Fault Within!

A slew of concrete measures is required to move sustainability from rhetoric to reality, an area in which many of us tend to fail, time and again. Since it's always easier said than done, however, flexing our oratory muscles helps us to outsmart ourselves and feel more involved in such a cause which we otherwise don't put into practice. Honestly speaking, our efforts are just confined to blaming the government institutions for their inefficiencies or impugning the corporate world for their recklessness and for not owning their responsibility in terms of promoting sustainability and championing environmental protection.

Instead, we, the ordinary citizenry, owe a mea culpa and need to first blame thyself in place of finding fault in stars, for the continuing disaster known as ecological degradation and environmental pollution.

As a consumer, we have been blessed with the power and collective capacity to make sound decisions to bring about change, and this can simply happen by supporting such global environmental movements as the Greenpeace and the Extinction Rebellion, or by consuming less but more responsibly and by forcing the market to immediately respond to the environmental call. We en masse need to act responsibly, since merely being aware of the environmental concerns is half the battle.

There's laziness for starters no doubt. Life is by itself a hectic journey, while embracing sustainability is an enduring effort which takes time, dedication and consistency. Rushing to local stores to buy anything you need takes more time and energy than ordering the same thing online. This obstacle is compounded by the understanding that most people don't "overdo" sustainability in the first place, holding the paralysing belief that one individual can't make a difference on his or her own.

Boasting of an indifferent attitude is another key factor, which is characterized by a lack of interest and enthusiasm, as well as a detached approach towards the environment protection and its huge significance. Unfortunately, we tend to carry along a footloose and fancy-free existence to appease parochialism and that too on petty matters of personal interest. What a shame!

The rapidly-occurring climate change and it's both imminent and long-term repercussions are yet to be rightly perceived and fully comprehended by the general people. At long last, when will we move to make sustainable choices in everyday items we use?

In his bestselling book, 'Don't Even Think About It', George Marshall explains why our brains, despite scientifically proven facts, are hardwired to disregard the onset of climate change. For instance, people acknowledge the climate change as a real concern, but, on the other hand, they are unable to justify the rationale behind their worry. Discussing the rapidly-emerging environmental Armageddon, Marshall sheds sufficient light on the psychological consequences as well as commercial and political failures, but he eventually concludes that the main reason behind our failure is found within ourselves, not anywhere else.

As rightly said by John Dryden, all human things are subject to decay. However, we find it quite difficult to perceive the threat facing our existence. To counter the looming disaster, we first need to modify the way we consume things and use safely what we have at our disposal to lead a hazard-free life. Change must come from the bottom up and we have to act as a responsible citizen, before it gets too late.