What’s the best that could happen?

We often frame climate action and sustainability in a purely environmental dimension. Something that brings benefits we know are logically important but may not materialise into benefits for ourselves. But what if we change the way we think about sustainability to aim for a future we all want. The best way of summarising this idea is with this cartoon by Joel Pett:

 

“What if we create a better world for nothing?”

The path humans have created so far has not only caused widespread destruction over our planet and home, but also our own lives. We may now live in a world where our country enjoys a higher standard of living, but our modern lives also carry huge amounts of stress, conflict and uncertainty – you can see this just be reading the news. The journey we are now on to a sustainable lifestyle will bring us so many more added benefits than just keeping temperatures down. Here are just a few examples I can think of …

• Increase in walking and cycling – increased exercise and greater health 🚲👣👩‍⚕️
• Reduced meat diet – more varied meals, greater nutritional diversity and better health, including tackling obesity 🍽
• Reduced vehicle use – cleaner air and better health 🍃
• Collaborative and kind mindset – greater chance for enterprise and innovation, and less stress! 🗨
• More local, quality products – better taste, longevity or quality items 🎁
• Improved and increased access to nature – improvements in mental health and wellbeing 🧠

What if this was the goal – to live like the ‘sustainable future’ infographics show – for humans to live in harmony, part of nature, a way of living that will last forever. Wouldn’t it be great? If we are to go through all the hard work to make this a reality, why aim for the bare minimum? What is the best you could do?

So when it all feels too challenging, like nothing you do will make a difference, that attitude will result in just that – no change. In the kindest way possible, you have to believe you will make a difference for action to take place. We are now at a place in human history where failure is no longer an option – there is no planet B after all. So for all the lows you will experience – as is part of any major challenge – we must meet this challenge as an opportunity and use the skills we have gathered from our existence to find and enact solutions.

If we pull this off, we may leave behind more than just heirlooms to the next generation: a collection of footprints in the sand and an even bigger legacy of a stable and secure Earth for life to continue to call home. Wouldn’t that be the best result we could wish for when our names are in the history books? 🌍