NextGen: The Next Growth Curve?

The Next Growth Curve? Sustainability

By Destiny Nolan

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to NextGen, a regular column in Sustainability Today dedicated to sustainability as seen through the eyes of the under-25 crowd. They carry the future of our society — and a critical voice as we set practices and policy.)

Sustainability is where the growth is.

I think as the younger generation, we are getting better with recycling, but I know we can do much more. Recycling helps to prevent air/water pollution and minimizes global warming. Also instead of throwing out trash that’s just going to get piled up in a landfill somewhere, we can recycle our trash, which can be repurposed for reuse, helping make sustainable products and reduce the need to harvest new raw materials. We all should get on board.

It would be amazing to think that by 2040, we could stop littering all together. But we all have to do our parts. We’re polluting the water we drink, which is already decreasing in availability, as well as the oceans where our sea life lives. Not to mention the air we breathe on a daily basis. Dirtying our surroundings will only cause further harm to us.

Another area where we need to step up is to eat smarter, for our well-being and that of animals and our planet’s resources. Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. What we eat contributes to around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is responsible for almost 60% of global biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires space and huge inputs of water and feed – the average beef cow consumes more than 50,000 gallons of water in its life! And one of the biggest causes of forest loss is the expansion of agricultural land for animal feed production, such as soy. Producing meat creates vastly more carbon dioxide than plants such as vegetables, grains and legumes.

Moving away from a meatdominated diet towards a more plant-based diet can lower our impact on the environment. Vegetarian and vegan foods are massively on the rise and becoming far more common in restaurants, cafes and supermarkets, so the options are available to us. If that doesn’t work, there are a lot of plantbased companies online; even WalMart and Costco now regularly stock organic, plantbased items in their grocery sections.

Plant based diets are great for the body. These diets are low in saturated fat, free of cholesterol, and rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Research also reveals that following this type of diet will lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. The rate of Type II diabetes and obesity, both caused largely by meat-based diets and an overabundance of sugar in our food supply, has gone up by 400 percent since the early 1970s. We can’t afford any more increases in our lifetime, now that 40% of U.S. adults are obese and 10% of adults are suffering from Type II diabetes.

A renewable energy resource will not run out. That includes solar, wind, and geothermal. Wind power uses 98-99% less water than fossil fuel-generated electricity, and is a clean fuel source. Solar helps fight climate change, reduces air pollution and reduces water usage. Geothermal provides a reliable source of energy that is always available to be tapped into. (https://www.vivintsolar.com/ learning-center/benefits-ofsolar-energy-to-theenvironment)

Renewable energy will eventually create millions of new, sustainable jobs, because we need people to build them and to maintain them. The more we construct the more people we will need.

We are equally responsible to play our role in making this planet a better place. Let’s step up our game and make this planet healthier for our generations and those that will follow. ■