By Travis Mills

I don’t know how many times I have woken up and wished, like many kiwis, that I could make my life a little more sustainable. But let’s face it: trying to make our life sustainable is a challenge and it’s a challenge that often requires time and sometimes money as well as a range of other resources, which we don’t have lying around. It has no place to start, no clear end and doesn’t come with a step by step, pictured instruction manual for the bits in between. This is why, I believe that many kiwis just give up. So what does it mean to truly live sustainably and how do we start? Where can we go for help and support?

My definition of living sustainably means that we and our lifestyles become more able to live off and with, our local surrounds and people, without abusing them. For a more official definition, the dictionary says: “(to keep) economic development or energy resources… maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing ecological damage” – Collins NZ school dictionary.

I like to think that living sustainably is like setting up a business. When starting we need start-up capital; for living sustainably, our start-up capital is ourselves; our mind, body and soul. Our ingenuity comes into play here: we as kiwis have this great ability to think outside the square, to minimise loss and increase our gains, something to be treasured in this uncontrolled adventure. 

However, start-up capital will only get us so far if we don’t have a business plan. To be successful we want to create a three-stage plan; Right now (none/low cost/effort), in a little while (medium cost/effort) and the future (high cost/effort); which allows us to plan our new adventure.

Sustainability.govt.nz and CodeRed.org.nz provide great reference sites where we find out initiatives to incorporate into each section of our business plan, but basically right now initiatives include using eco-bulbs, switching off unused appliances, cycling and walking more, fixing leaky taps, sharing car journeys and shopping locally.

For in a little while we want to include initiatives like fitting draught stoppers, using a push mower, offsetting our flights and using reusable nappies.

Now to the last part of our plan, the future, we can include initiatives such as installing solar hot water heating, growing our own food, buying carbon credits and creating a zero waste household. But remember, lots of smaller actions can lower our carbon footprint just as much and even as more as a “big ticket” item can.

Our final stage, just like setting up a business, is to create goals for our family and ourselves on when to complete each section. For right now, make the due date close but achievable e.g. three months, in a little while, a little bit further away e.g. nine months, and finally in the future, in the distance but not so far that you can’t see it e.g. sixteen months.

The great thing about turning to a sustainable lifestyle is that it creates an opportunity for the family to get out into the garden or down to the local farmers market together and have a great time, reconnecting some of the bonds that the MP3 or computer may have broken off.

Stay tuned for my next blog where I discuss what a sustainable future may look like in the future and what amazing initiatives are being created today to create a better tomorrow.