Sustainability on a Budget

Hello! I'm Will, and I've been doing summer research instead of an internship in the Leaders for Social Change program. I've been examining sustainability, and how we can engrain it in our culture in order to create more resilient communities.

Since I'm doing research on sustainability, naturally I've thought a lot about how my own life can be more sustainable. By 'practicing what I preach' I can gain more insight about how sustainable communities form. What I've found is that it takes a lot of hard work to be more sustainable, and that it is especially more difficult on a budget.

How can I buy local and organic produce without compromising the group budget? How can I reduce my carbon footprint when I drive home to the cities? These are some of the questions I have grappled with. It’s been a struggle to address this question, but with most social change movements, there is a third way.

A third way refuses to be constrained by the dichotomy of choices to either be sustainable or not. With enough creativity and thought, many conundrums on how to live a more sustainable life are overcome. For instance, food at the local food cooperative is expensive, so how can I eat more local produce? At the farmers market, local vendors are much more likely to offer me better deals because I’m buying it straight from the farmer.

Looking forward, I have to be conscious of my activities and how I can be creative, and use the creativity of my housemates to overcome obstacles. It’s an important tool to have in the sustainability toolbox, and oftentimes, it’s pretty fun too.