Sustainable Development In My Own Life

After a most wonderful and relaxing fall break spent in Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, it was time for us Northwestern students to get back into our classes full swing. For the past three days, and tomorrow being the last, we have intensely been studying the idea and concept of Sustainable Community Development, and right now as I sit on my bed at 1:30 in the morning, my mind is continually swirling with thoughts and ideas about development and all the different ways and possibilities that this topic could apply to me as an individual living in today's society. So, I must write and try to put my thoughts on paper....(or on a blog I guess!)

I will start with the basics of what sustainable development is. We have learned that it is defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." We have been thinking about the "environmental crisis" that our world is currently in, looking at the nature of the problem we face, and thinking about our future and how we can make a difference by changing our behaviors as individuals. Here is one basic statistic that might help paint a better picture.

**About 75% of all environmental damage is caused by the 25% of the world's population who live in the North.

Our carbon footprint in the west is HUGE. The global economy has become so obsessed with producing as much as possible as cheaply as possible. Growth and production seem to be all that matters, and people will do anything to get that. We are experiencing unprecedented wealth and unprecedented poverty- the gap between the two continues to widen. The average bite of food an American eats has traveled over 1500 miles before it reaches our lips. Think about all the gas that that one bite of food has consumed. We are experiencing a health crisis due to our environmental crisis. Diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and child obesity are all on the rise. Global warming is in fact truly happening, whether people want to accept it or not. Glaciers are melting. And what are we doing about it? We continue to live daily consuming and producing, often without even thinking twice about it. Now is this a lifestyle that is sustainable? Can we continue to live like we are for the next 50 years? My guess is No. Sadly, "developing" countries are trying to become more like "developed" countries, thinking that it is the best way to live, but in reality it means damaging the Earth even more.

These past three days my mind has just been a mess thinking about my lifestyle and how I live, and it has almost been depressing. Yet, I do want to see the hope in all of this, and I do feel motivated to change.

I find hope when I look at this crisis from a Biblical standpoint. What does God have to say about creation? In Genesis 1, God describes his creation as good. Very good. He also says that humans are given the "office" of caring for and cultivating the earth. We are to have dominion over the earth, but NOT domination. There is a difference. Creation is not something that is indispensable; nature is not merely for "raw materials". Rather, humans are to enjoy creation and take delight in its beauty, but this also means caring for it.

So what does this mean for me? What can I do that would make any difference at all? First off, I know that my mindset has to change. I need to go from a view of total economy to local economy, which means that I can't be solely dependent on buying all of my food at grocery stores and Wal-Mart. I want to become more self-sufficient and be able to provide for myself, my future family, and possibly for friends. This might mean joining a community garden or starting one of my own. The idea of a local economy could also mean buying all of your fruits and vegetables from local farmers at farmer's markets. I cannot go into the store and let myself buy an apple that was shipped from Guatemala when there could be the same apples growing in my backyard. This just seems like common sense. Another fairly easy way to reduce my carbon footprint is to drive less. Carpooling is always a great option, but also just walk or ride my bike. I have been living in Lupeni for almost 3 months now and have gotten quite used to a 20-minute walk to places.

I wish I could explain on paper all of the discussions we have had in class and the different ideas that have been presented, but I can't, so all I can ask is that you look into this issue. Become educated and aware of what is really going on because I have, and it is affecting me, permantly. Talk about it with others and figure out ways to cut back on consumption and the use of fossil fuels.

I feel as though here in Romania, it is a bit easier to have that mentality of a local economy. The piata (market) is full of fresh produce, and it is all produced locally. Bread bakeries are everywhere and the bread is made right in the store. I don't have a car here, so I am not burning up fossil fuels. There are no dryers or microwaves here, so I simply don't use them. But, what happens when I go back to the States? Things will definitely be harder there because I have easy access to everything. So I guess my question to myself (and to you) is how hard am I really willing to work to change my lifestyle into something more sustainable? How hard can it really be? I am very anxious to find out.