{"id":3121,"date":"2008-06-16T18:37:38","date_gmt":"2008-06-17T00:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=3121"},"modified":"2008-06-16T18:37:38","modified_gmt":"2008-06-17T00:37:38","slug":"a-new-vision-of-sustainability-to-live-satisfactorily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/a-new-vision-of-sustainability-to-live-satisfactorily\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Vision of Sustainability: To Live Satisfactorily?"},"content":{"rendered":"
—<\/p>\n
My attitude and understanding of sustainable living have shifted drastically since I began this project, in a way that could only be provided by a direct experience. \u00a0Ideology clashes with reality, and in the heat of that conflict, a new identity may be forged.<\/p>\n
The experts are continually skeptical<\/a> whether what I am doing indeed constitutes 100% environmental sustainability. \u00a0Alex, executive editor at\u00a0WorldChanging.com<\/a>, noted that I was not taking into consideration “ecological impacts living in the U.S. creates but over which [I] have no control,” such as road pavings and the war in Iraq. \u00a0Without some kind of “offsetting measure,” I am thereby failing to meet 100% sustainability.<\/p>\n I am not so much concerned with the question, “Am I living 100% sustainably?<\/strong>” anymore, as I am with “Are my efforts making a difference?<\/strong>” \u00a0 I have no reliable way to measure the former. \u00a0On the other hand, the latter proposition can have definitive results.<\/p>\n Last night, I gave my dad a call for Father’s Day. \u00a0He lives in Plant City, Florida and currently commutes to work in Tampa. \u00a0He told me he was applying for a full-time job that is located only five minutes from where he lives. \u00a0To this, I commented:<\/p>\n Caroline<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0“That’ll sure save you a lot on gas. \u00a0It’s getting way up there nowadays.”<\/p>\n Dad:<\/strong>\u00a0“In fact, this place is so close, I was even thinking about getting a bike, and biking to work.<\/em>”<\/p>\n Caroline:<\/strong>\u00a0“Really? \u00a0But it’s so hot down there, how could you stand it?”<\/p>\n Dad:<\/strong>\u00a0“I read your blog about bicycling around the city<\/a><\/em>, and I got so jealous. \u00a0It sounds like a lot of fun. \u00a0I think I’d really like to do that.<\/em>”<\/p>\n