THEME
Sustainable Living
Living sustainably within the planetary boundaries.
WHAT IS IT?
Sustainable Living at ESRAG
How does sustainable living benefit humanity?
Nature has a finite capacity to regenerate itself in the face of pressures on its land, water and air resources. Human communities have been using resources and living beyond nature’s capacity to absorb the greenhouse gasses and other pollution resulting from our lifestyles and economic endeavors. Adjustments to the way in which we interact with nature are urgently needed to restore the environmental conditions essential to providing the food we need and the conditions in which our economies can thrive. Those conditions include clean air, sufficient supplies of safe water, ambient temperatures compatible with human life, and resilient infrastructure. ESRAG connects you to the rigorous research that regions, nations, and communities are using to see which factors we can modify to be able to live within the limits of our planetary home to sustain our lives.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Learn more
Master the Four-Way Test for Plastic Solutions
By Ariel Miller, ESRAG Newsletter Editor Finding a Path to Plastic Solutions Shining the Four Way Test as a surgical light, ESRAG's Plastics Solutions Task Force is illuminating ways for the family of Rotary to act most effectively to reduce the world's massive...
Tiny solar lamps spotlight the urgency of energy transition
by Ariel Miller, ESRAG Newsletter Editor Solar Light Campaign striving to Leave Noone Behind Buffalo, NY, September, 2024: Founded by American Rotarian Sarah Baird, a small nonprofit is leveraging $15 solar lights into a campaign to convince global stakeholders to...
A Brief History of ESRAG
By Karen Kendrick-Hands and Paul Riehemann ESRAG's journey Paul Riehemann, Past President, and Karen Kendrick-Hands, Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin, U.S., District 6250, co-founded the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG), a journey that began...
Take Action on Sustainable Living
Rotarians have wonderful networks as trusted leaders in business, research, and civic engagement at every level of society, from local communities to multinational organizations. We also work well across every possible divide by applying the ethics of the Four-Way Test. You can use these strengths to inform and equip stakeholders by using tools like the En-Roads Climate Simulator and the Global Footprint Network’s Ecological Footprint Tracker. Rotary Clubs, Districts, and ESRAG Regional Chapters are also spearheading effective solutions to reduce the strain of human activity through initiatives like the Plant-Rich Diet, Solvatten solar water heater, electric charging stations, and cleaner cookstoves.
Habitat Solar
Address energy povery for Habitat for Humanity, low income, home owners.
I Fix the Planet
A video contest showcase of Rotary environment projects.
Million Solar Panels
Fighting climate change one solar panel at a time.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Featured Projects
Projects surrounding sustainable living.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING IMPACT
Resources
“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a
difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our
own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living
things around us, especially each other.”
– Jane Goodall
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The UN’s goals for sustainable development must lead the world in a new sustainable direction. From an unsustainable direction of travel with climate change, extreme weather, plastic in the oceans, and a drastically reduced biodiversity. The 17 goals, with 169 sub-goals, span economic, social, and ecological sustainability. The goal is to create a fairer, more equal, and safer planet where future generations can also live a good life.
Planetary Boundaries
Healthy and viable ecosystems are dependent on stable conditions in our earth systems, more known as the Planetary Boundaries. There are 9 vital and interacting environmental processes that life is dependent on.
The preconditions for creating social and economic welfare is a nature in balance. That is not the case today. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, dispersal of toxic substances and overexploitation of resources threatens life on earth. More extreme weather and declining biodiversity lead to reduced access to clean water and food, more spread of diseases, inhibited economic development, destabilization and conflicts. Economic, social and environmental are deeply interdependent and interacting with each other.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Featured Events
Speaker: Jeni Padua
Topic: Innovative Alternatives for a Greener World
(GMT +00.00) Greenwich Mean Time (Dublin)
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Speaker: Amelie Catheline, Tami Mulcahy, and Dawn Byford
Topic: Circular Economy
(GMT +00.00) Greenwich Mean Time (Dublin)
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Speaker: Carrie Golden
Topic: Rotary International partnership opportunities for your Club and District
(GMT +00.00) Greenwich Mean Time (Dublin)
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