Sorting out fact from fiction when it comes to environmental issues isn’t easy. Sustainable Development is a complex and controversial subject; it’s not simply a new buzz word dreamt up by the media, but a real concern for the future of the planet and all its inhabitants.
Sustainability is about examining how humans impact on the environment; from the way we use natural resources such as water, coal, trees and gas, through to how we manage the waste from the production and consumption of goods. The aim is to lessen our ‘footprint’ on the earth; to minimise the damage caused to other living things and to the environment. It is “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” *.
Despite the reduce, reuse and recycle message reaching a wider audience through recent not-for-profit campaigns and government initiatives, it’s clear that the continuing ability of the planet to sustain us – to provide us with the resources we need - is dependant on successfully educating the next generation.
