Sustainable living has thus become a virtue that must be practiced by every responsible member of the society, especially considering the fact today’s world is faced with many unusual environmental issues. We are responsible for the decisions we make today, and they have effects for the future not only for ourselves but also for the people that will come after us and the whole planet we live on.
The following are some of the statistics evidenced through different facets of life: Existing research on the status of the environment proves that degradation is a real threat. In the view of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), climate change has already been initiated by human actions to trigger a rise of the planet’s surface temperature by 1. The central point for global warming is the increase of the average temperature by 1°C (2°F) above pre-industrial levels. Global emissions are going up and, by the end of this century, the average global temperature could rise by an unbelievable 3°C (5. 4°F) or even more if the tendencies remain the same.
The consequences of this temperature rise are extreme such as increase in sea level, increase in the occurrence of severe weather conditions, loss of plant and animal species, and forced mass migration of individuals. Source: IPCC which approximates that about 3. Apparently by 2080, 2 billion people could be living with water stress, a factor brought by climate change.
A Call to Action Living an eco-friendly life does not remain an option but a duty to undertake and make the future generation benefit from these lifestyles. Through elective choices collectively, hence, consumption, energy, and waste, there is much that can be done to strive for sustainability.
Living sustainably is a noble concept as it has benefits not only for the earth but for everyone. As the WHO’s leading agency on health and environmental issues indicates, burning of fossil fuels contributes to air pollution that results in approximately seven million deaths per year. Moving away from using fossil fuel based technologies means moving away from polluting facilities and hence, helping to improve air quality, as well as public health.
Secondly, being sustainable many times, saves costs in the long-run. According to the International Energy Agency, or IEA, the implementation of energy efficiency standards could slash the yearly energy bills of people by roughly $500 on the average.