The term sustainability is used to describe the need to balance environmental, social and economic factors to allow us and future generations to live in a world with limited resources. Sustainability is something that affects us all. It is about the future, making sure that the solutions of today's problems do not store up trouble at a later date. It means doing things differently at work and at home to improve the quality of life for current and future generations.
So what are we worried about?
Many of the earth's resources, including fossil fuels, like oil and gas, are finite, there is a limited supply and their use is unsustainable.
To combat this we need to reduce the amount we currently use by buying and throwing away less, being more energy efficient and reducing the amount of fuel we use to travel around. We also need to develop renewable resources like wind and solar. Wood fuel, sometimes referred to as biomass can be thought of as renewable source of energy so long as it comes from a sustainable source. If we replace every tree that we burn, then the Carbon dioxide (CO2) that was emitted from burning the wood will be captured when the new tree grows and this means that the energy source is carbon neutral and renewable. We need to ensure we respect our environment and manage our resources, for example by replacing every tree cut down and reducing the amount felled in the first place.
It is also vital we address the issue of climate change. The amount of CO2 produced from our everyday lifestyles is already beginning to affect our natural environment. If we carry on as we are, we are expecting to see some very serious impacts here in North Kesteven, such as more extreme weather events - floods and droughts, causing not only damage to our buildings and roads but disruption to our food supplies and essential resources such as water.
So what can we do?
Becoming more sustainable is a challenge that involves everyone. If you want to find out how the Council and its partners are working to make North Kesteven more sustainable and how you can do your bit then use the links below and 'Being sustainable guide' link on the left hand side.
|
