What does it mean to be sustainable?
A lot of people are tossing around the word “sustainable” these days. It makes me wonder. Is this just a buzzword floating around the internet? Is it clickbait to entice us to read an article? Is it the latest fad? Does it mean something different to everyone?
Can we live sustainably?
What does it really mean?
To make an informed decision, I turned to two reliable sources.
According to Merriam-Webster “sustainable” is defined as:
a) relating to or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged; and
b) relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.
The Wikipedia.com entry states, in part:
Sustainability is the process of maintaining change in a balanced fashion, in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations.
I like a combination of the two definitions: A method of harvesting or using a resource in a balanced fashion so the resource is in harmony with both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations.
People and politicians may argue about which laws or practices are considered sustainable, but here at Five Feline Farm, sustainable embodies three basic tenets.
1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recycle
We practice these three principles in our food, household management and improvements on the farm. Some days we hold tighter to these principles than others, but we always strive to do better.
Over the next few weeks, I am going to delve deeper into these three tenets; describe how we practice each one and where we foresee improving our adherence to the principle. Perhaps in our example, you will find ways to move a step closer to sustainable in your own life.
For a fun read and some background about how we started this Farm and moved from an isolated existence to belonging to a community; check out the book The Long Road to Market. It’s available through Amazon and the online Mercantile in both print and digital versions.