Almost every city in every county, in one way or another, have been implementing living green or doing something good for the environment. By teaching its residents through proper recycling, planting trees, and other methods of promoting ways to save the environment, the government had helped in educating people about global warming. Although some cities have only done minor things to start with, these baby steps do add up and can have a great positive impact to our environment.
One way to further enhance and empower each community is to have its own programs that promote sustainability.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Education
It is important to educate the community what sustainability is and why there is a need to promote it. Sustainability is, oftentimes, difficult to explain. There is no one easy word to describe it. According to World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainability gears towards solving the fundamental problems facing all of humanity so that a decent life on our planet will be possible for everyone, forever. There should be seminars and promotional materials from the government in each city to help educate the community and to better understand what and how important sustainability is. Knowledge is power, and when people understand the issues at hand, the better people can tackle them head on.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Promote to businesses
One way a city can promote sustainability to businesses is by getting them engaged not only through education but through examples. One of the great examples is by passing out cards to the city’s hotels for guests to request new towels instead of automatically replacing them daily, saving water and energy. The government can work with businesses by giving some discounts or tax breaks by using energy efficient materials and by lessening green house emissions.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Recycling
This is one of the easiest way to promote sustainability is by recycling products and use mainly recyclable products. Lessening the amount of what goes into our landfills can help greatly improve a community’s sustainability. Use biodegradable products and recyclable materials to help in this effort.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Water conservation
Promote the use of water drums to store water from rain that can be accumulated from the downspouts connected to the roofs. The water collected can be used for watering plants during dry season. Turn off sprinklers during rainy days to save on water. This saves not only water but money due to lower monthly water bill to pay.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Use of green products
Using green products in our daily lives can be a great way that a city can promote sustainability. Buy organic foods, use recycled products in businesses, for example using recycled paper, using fluorescent lights instead of incandescent, etc.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Solar panel rebate programs
Some counties have been giving rebates of up to $1,800 for solar panels for homeowners and even some businesses. Check with your own county if this program is being offered then ask for more details. Less use of electricity lowers the carbon emissions that cause air pollution and weakens the earth’s ozone layer. The solar panels can help control these emissions and save money in the long run. A lot of people would want to convert to solar energy but it can be hefty. If the government can provide tax breaks and/or rebates, then this is something that would be easier to implement.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Use of green building materials
Promote the use of energy efficient building materials for new housing or home renovations. Using recycled materials such as roofing, walls, and floor materials can help save our natural resources for future generations to enjoy.
How to Promote Sustainability in a Community: Funding
Anything can be done when it is easier on the bottom line. The government can help if tax breaks, grants, and subsidies are readily accessible for businesses and homeowners to work on sustainability. The businesses also can help its employees by funding discounts on mass transportations and car pooling when going to and from work.
Things to remember when promoting sustainability as quoted from http://www.tufts.edu:
“• Minimal consumption of all natural resources
• Reuse or recycling of all waste
• No polluting or emitting of wastes beyond what ecosystems can breakdown and harmlessly recycle naturally
• Total reliance on clean, renewable energy technologies”
Together, it would not be difficult to promote sustainability. There may be more that can be done in addition to the suggestions mentioned in this article. The government has already taken some key steps, laying down some groundwork for others to follow. Now it is up to us as a community of people to get with the program!
