What is SUSTAINABILITY? Explained By An Expert

Summary

The video script explores the multifaceted concept of sustainability, emphasizing its importance beyond mere environmental benefits. It defines sustainability as the capacity to endure over time, highlighting the interdependence of environmental, social, and economic pillars. The script illustrates the balance needed between resource use, economic viability, and social equity, using the example of a business's water consumption. It underscores the necessity of sustainable decision-making to prevent societal collapse, as seen historically in Mesopotamia, and calls for individual actions towards a sustainable future.

Takeaways

• 🌿 Sustainability is not just about environmental benefits but also encompasses social and economic aspects.
• 🔍 The definition of sustainability refers to the ability of something to be sustained or to last over time.
• 🌱 Environmental sustainability involves using resources in a way that allows for their replenishment.
• 💼 Economic sustainability is about ensuring the continued success of the economy for all people.
• 👥 Social sustainability means providing opportunities for all without exploitation or discrimination.
• 🔄 The three pillars of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—are interconnected and impact each other.
• 🏭 An example of unsustainable business practice is overusing a resource, like water, which can lead to long-term negative consequences.
• 💧 The script illustrates the importance of using resources sustainably to ensure their availability for future generations.
• ⚖️ Sustainability is about balancing social equality, economic opportunity, and the responsible use of Earth's resources.
• 🏛 Historical examples, like the Mesopotamian society, show the consequences of unsustainable practices leading to societal collapse.
• 🌐 The script calls for individual and collective action to create a more sustainable world and invites viewers to reflect on their own actions.

Q & A

What is the common misconception about sustainability?

The common misconception is that sustainability is only about environmental benefits such as recycling and solar power. However, it encompasses more than just the environment.

What does the term 'sustainability' actually mean?

Sustainability refers to the ability of something to be sustained or the ability of something to last, implying the capacity to maintain its existence over time.

What are the three main pillars of sustainability mentioned in the script?

The three main pillars of sustainability are environment, social, and economic sustainability.

How does environmental sustainability relate to the use of earth's resources?

Environmental sustainability involves using earth's resources in a way that allows them to be replenished as we use them, preventing overuse and waste accumulation.

What is economic sustainability and why is it important?

Economic sustainability is about ensuring people can make enough money to support their needs and businesses, aiming for the continued success of the economy for all people.

What does social sustainability entail?

Social sustainability is about providing all people with the opportunity to access resources and achieve economic success without facing exploitation or discrimination.

How do the three pillars of sustainability interconnect and impact each other?

The three pillars overlap and impact each other, as decisions made in one area can have environmental, social, and economic consequences.

Can you provide an example from the script that illustrates the negative impacts of unsustainable business practices?

The script mentions a business that overuses water from a nearby lake, leading to the depletion of the water source, affecting both the local people and the business's long-term viability.

What is the script's suggestion for a business to achieve sustainability?

The script suggests that businesses should find ways to use fewer resources, such as reducing water consumption to a sustainable level, to ensure the long-term availability of resources and the well-being of the local community and environment.

What historical example does the script provide to illustrate the consequences of unsustainable practices?

The script cites Mesopotamia, where overuse of land for agriculture led to issues with water supply and soil quality, contributing to the collapse of their society.

What actions can individuals take to contribute to a more sustainable world according to the script?

The script encourages individuals to reflect on their actions, start or stop certain behaviors, and subscribe to resources like Go Green Post to learn more about creating a sustainable future.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Understanding Sustainability

The paragraph introduces the concept of sustainability, emphasizing that it encompasses more than just environmental aspects. It explains that sustainability is about the long-term ability of systems to endure, focusing on three main pillars: environment, social, and economic. The environmental pillar involves using resources in a way that allows for replenishment, while economic sustainability ensures people can support their needs and the economy thrives. Social sustainability aims for equitable access to resources without exploitation or discrimination. The paragraph illustrates the interconnection of these pillars with examples of how businesses and societies can negatively impact one another and the environment. It concludes with the importance of sustainable decision-making to prevent societal collapse, referencing historical examples like Mesopotamia and current unsustainable practices.

Keywords

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the capacity of something to be maintained or preserved over time. In the context of the video, it's about ensuring that our ways of life and the Earth's ability to meet our needs can last not just today but also in the future. The script emphasizes that sustainability encompasses more than just environmental aspects but also includes social and economic considerations.

💡Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the concept of using Earth's resources in a way that allows for their replenishment. The video script mentions this in the context of not cutting down too many trees without planting enough to replace them or creating waste faster than the Earth can absorb it, which relates to the broader theme of maintaining ecological balance.

💡Economic Sustainability

Economic sustainability pertains to the financial stability and growth that supports the needs of individuals and businesses. The script discusses this as the continued success of the economy for all people, highlighting the importance of economic health in the overall sustainability equation.

💡Social Sustainability

Social sustainability involves ensuring that all people have equal opportunities to access resources and achieve economic success without facing exploitation or discrimination. The video script illustrates this by stating that social sustainability is about meeting the needs of people in a way that is fair and just.

💡Pillars of Sustainability

The script introduces three main areas, known as pillars, that need to be focused on for sustainability: environment, social, and economic. These pillars are interrelated and impact each other, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to sustainability.

💡Resource Management

Resource management is the careful and responsible use of natural resources to ensure their availability for future generations. The video script uses the example of a business that uses water from a nearby lake, illustrating the importance of not overusing resources to the point of depletion.

💡Exploitation

Exploitation, in the context of the video, refers to the unfair treatment or use of people or resources for one's own advantage or profit. The script mentions social sustainability as a way to prevent exploitation and ensure fair access to resources and opportunities.

💡Overuse

Overuse is the excessive consumption or depletion of resources beyond their capacity to regenerate. The video script warns against overusing land, as it led to the collapse of societies like Mesopotamia, and highlights the need for sustainable resource use.

