Getting practical with sustainability

This Saturday the Hastings District Council is hosting a Sustainability Forum at the Opera House. This follows an increasing awareness that our community is growing alarmed at changes occurring to our climate. People are worried about our planet and what it will be like for future generations.

Can I just make one thing clear, however. Sustainability is not just about the environment. It is about every corner of our lives including business, recreation and people’s ability to live. Sure environmental sustainability is on top of the mind for most people, but this cannot be looked at in isolation.

Throughout the world, communities are expecting leaders, councils and governments to take action to ensure we can continue as a race to live successfully on planet earth.

Saturday’s Forum is about listening to ideas and examples from other places, and then discussing how we can create a sustainable future using these and our own ideas. More importantly, it is about formulating practical actions that we can undertake – as individuals, as households and organisations, and as a community working together.

I am not really interested in debating if climate change is occurring, or if the sea level is rising. These topics are important but, despite your view, we cannot have any real impact on such debates. World leaders are trying to sort all of this.

What we can do, however, on an individual basis is collectively significant. If we all do our own little things to help, the net effect if substantial. It is my view that people feel good about doing things to help the planet. They are usually just a change in attitude and often cost very little, but can make a difference.

At the forum we will cover topics such as land use, recycling, water conservation, eco-friendly housing, urban development and social sustainability, to mention just a few. If you want to attend, please call the Council on 878 0500 to register.

Those are my thoughts for the week.

I’m Lawrence Yule.