Learning About Sustainability

 “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” according to the UN World Commission on Environment and Development. This information was retrieved from the UCLA Sustainability website.¹ 

I have been procrastinating again. I think I am intimidated by the word sustainable because it sounds like a specialized scientific field. However, I have been learning about ecology for over 50 years, so I think I know something about the field. What it means to me is that I will leave a world for my children and grandchildren and their descendants that will be healthy for them. It’s hard for me to see all the plastic that goes into garbage bins, knowing now that that plastic will be found in our bodies. It is hard for me to see all the gas-powered cars on the road, not to mention trucks and planes. It is very hard for me to see our government make damaging choices for the vast majority of the world. I’m sure there will be difficulties in the future, even if we do what we can to remove carbon from our air and fuels, but we know these things are harmful. Let's get rid of them.

So what do I do now? I recycle everything I can, including textiles, and drive an electric car. I wear clothing past the “stylish” trend - yes, I’m old - and help my neighbors whenever I can. I am not allowed to garden vegetables, and the Association sprays the lawns every year or two. I have made my concerns known. I donate books I have read to the library for its book sales. Yet I am certain that there is much more I can do, which is why I chose this topic. I want to learn what I can do to waste less food (I know I should shop at Costco less) and how I can employ sustainable spending. I feel helpless when the government transfers vast quantities of wealth upward, knowing that it can cause market collapse, but maybe there is something I can do about that as well. Come along on my adventure. It’s free!

^{1    https://}sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability/,accessed ^6/21/26.

Earth Day 2026

In the March 1st New York Times, there is an amazing article. The title is “We Asked For 50 Climate Fixes. You sent us 3,200.” When you feel discouraged by news of the National Parks being opened to businesses, by chemicals in our water and brains, and politicians going to war, remember news like this is not making headlines. I keep in touch with Greenpeace, Audubon Society, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and Alt National Parks on Facebook. Also on Facebook, there are groups for raising monarchs, science of all kinds, climate resources, and prairie, wetlands, and forest restoration. 

If you look back at the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, you can’t help but notice how much the environmental movement has grown. Gaylord Nelson (Sen. WI) was upset about the oil spill near Santa Barbara. We are all more aware of our impact on the planet.

I was living in Port Hueneme at the time, and my former husband subsequently lost his job because of the spill. We’ve had devastating oil spills since then, as well as chemical fires, nuclear accidents, and epidemics. Recent news about mining near the Boundary Waters and changes in the climate seem insurmountable. If you are anxious about the direction our country is taking, find a group and join. You will meet others who think as you do and are doing something about it. What’s the alternative?

A Podcast for You

 Once again, I have neglected my blog, wanting to do a lot of research before I post anything, but in my email, a gift. Earth911 has a podcast on making sustainability profitable. Here is the link.

https://earth911.com/podcast/sustainability-in-your-ear-jasper-steinhausen-on-making-sustainability-profitable/. 

Happy listening!

2026 Theme: Garden/Volunteers for Sustainable Development

In the cold spell that usually falls around New Year's Day, I am delighted to get emails (and maybe catalogues) from garden companies. They know their audience! It's cold and gray, but the promise of beautiful flowers can be had immediately. Bluestone Perennials makes a point that its plants come in sustainable pots with no styrofoam. So I may have to talk a bit about sustainability, especially since it is the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY). These are two of my favorite topics. 

In my lifetime, bees and butterflies have gone from copious to scarce. As children, my brothers and I caught a myriad of butterflies and pinned them to cardboard. I can't undo my ignorance from that era, but I have been blessed with a friend who taught me how to raise monarchs. In addition, my love for flowers has attracted bees, birds, and even hummingbirds. 

Sustainability became a buzzword years ago. I have a book written by a man who taught a class at the Clearing about sustainability. I have yet to read it, but I have read about the topic every chance I get and will continue to do so. Of course, it's going to take volunteers, because our governments are more concerned with their own survival than that of our species and other species. But consider what volunteers have done since the first Earth Day in 1970. I have a neighbor who does not recycle. I don't expect her to change, but I had a new appreciation of the three beautiful human beings I had the honor to raise. They have always recycled and probably don't think about it at all. It's the little things that make a huge difference in the world, but only if they are done on a huge scale. 

Have a great year. We little or no control over the government as a single person, but we can make a huge difference in government policy if we make our opinions known. Here's to a healthy future for all species.