💡Replenishment

Replenishment is the process by which natural resources are restored or replaced after being used. The script discusses the importance of using resources at a rate that allows for their replenishment, ensuring their availability for future needs.

💡Trade-off

A trade-off in the video refers to the balance between short-term gains and long-term sustainability. It is exemplified by a business choosing to use less water, sacrificing immediate profits for the benefit of the local community and environment, thus achieving sustainability.

💡Decision Making

Decision making in the context of the video is about making choices that impact sustainability. The script discusses how past societies collapsed due to poor decisions, and it calls for conscious decision making today to create a more sustainable future.

Highlights

Sustainability is not just about environmental benefits but encompasses a broader concept of maintaining ways of life on Earth for the long term.

The definition of sustainability is the ability of something to be sustained or to last, focusing on meeting current needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs.

There are three main pillars of sustainability: environment, social, and economic, which are interconnected and impact each other.

Environmental sustainability involves using Earth's resources in a way that allows for replenishment and prevents waste accumulation.

Economic sustainability ensures people can make enough money to support their needs and the continued success of the economy for all.

Social sustainability aims to provide equal opportunities for all people to access resources and achieve economic success without exploitation or discrimination.

The balance between the three pillars is crucial for true sustainability, as they often involve trade-offs and conflicts of interest.

An example of unsustainable business practice is the overuse of a local lake's water resources, leading to depletion and negative impacts on both the environment and the community.

Sustainable business practices can prevent such depletion by using resources at a rate that allows for natural replenishment.

The concept of sustainability is about making decisions today that ensure the long-term existence of social equality, economic opportunity, and Earth's resources.

Historical examples, such as the collapse of Mesopotamian society due to unsustainable agricultural practices, illustrate the consequences of ignoring sustainability.

Modern society still faces unsustainable practices, with businesses and societies continuing to pollute and exploit resources for short-term gains.

Sustainability requires action today to prevent future societal collapse and environmental degradation.

Individuals and businesses are encouraged to reflect on their actions and make changes towards a more sustainable future.

The video invites viewers to share their thoughts on sustainability and actions they will start or stop in the comments section.

For further education on sustainability, viewers are encouraged to subscribe to Go Green Post and explore additional related content.

Transcripts

What is sustainability? When people hear the word  sustainability they often think of things that  

benefit the environment for example, recycling and  solar power. While sustainability does very often  

bring about environmental benefits, sustainability  is about much more than the environment alone.  

If you look up the definition of sustainability,  it's simply the ability of something to be  

sustained or the ability of something to last,  so when we talk about sustainability what is it  

we are trying to make last and how long do we want  to make it last for? We are trying to sustain our  

ways of life on earth as well as earth's ability  to meet our needs not just today but in the future  

as well. This means we must use earth's resources  in a way that can be used forever. If we use too  

much of something today it could be gone forever.  To do this there are three main areas, known  

as pillars, to focus on; environment, social,  and economic. When we talk about environmental  

sustainability we mean using earth's resources  in a way that they have enough time for earth to  

replenish as we use them. This can mean something  like trees where we cut down too many and don't  

plant enough to replace them or by creating  waste streams faster than earth can absorb them  

causing waste to build up. Economic sustainability  is where people are able to make enough money to  

support their needs and businesses. It's about the  continued success of the economy for all people.  

And social sustainability is where all people  have the opportunity to get the resources and  

economic success they need while not facing any  exploitation or discrimination of any kind. These  

three pillars may sound pretty similar to you and  they should because they overlap and impact each  

other. For example, businesses want to make more  money but often have negative environmental and  

social impacts in doing so. Socially people want  to support their families, but that often means  

limiting business and environmental impact. And  environmentally we need to use earth's resources  

sustainably, but certain groups of people and  businesses don't want to limit their consumption.  

To make this easier to understand imagine a  business that uses a lot of earth's resources,  

for example, water from a nearby lake. If that  business uses water from the lake too quickly,  

it's possible to use up all the water  and the lake will be gone which means  

the people who live there won't have access  to water and will have to find it elsewhere.  

Also without any water the company won't have  the resources it needs to make its products.  

This decision by the business may  have been beneficial in the short term  

but in the long term it didn't last and  resulted in negative impacts on people, profit,  

and planet. This could have been prevented but the  business put profits first and the needs of people  

in the environment last. However, if the business  found ways to use less water and therefore reduced  

its water consumption to an amount where the lake  can refill at the same time, it will never run out  

the local people won't go thirsty and the  business will be able to go on forever.  

This trade-off by the business to sacrifice  its profits today in order to benefit the local  

people and environment is what sustainability  is all about. Sustainability is the balance of  

social equality economic opportunity and earth's  resources to ensure they will exist forever.  

Sustainability is about decision making. There  are populations of people that didn't live  

sustainably, that didn't make the right  decisions and their societies collapsed.  

For example, in Mesopotamia people worked hard  to create a strong agricultural system to have  

enough food for its people, but their overuse  of land for growing food led to issues with  

water supply and soil quality which eventually  contributed to the collapse of their society.  

This may not have happened had they not overused  the land and instead used more sustainable growing  

techniques. And while these people lived long ago  we still see many unsustainable things happening  

today. Businesses continue to pollute and  negatively impact people to make money,  

even entire societies continue to pollute as an  easy way to deal with waste but with negative  

impacts on the environment. It's a complicated  issue but one that can only be solved with taking  

the right actions today. So what actions do  you do to create a more sustainable world?  

What actions will you start or stop  doing? Let me know in the comments.  

If you'd like to learn more about how you can help  create a more sustainable future, subscribe to Go  

Green Post and check out some of our other videos.  Thank you for watching I'll see you next time.