Sustainable society is just a generation away

How far are we from a truly sustainable society? It seems to me that encouraging renewable energy generation is only one piece of the puzzle but the goal of true sustainability “enough for all, forever” may not be as far away as we think.

I was encouraged by the words of an eight year old boy in a conversation I overheard recently:

Boy: “Where is the bin?”
Adult: “Just over there, by the sink.”
Boy wanders off and returns
Boy: “No, where is the recycling bin?”

Of course the boy has grown up in a society where recycling, carbon footprint, sustainability are household words, they appear on every news broadcast, street corner and package and always have done as far as an eight year old boy is concerned. In his opinion taking care of the environment is part of his everyday life. For the adult this is not the case, they are trying to change their behaviour to be sustainable, but the children growing up are having their behaviour shaped by a society striving to be green.

The technology exists in our current society to be sustainable, the ambition exists in our current society to be sustainable, but does the will exist? Do our leaders, really have the will to say “stop” to fossil fuel abuse, to say “stop” to a throw away society? I dont know if they do, but I do know that if a certain young boy grows up to be a leader then a sustainable society may be closer than we think.

Colin Robinson

CEO Energy Friend
“Working together for a sustainable future”