Sustainability

Abstract

Humanity is currently using the Earth’s resources at a much higher rate than that at which the planet can regenerate them. Public awareness of this problem is increasing, especially with regard to issues such as the need to recycle waste, and to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and on fossil fuels. However, the scale of the problem is still under-appreciated, and in many cases, there are no simple solutions to make our current systems truly sustainable. Meanwhile, the global human population is growing and despite higher awareness, our consumption of global resources is increasing rather than decreasing. This article explores some of the reasons why sustainability is such a complex problem and puts the case that an effective approach to sustainability will require effort from experts in fields ranging from economics to materials chemistry, as well as from legislators and leaders of industry.