Difference between sustainable development and sustainable living?

Answer 1

Sustainable development is a widely applied term, which originally was meant to describe development and resource use that can meet human needs while preserving the ability of the environment to sustain us, not only for the present but for future generations as well. Sustainable development as a definition is further divided into the economic, socio-political and environmental aspects.

It is translated by environmentalists, governments and corporations to have explicitly different meanings, and is often criticised for it's vagueness as a term. To an environmentalist, the term is connected with natural capital and carrying capacity, and as such is defined as development that does not exceed the carrying capacity of the environment (the rate at which natural capital is utilised).

Sustainable living takes place at a personal level, and involves a personal choice for consumers to conduct a lifestyle with environmental sustainability as it's aim. It covers a range of environmental issues, but possibly the most popular issue within sustainable living is climate change. People living sustainably may try to reduce their consumption or eco-footprint, be loyal to 'green' companies, transport themselves using less fossil-fuel intense methods, recycle, become vegan, and a host of other choices.

Part of the reward for these people is knowing their actions have a small but for them significant effect somewhere in the environment, for example reduciton of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the combating of harmful environmental practices such as deforestation and overfishing, etc.

So in short, sustainable living is how we go about our consumption of energy and resources on a personal level, while sustainable development is how our governments and corporations establish and amend the systems to deliver these things to us.

Since global warming becomes a worldwide problem, I think we should to something to help, at least not do harm to our environment. As common people, what we can do to prevent this maybe just from shopping green, it's the easiest thing we can do every day. ENVI ME is great for they not only supplying eco products but also planting a real rainforest tree for every USD 100 purchase made. This is a real tree you can name, track and view on Google Earth via satellite images with GPS coordinates. Know more from http://www.envi.me/