It has been about a year since I first began thinking about my impact on the environment. In all honesty, I had spent the first 25 years of my life wearing blinders. For example, I never took recycling seriously – usually never thought twice about tossing an empty soda can in the trash. Basically, I just took the wonderful world we live in for granted.
My life took new direction a couple of years ago, when I began studying landscape architecture. I had been working in software development with a degree in business, but felt my life was missing something. I had always had an interest in architecture and gardening, so when I learned about the field of landscape architecture – I knew it was the right track for me.
Last summer I took a course dealing with sustainability. It was a foreign concept at the time, but I was soon hooked and learning all I could. If you are unfamiliar with the notion of sustainability, here is a definition taken from the EPA:
“Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. Achieving sustainable solutions calls for stewardship, with everyone taking responsibility for solving the problems of today and tomorrow-individuals, communities, businesses and governments are all stewards of the environment.”
In practice, this means day-to-day recognition that economy, society, and environment are interconnected and we should make wise and innovative choices to ensure are communities are sustainable for present and future generations.
So, if you haven’t thought much about your impact on the planet, where is a good place to start? I would say the first step is to just be more aware of the world around you. For instance, start thinking about where you get your food and what kind of food you eat. Think about your transportation options – would it be possible to walk or bike more? You will begin to notice all sorts of things which you may have never thought of.
The goal of Our Greener Life is to chronicle our journey towards a greener life and share our experience with others. We’ll be covering a wide variety of topics, so please stay tuned!
