Sustainability is one of the words that we can hear on every corner. However, that term does not always have the same meaning. People from social, environmental, and economic fields use it to describe a wide range of solutions to different types of problems.
In short terms, we can describe sustainability as the opportunity to meet the needs that people have today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs in the future.
The entire planet Earth is dealing with different environmental problems. Climate change and air pollution are the most challenging ones in the last couple of years. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why many businesses still hesitate to go green. The initial costs of that type of transformation are often high. That especially counts when we talk about equipment that can produce less waste. Those investments do not meet the needs that businesses have.
However, here comes the moment when people should repeat the definition of sustainability. Businesses around the world have unique goals, and they invest a lot of effort to reach them. However, the cost of that effort must not hurt the future generations in any way. Every business owner needs to invest equal efforts to ensure a clean and safe planet to the further generations.
On the other hand, many individuals do not respect the sustainability standards as well. Unfortunately, many people are not even aware of the damage they make. That is the reason why people should know a few interesting facts about sustainability. After reading the list, they may change their way of thinking and habits. More precisely, they may become aware of the damage they are making.
First Fact: The Term Sustainability Isn't Too Old
People around the world hear the word sustainability for many different reasons. Because of that, it may seem the term exists for some time. However, the term was first used in 1987. People could find it in the Brundtland Report. The writers of that report defined sustainable development for the first time.
Second Fact: 2016 Is Essential Year for Sustainability
Leaders of the world countries realized that solving different environmental problems requires collaboration. In 2016, all the world leaders agreed on 17 different sustainable development goals. The purpose of those goals is to improve the life of people. However, they also agreed on different methods to fight against climate change and control the waste of the Earth's resources.
Third Fact: The Circular Economy Is Becoming More and More Popular
There are many ways how businesses and individuals can save the planet. One of the ways is to reduce waste that they make during business operations. The core concepts of the circular economy are reusing, reducing, and recycling. Fortunately, for the entire planet Earth, people are becoming aware of the effectiveness of that type of economy.
A good example of that is Slovenia. That small country introduced its citizens with one amazing plan in 2020. Their goal is to become a country with a fully circular economy. In that way, they want to support the idea of a green and healthy planet.
On the other hand, the same effort is visible in other parts of the world. China, for instance, also has some long-term goals associated with sustainability. Their goal is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 23% by 2040. On the other hand, they also want to reduce the emission of fine particulate matter by 50%.
Hopefully, the countries around the globe will follow the latest sustainability trends. That is the reason why this fact deserves to be on the list.
Fourth Fact: Climate Change Catastrophe Requirements
As previously mentioned, climate change is one of the biggest environmental problems in the world. The emission of carbon dioxide that people produce is extremely high.
The catastrophe of climate change won't exist at once. Believe it or not, global carbon emission has increased by around 90% since 1970. If people want to solve the problem with climate change, the levels of emission of carbon dioxide need to reach net-zero around 2050. In that way, the human race will manage to limit the climate change catastrophe we are experiencing today.
The purpose of these interesting facts is not to scare people. The idea is to make them aware of their habits. That is the only way to protect the planet Earth from further disasters.
However, being the only person in your surroundings that is aware of the consequences of bad habits is not enough. People should also educate their friends and family members and inform them about the damage the planet Earth is experiencing daily. Fortunately, we live in the 21st century, when everything is possible.
Starting a blog, for instance, could be one of the effective ways to influence people. If you`re not sure where to start, check out https://subjecto.com/essay-samples/ for inspiration and a better understanding how quality writing should look like. The better your writing skills are, the more powerful your message will be.
Fifth Fact: Cotton T-Shirts Use a Lot of Water
The subtitle probably seems confusing at first glance. However, it is essential to know that the production of only one cotton t-shirt requires around 2700 liters of water. Companies around the world produce around 27 million tons of cotton a year. That would mean that every year, each person on the planet will get the chance to purchase 27 T-Shirts. People can calculate alone how much water people are spending each year only on the production of cotton T-Shirts.
That is a piece of evidence that the habits of people need to change.
It is great if people are following the latest fashion trends. However, that doesn’t mean they should not understand the consequences of their tastes and behavior. They can, for instance, purchase clothes made of less harmful materials. In that way, they will look nice and respect the sustainability rules at the same time. Of course, the offerings of fashion companies will, in that case, change as well.
Conclusion
These five interesting facts will probably change the way of thinking of many people. Businesses, as well as individuals, should use every opportunity to respect the sustainability principles. The future generations are expecting us to leave a clean and safe place for living. Despite that, younger generations identify the older ones as role models. If older people are not trying to make the planet Earth greener, the mix of the same habits will exist in many years. Unfortunately, changing them may be too late in one moment.
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