective to prioritizing the welfare of people and the environment over money and power will stop unsustainable behavior. It is just a matter of changing our definitions. The new definitions are laid out the section on Government and Economy.
Efficiency and Recycling
Efficiency reduces impact and is a part of the sustainability equation. Not using more resources than you need in the first place is the easiest way to have a low impact and reduce pollution.
Recycling is a necessary part of the equation for those things you really need, but should not be seen as an excuse for overconsumption. Take what you need and leave the rest. If you do deplete resources then implement a plan to replenish them. Do not create anything without a plan for harmoniously recycling it back into the system.
“When you can learn to do more with less, then you can do less and get more.”
Nature is efficient and wastes nothing. Be like nature, become conscious of all your movements and make them as efficient as possible. It is the way to take your place in the flow of the overall system and be a harmonious part of it.
Organization
The Universe is built on laws of organization. Everything has a place and purpose and operates from some form of organization. Know and living in alignment with laws that organize nature help keep us aligned in ourselves, because we are nature.
Many of these laws are found in principles of sacred geometry. Science has given names to some of these laws that are found and used over and over again in nature like Phi (1.618 …) which is known as the “Divine Proportion,” or the Golden Ratio, or the Golden Mean. Fractals found throughout nature, exhibit a repeating pattern that displays at every scale. They are responsible for nature appearing to be random while having a definite consistency. The Mandelbrot set illustrates self-similarity and is the set of complex numbers for which the sequence does not approach infinity. Laws like these and others create the organized universe we live in.
Keeping our living environments organized and clean allow us to operate with efficiency and make it easier to keep and raise our frequency high. Organized environments have a higher frequency than chaotic environments.
Adhering to some form of organization can be beneficial to accelerate the ascension process. The form of organization you use may change as you evolve and the length of time you use it may vary, but utilizing some form of organization will assist in the process.
Leave No Trail — Pollution
One of the first things you learn when you go camping in nature is to clean up after yourself and leave no trail. There is no garbage collection in the woods, there is not going to be anyone coming to clean up after you, and no one wants to camp at a site or hike on a trail where the last person left his (or her) trash. We are the only ones who can clean up our world. There is no one coming after us to do it for us.
Having low or no impact is part of respecting and honoring the joy of others and being aware of how what you are doing impacts them. To the best of your ability leave things the way you find them and if possible leave them cleaner and more positive than the way you found them.
There are many forms of pollution in addition to physical pollution. Noise pollution, light pollution, and even negative emotional energy pollution. Be aware of hidden pollution that you are creating. Just because you cannot see it go into the trash does not mean you did not create it.
Your lifestyle creates pollution. The concrete you are walking on and the steel buildings you are walking in create tremendous amounts of pollution. When you eat at a restaurant, live in a house, or drive your car, you are creating pollution. Be aware of the footprints you are leaving and change your behavior to stop doing what is not in alignment with your values. You are the only one who makes a difference in your world.
Live life with less and less negative impact. Leave things more positive and better than you find them. Leave people and all living things fuller, healthier and happier.
Can the Earth Sustainably Support 7 Billion People Living Like You?
One way of gauging if you are sustainable is to ask, “Can all seven billion people on the planet do what I am doing without negatively impacting the Earth’s ecological system?” When you honestly look at it from this perspective, almost no one living a modern lifestyle is sustainable. Most of us are just sweeping the issue under the rug. We would have to drastically change most of our behaviors to be truly sustainable. It is becoming more and more apparent that drastic change is needed and the pain is increasing. The turnaround needed seems almost impossible, but we can do it.
The Future and Personal Action You Can Take
We must change almost everything we do if we are to survive as a civilization. The path we are on as a collective is completely unsustainable. The solution is for each individual to do their part. Do everything in your personal life in a sustainable fashion as much as possible. Eat only organic, sustainably grown foods, live in a sustainable home, drive less and do it in an electric car, create your own power, stop buying and consuming products you do not need, and the list goes on and on. It may be challenging, but if we see it as an adventure it will be fun.
Everyone is their own universe and would be completely motivated to shift if they believed that living sustainably would bring more pleasure and less pain. It is time to start believing it, because the pain is going to keep increasing if we do not make a change. We have lost a lot already, but if we take action now it will be much easier and we can save most of our beautiful planet and have and live an even more joy-filled lifestyle.
Educate yourself and change your behavior. Dartmouth Sustainability and No Impact Man are just a couple of examples of the numerous websites that are full of information about how to be more sustainable and live in harmony with the environment.
In the end, do your best, be happy, and follow your heart. It will lead you where you need to go and it will be exciting!
Build A Green World Website
For a full explanation on building green sustainable buildings, using green building materials and Communities that use green techniques see my Build a Green World website.
By: Kirk Nielsen
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