Sustainable Lives
As individuals we are all being encouraged to think and act more sustainably. Many organisations are asking us to change our ways. Most put great emphasis on the "greenhouse" effect of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, so we are advised to use less energy, recycle more of our waste and leave our cars at home.
Most of the time it's a matter of personal choice. But we are here to make you think just a little bit more about your choices. Everything we do has an impact on someone or something else.
For example, if you are being treated to a restaurant meal, should you choose the chef's special dish of Black Cod, knowing that this species of fish has probably been flown half way round the world from Alaska ? And would it make any difference to your choice if you knew that the fish on your plate came from a long-line fishery, certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Would that reassure you that your menu choice is not doing any long term damage to the oceans ?
If you are interested in the potential impact of your own preferences on the people around you, we suggest that you start by looking through the "Guide to Sustainable Communities" which encourages you to think about the daily needs of people living and working in your neighbourhood.
Just by thinking about your own concerns and interests as part of a bigger picture, you could start to make everyday decisions that will make a positive contribution to the sustainability of your own community and maybe also benefit the lives of lots of other people, including the older, younger and less mobile people in your local area.
The following page, written for Community Groups, provides an outline of the national and local policies and strategies that aim to manage change in your community in ways that will benefit everyone.
In the "Guide to Sustainable Places" we will consider the way your own area could be changed for the better, both now and into the future. You may have already joined a residents' group, sports club or environmental organisation. You may want a better place near your home to walk, run, exercise your dog or take your children to play. You may just want the view from your window or along your street to be improved.
In the section "Guide to Sustainable Living" we provide information and practical advice which could help you to make everyday choices that will often help you reduce your living costs. And in a recession most of us could probably benefit from cutting down on the consumption of goods that we have to buy, rather than those we could grow or make for ourselves.