In the news, in advertising, in articles and on the telivision we are hearing the words Green or Sustainable all the time but many are asking:
“What is the difference in Sustainable and Green?” Too many get caught up in trying to decipher the difference. The main thing to remember is that we should all try and be less wasteful and more conscious of how the products we use affect our environment. We should all want the earth to be as beautiful for us today as it can and to be as beautiful for many generations to come.
But for the people that feel the need to understand more, the definition is the best place to start.
Sustainable: Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.
Sustainable is more specific on a product or process that can be re-used or re-grown over and over. A community can be sustainable. “The Government of the United Kingdom defines a sustainable community in its 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan: Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all”. Bamboo is a great example of a sustainable product. It can grow to harvest in five years. It can then be cut and it will re-grow on its own.
Green: The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. Green is also associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth for its connections to nature. Recent political groups have taken on the color as symbol a of environmental protection and social justice, and consider themselves part of the Green movement or environmentally friendly.
Green is a word that is broader in the approach of being environmentally friendly or saving the environment. Green can be used in many ways. Green is more of a catch phrase for protecting our environment. Some are more extreme than others, but still usually fall in the earth friendly group.
So is there really a big difference in Green and Sustainable? Yes, but is difficult not to tie the two together. Using sustainable products helps make things green and those that want to be green, need to use sustainable products or use the sustainable concept.
