Binge drinkers, lazy and laid back are phrases I have heard before describing people of the UK, focusing on the younger generation (16 – 30). The attitude of people in Britain today has become very individual, and there has been a decline in community spirit for many years. As the younger generation live life, having sex (more open relationships), drinking large amounts of alcohol and smoking cigarettes with the attitude, I only care about what affects me, I see sustainable development being hard to achieve.
The ageing population in Britain also presents another attitude towards sustainable development. The fairly new term and concept is something that the older generation lack enthusiasm due to lack of education.
“Sustainable development means a better quality of life now and for generations to come.” (Directgov, 2009) People in the UK are generally fairly happy, although, compared to 50 years ago, we are considered less happy! As people stay happy, and focus upon themselves, especially as the younger generation look to prosper in their careers, not much thought is given to the next generation and so on. Teaching and encouraging people, that sustainable development will reap major benefits, is hard, as the benefits are, hard to see, hard to measure and likely not to occur for a long time. Therefore people sometimes take the attitude; well there is nothing in it for me, so I will not bother.
Without council’s increasing the frequency and range of recycling that they will take, people are going to be less encouraged to do so. The wider variety of gods collected to be recycled, the more choice people will have to be aware and good citizens. The likelihood is that the lazy attitude many people present re-cycling with, is from a culture of having no time, and life moves at a very fast pass. But also, the separation of plastics and paper can be easy, but some people may find it confusing, especially as many councils have different lists to what they do and do not collect, the state the material must be in etc. This can easily confuse someone, especially when a council collect certain plastics and not others.
The government initiative to create sustainable communities currently has not changed many aspects of modern community life. “At the national level, the strategy sets out the framework for changing people’s lives through improvements in public services and providing opportunity for all.” (DEFRA, 2004) The goal the government has set, may indeed work, but with an attitude that they plan to change people’s lives, it is very hard to measure. There is no single thing that can occur and make everyone happy, although several differences could cause good effect. Many people are resistant to change, as it is purely something new and different, this resistance could hold up sustainable development or even securing sustainability altogether.
“The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.” (DEFRA, 2008)
Sustainable development is never going to be something that is one day going to reach its equilibrium, as keeping an environment sustainable is a constant challenge for anyone. The goals that the UK government have to be a sustainable developed country maintaining that way of life is going to take years, even if in the decade of sustainable development by the UN, education is increased, time is going to play a huge role to the completion of the goals.
With the current economic climate, people are going to be losing jobs, homes, and mostly everything, as the depression really hits home. To an extent this may help the push on sustainability, but the likelihood that, goods such as fridges, freezers and even clothes will be recycled among households in communities, like in the last UK depression, but actually encouraging people to take a dive to live in a more sustainable manner may be hard.
The idea that is occurring, is sustainable development in the UK will progress, only when an attitude change with the population occurs. When people want to strive to, allow following generations to have just as many resources as ourselves. For my children’s sake, I hope that this earth will become a more sustainable environment, allowing people to see the wonders of the earth, and experience natural resources.
References
What is Sustainable Development
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlivingaquickguide/DG_069735
What is Sustainable Development
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/what/index.htm
What is the government doing about Sustainable Development
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/gov/index.htm
Sustainable Development Commission – Definitions
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/definitions.html
Population Estimates
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6
Are we happy?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/4771908.stm
Securing the Future
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/uk-strategy/documents/ExecSum.pdf
The ageing population in Britain also presents another attitude towards sustainable development. The fairly new term and concept is something that the older generation lack enthusiasm due to lack of education.
“Sustainable development means a better quality of life now and for generations to come.” (Directgov, 2009) People in the UK are generally fairly happy, although, compared to 50 years ago, we are considered less happy! As people stay happy, and focus upon themselves, especially as the younger generation look to prosper in their careers, not much thought is given to the next generation and so on. Teaching and encouraging people, that sustainable development will reap major benefits, is hard, as the benefits are, hard to see, hard to measure and likely not to occur for a long time. Therefore people sometimes take the attitude; well there is nothing in it for me, so I will not bother.
Without council’s increasing the frequency and range of recycling that they will take, people are going to be less encouraged to do so. The wider variety of gods collected to be recycled, the more choice people will have to be aware and good citizens. The likelihood is that the lazy attitude many people present re-cycling with, is from a culture of having no time, and life moves at a very fast pass. But also, the separation of plastics and paper can be easy, but some people may find it confusing, especially as many councils have different lists to what they do and do not collect, the state the material must be in etc. This can easily confuse someone, especially when a council collect certain plastics and not others.
The government initiative to create sustainable communities currently has not changed many aspects of modern community life. “At the national level, the strategy sets out the framework for changing people’s lives through improvements in public services and providing opportunity for all.” (DEFRA, 2004) The goal the government has set, may indeed work, but with an attitude that they plan to change people’s lives, it is very hard to measure. There is no single thing that can occur and make everyone happy, although several differences could cause good effect. Many people are resistant to change, as it is purely something new and different, this resistance could hold up sustainable development or even securing sustainability altogether.
“The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.” (DEFRA, 2008)
Sustainable development is never going to be something that is one day going to reach its equilibrium, as keeping an environment sustainable is a constant challenge for anyone. The goals that the UK government have to be a sustainable developed country maintaining that way of life is going to take years, even if in the decade of sustainable development by the UN, education is increased, time is going to play a huge role to the completion of the goals.
With the current economic climate, people are going to be losing jobs, homes, and mostly everything, as the depression really hits home. To an extent this may help the push on sustainability, but the likelihood that, goods such as fridges, freezers and even clothes will be recycled among households in communities, like in the last UK depression, but actually encouraging people to take a dive to live in a more sustainable manner may be hard.
The idea that is occurring, is sustainable development in the UK will progress, only when an attitude change with the population occurs. When people want to strive to, allow following generations to have just as many resources as ourselves. For my children’s sake, I hope that this earth will become a more sustainable environment, allowing people to see the wonders of the earth, and experience natural resources.
References
What is Sustainable Development
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlivingaquickguide/DG_069735
What is Sustainable Development
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/what/index.htm
What is the government doing about Sustainable Development
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/gov/index.htm
Sustainable Development Commission – Definitions
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/definitions.html
Population Estimates
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6
Are we happy?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/4771908.stm
Securing the Future
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/uk-strategy/documents/ExecSum.pdf
