- TLDR:
- Sustainability is a process of self-discovery;
- I break down my own journey into distinct stages;
- I use it as a framework to understand where others might be on this journey;
- I hope it provokes deeper and more critical thinking on the issue.
In my last post, I spoke about my observations and opinion on sustainability as a concept. As an extension of these observations, I will now share my observations and analysis on how we, as individuals, can approach to sustainability in different ways.
The Journey
Whenever I meet someone who is interested in Sustainability, I have caught myself assessing the level of thinking and engagement they have on the topic. It is a little judgmental, but it helps me better understand how to engage someone, especially if there are grounds for difference. As shared, it can be quite an emotional and intense topic to some - so it helps to get a more accurate sense of where they are coming from.
I have framed this based on my own journey of self-discovery which is separated into several stages. In each, I believe there is a predominant narrative that we find ourselves believing, which forms the basis of how we respond. As I shared earlier, I see these narratives as an emotional and rational response to a tough issue.
Stage 1: The Challenge
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger.
Everyone wants to do better for the planet. It could be triggered by an article, an observation, a discussion with a friend. After all, sustainability and the planet’s woes are plastered all over the media these days. I would think most people in my generation and the one after would minimally be on this level - particularly so in developed countries (who are economically stable enough to think about such transcendental issues.)
Stage 2: The Unease
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger and needs saving.
Despite knowing about the issue, there is still a lack of tangible progress. Something must be wrong, though it is not easy to see where the problem lies. I sense that people at this stage may feel uneasy about the status quo, but are not convinced or sure if they can do something about it.
Stage 3: The Conscious
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger, needs saving, and I can do something about it.
As more sad headlines about the ever-worsening condition of our planet crop up, there are also increasing resources and voices that provide hope and direction. The heart of the narrative tells us that we can all play a part to help. It is at this stage that there are clear actions taken by the individual to help the environment (though within the context of a modern, developed lifestyle).
Here is where I think people are most susceptible to greenwashing and misinformation - a topic I shall write about in a subsequent post. There is no shortage of information on this… The top 10 tips to reuse your starbucks cup, a video of how to be vegan or lacto-ovo-pescatarian or become an actual vegetable. Hot areas include container reuse, public transport, metal bubble tea straws (they know their target demographic well), sustainable fashion, sustainable commerce and many more…
Some are genuine attempts to minimise the impacts of our communities, while others insidiously get eyeballs and clicks. All in all, I have noticed a growing supply of premium, organic brands churning out more sustainable versions of the status quo to feed this voracious, albeit greener, demand.
Stage 4: The Woke
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger, needs saving, and I can do something about it, but NOTHING IS HAPPENING (aka f*ck the system)
Evolving from the continued deterioration of Mother Nature and images of drowning polar bears, I find that people can reach a certain level to begin espousing their awareness and proceed to educate others. Community building plays a big part in this, and plenty of there is no shortage of like-minded people who help validate this newfound “passion”. I suspect that it is at this stage where the risk of forming the “us” vs “them” mentality is the highest. I touched on this tribal mentality in my previous post.
Of course to widen the reach of education and influence, there are multiple demonstrations and displays of sustainable actions through social media channels. Such extreme passion cannot be contained within one person alone and must be shared with the world.
Stage 5: The informed
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger, needs saving, I can do something about it, but NOTHING IS HAPPENING and there are reasons why this is so.
[Disclaimer - this is where my technocentrism and utilitarian inclinations kick in.]
There are several elements of critical thinking that I observe in people who are past the stage of media consumption and tree-hugging circle jerking:
First is an understanding of the benefits and challenges of each contentious issue in the sustainability discourse. For example, the benefits and challenges of petrochemicals, nuclear energy or recycling to name a couple. You can easily write a full essay on each of these with a few hours of research.
Second is an understanding of the trade-offs involved. Are these about cost? jobs? Accessibility and inclusivity? Who are the stakeholders who stand to win? Whos going to lose?
Third is the lifecycle analysis of how we use things. The comparison of a single-use straw and a metal-straw is not fair from a technical standpoint. For example, how many plastic straws would it take to offset the production of a single metal straw? Are solar panels as “green” as they are? What about the copper or rare earth mining processes that go into our beloved Electric Vehcile batteries? How long do these last? and where do they end up? Much to unpack here.
Lastly, back of the envelop calculations. This helps to sense check our assumptions and beliefs based on facts. For example - How many solar panels would it take for a country to run purely on renewable energy? What information would you need to figure this out? How efficient is our current technology? How big is the country? [side note: This also happens to be generally a great life skill to have.]
[Personal/emotive view: From time to time, I come across opinions on that express disbelief on why renewable energy adoption is not at 100000%. It may seem like obvious solution to some, but it will absolutely befuddle the engineer who would be the one actually implementing it. Learn, assess and be informed. Please.]
Stage 6: The Innovative
The predominant narrative: The world is in danger, needs saving, and I can do something about it, but NOTHING IS HAPPENING, there are reasons why this is so and there are pockets of innovation cracking their heads to address this.
There is plenty of money flowing to addressing these tough challenges. Founders, entrepreneurs and innovators have blossomed in an unsilent spring recently. Green finance has started to take off as well, though there may be some messiness as industries transition.
I find individuals in this field to be more credible and “real” about sustainability. To me, working in the sector is the ultimate reality check as it demands having skin-in-the-game, where your own livelihood dependent on it. It forces you to reconsider how to align a now-simmering passion to saving the planet, with putting food on the plate. It is in the future generation’s interest to be both economically and environmentally sustainable. I believe that.
There are of course - other quasi-experts, who consult companies and individuals on the theory of sustainability or circular economy, etc. However, I have found it hard to see them as credible, unless they have had real, hands on experience in execution. I caveat that I haven’t had much direct experience with such people, though I reading their articles and content has generally given me a “meh” response.
Others “innovating” in this field includes marketers of green goods whose real goal - to be perfectly honest - is to be paid for others to consume more which is a little ironic to me. Green does sell - especially in an increasingly intangible economy - which makes it even more susceptible to greenwashing. I am extremely cautious and wary of people like these.
This stage sets me right around where I am in my journey so far, and perhaps there are many more stages to go. For now, I am particularly inspired by finding the intersection where doing good for the planet and doing good business is aligned.
Thoughts are mine, but the Journey is yours
The ideas shared here are not designed to convince or compel people to change their minds. I hope that this post helps people to think a bit more deeply about the topic and accelerate their journey towards seeing the bigger picture. I believe that collective action with this approach will lead to solution with a higher probability of success.
So, before we rush off into another heated debate about sustainability and play the same blame game… Before we demand to have our cake and eat it… Do question - where did the cake come from? and why is it chocolate and not vanilla?
In my next post, I elaborate on the elements of stage 5 with examples and share my thoughts about the holy trinity of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.