LIFESTYLE 001 | What Does It Really Mean to Live Sustainably?

Dear You,

Throughout my college years, I’ve taken a plethora of unique courses, but none impacted me as a student quite as much as a sustainable food systems class.

A Broader Way of Teaching

I knew right away that this class was different. On the first day, I realized it was co-taught by an anthropology professor and a nutrition professor. I had never experienced a class taught by two professors before, but I must say it offered a much broader view of the topic.

A More Complete Definition

As an introduction to the course, they explained sustainability in a way I had never heard before. They said that sustainability isn’t just environmental. It also includes social, human, and economic components. Without addressing all of these, true sustainability cannot exist.

At the time (and still today), I was passionate about environmental sustainability. I was quick to critique my parents or siblings if they didn’t recycle or bought something that was full of preservatives. But I had never once considered the other three factors. That realization shifted my entire worldview. Before long, every decision I made started to pass through this lens of complete sustainability.

A Rug, Reconsidered

Take something simple: buying a rug. Should I purchase a cheap one that won’t last very long, just to have something on the floor until we can afford a better option?

Socially, there’s an expectation that a living room with hardwood should have a rug. It’s what most people do. But on an individual level, does anyone really care if our living room stays bare for a while? My husband and I are comfortable without one. We could easily manage.

Financially, we’d end up spending more if we bought a cheap rug now and a better one later. Environmentally, inexpensive rugs are often backed with plastic and made of synthetic fibers that won’t break down in a landfill.

When we paused to consider all four pillars of sustainability (environmental, social, human, and economic), we were able to make a more thoughtful choice. One that better fits our values, our goals, and the life we’re building together.

The Tradeoffs We All Face

Of course, not every decision allows for that kind of flexibility. Sometimes a social factor forces your hand.

For example, I can’t just wait to purchase a mailbox. I live in a society where having one is essential. Without it, I won’t receive mail. And if I don’t receive my mail, I might miss bills, which would hurt us financially.

Choosing to wait until I can afford a non-plastic, environmentally sustainable mailbox might not be an option. In this case, protecting our economic well-being has to take priority.

True Sustainability Is Balance

As long as you’re thoughtfully weighing all four factors and doing your best to balance them, your decisions are sustainable. Even if my past self would have judged you for making a choice that wasn’t perfectly eco-friendly, my current self says: Bravo. You’re doing a wonderful job! What matters most is that we keep walking toward the kind of balance we want to live by.

Sincerely,
The Grower