By definition, sustainability means managing present resources without compromising the social, economic, and environmental abilities of the future. In action, sustainability aims to preserve and, if possible, improve society. As I see it though, sustainability begins with childhood education.
“Welcome to Sludge City –– where overflowing landfills stretch across a grimy coastline. Here, pollution has virtually wiped out most animals’ natural habitats and made it nearly impossible for most crops to grow in the barren soil. Fortunately, a thick smog cast over the city makes it difficult to notice all of these issues,” I explained as an outraged audience of kids morphed into pure frenzy.
As a counselor at Camp Invention, I helped 1st through 6th grade students tackle real-world sustainability issues with group collaboration and quick-witted innovation. With some basic school supplies and a room inundated with recyclable materials, these young inventors were encouraged to concoct the most off-the-wall solutions to problems that modern scientists, mathematicians and engineers are currently discussing. In five different classes, these students brainstormed ideas in the fields of geometry, electrical engineering, and marine biology. In one particular week, however, the challenge of revitalizing Sludge City overtook the children’s interests unlike any other class.
On the first day, the presented task was to restore the water quality and to filter out all of the harmful pollution. Each table first received a water bottle cut in half with the top half placed inside the bottom half like a funnel. Next, the kids obtained some glasses of dirty water, cotton balls, sand and gravel. After deliberating amongst their team of young inventors and experiencing a few failed attempts, the aspiring Edisons had constructed a miniature filtration system. Delighted, some children expressed their excitement at the end of the day by rushing to their parents to describe what they learned, while others displayed more immediate enthusiasm by drinking the filtered water. Whether or not they realized the fact, the students accomplished much more than rebuilding Sludge City. Rather, they learned the value and enjoyment of sustainability –– a word some of them would have struggled to pronounce yet remarkably already understood.
If sustainability really does include looking towards the future, then we must remember to look towards our children. While those under the age of 18 represent less than one quarter of the population, they represent 100% of the future.[1] For that reason, I see no other way to look at sustainability than by equipping the youth to respond to current environmental concerns from energy management to pollution to air quality. On an individual level, this might be as simple as donating school supplies to a classroom in need or visiting an elementary school one day as a tutor, volunteer or mentor. Educational advocacy can also come in the form of political literacy through regular voting in local and state elections, attendance and participation in regional school board meetings, or researching educational issues on the web or at nearby libraries. In any case, sustainability requires deliberate acts of compassion to help others in order to not only preserve but also enrich the future, so that future generations might one day do the same.
-Matthew Martin
[1] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216