Every once in a while a new and exciting buzz word we can all sink our teeth into comes along. It’s a word people drop into conversation so those listening will have no doubt the speaker is certainly “in the know.” Whether or not the speaker uses it correctly or even means what he says is inconsequential. They know the word, and they’ve certainly used it. Now it’s just hanging out there in a word bubble over the speaker’s head, there for the world to see.
The latest word that has everyone abuzz is “sustainability.”
A mere few years ago, that word wasn’t nearly so in our faces if nowhere else. Now it’s everywhere.
What, exactly, is sustainability? In addition to being a tough word to spell, it means to achieve and maintain a balance between consumed goods and nature. It’s sparked new products and debate in all realms of society. Back when people used their power lunches to take power walks just to warm up for their aerobics classes, the fashion question everyone pondered was whether to wear leggings or acid-washed jeans with their leg warmers.
Now, the fashion debate centers around the manufacturing process: Which material creates the least amount of waste, polyester or cotton?
The world is changing.
That there is a focus on doing more with less consumables is certainly a good thing. Hopefully, there will be some real momentum behind the sustainability push and it won’t just be a small percentage of the population concerned about our effect on the environment. And hopefully sustainability will stay on the forefront longer than some other popular buzzwords that have come along and are warbling along on a weak existence.
Among them:
Do you love your job and the work you do? If so, you are an engaged employee. This one is also popular on the education front, wherein students are either engaged or bored to tears.
Synergy. This one makes the rounds every once in a while. Simply put, it’s supposed to be the energy created when a team works together, creating a symbiotic relationship. With any luck, it will make a silent exit and stay gone.
Staycations. Come on, folks. Can’t this just be called staying home?
Areas of opportunity. Cat herding. A win-win situation. And so on, and so forth … .
Let’s hope sustainability doesn’t become a word for word’s sake.
This weekend, Port Gamble will play host to the inaugural Great Peninsula Future Festival. For two days, the town will celebrate all things sustainability — to include live music, entertainment and yes, products you can use around the house that promote … guess what? … sustainability.
The festival is the brain child of organizer Sandra Bauer, and took a team of volunteers to pull it off.
It promises to be a family-oriented, fun-filled, educational weekend.
To find out more about why sustainability is buzz worthy, or to find more information on the festival, go to www.greatpeninsulafuturefestival.org.
Improving sustainability is a real area of opportunity, but getting some people aboard will be like herding cats. If we all work together in a synergetic fashion to network about sustainability, the result will be a win-win situation.
