Ultimately, our behaviour is driven by our belief systems, which are incredibly powerful, energetic constructs.
We know people are more than willing to die, or kill for their beliefs e.g. "My God is the only true God, or my country is the one that is right and I’m willing to kill you to prove it".
Some examples of common belief systems that relate to sustainability:
- "I have the right to do whatever I want with or on my property"
- "I can drive whatever car I like wherever I want" (allowing for traffic jams of course) and
- "You can’t tell me what I can or can’t buy
The common thread through all of the above is the context "I should be able to do what I want no matter how unsustainable it is".
So the key points here are:
1. We need to change our belief systems so that sustainability is seen as important.
Unless and until we adapt our belief systems to accomodate sustainability as an important principle, behaviour changes achieved through rules and regulations will be only minor and temporary. How enthusiastically do you do anything you don’t believe in?
2. Note that it is not a question of right or wrong.
As Neale Donald Walsch so aptly puts it in his "Conversations with God" series of books, especially the "New Revelations", the key question is:
Is what I am / we are doing sustainable?
So if you want to make a difference to the environment and sustainability, the keep asking yourself the question: "Is what I’m about to do sustainable?"
In doing so, ask yourself: "If everybody in my neighbourhood/city/country did it , would it be sustainable?" That normally makes it clear whether it’s sustainable or not.
