Opinion
A ‘fad’ is short-lived, sustainability cannot be
By: Abigail Dawn
Beeswax paper. Tote bags. Reusable coffee cups. Zero waste. Climate marches.
Combined they are great initiatives that encourage participating in a worldwide movement to help the environment and create a sustainable future.
Additionally, they are trends that have circulated through social media, podcasts, and magazines.
People can get behind a movement without understanding the full implications or research. Additionally, trends tend to be short-lived, and only last for a projected period before no longer being relevant. Sustainability is more than a trend—it needs to include lifestyle choices to make a difference.
“You create this movement, which we hope to enact change, but […] it can take away from the actual focus of environmental change,” says McGill Energy Association president Makena Kristen. Adding, “especially if it’s not properly understood by people.”
According to a study led by Adrian Lubowiecki-Vikuk, although people are aware about the climate crisis, “Not so many possess the knowledge that human activity is much more powerful now and its effects can be significantly more dangerous than we can imagine.”
When people get behind sustainability events, movements, or even trends, without understanding their role in society, it can lead to them participating then going home and continuing behaviours that could potentially be harmful.
Consumerism. Lifestyle choices. They reflect our actions, and responsibility when we hop onto a trend.
Understanding what choices are accessible to us, is part of the research that we can do before moving forward with a commitment we might not be able to hold up. Sustainable living is difficult and Lubowiecki-Vikuk’s study says, “Compared to any other lifestyle, a sustainable lifestyle certainly requires a far greater commitment from consumers.”
“Trends can be very powerful,” says Kristen, adding, “it’s really important to know what you’re standing for.”
She explains that trends can get people to start asking questions about necessary changes, and why they need to happen, but some people tend to partake in the trends like climate marches or buying sustainable products because they feel “It’s a trend they’re supported to do.”
It is this mentality that can make an important sustainable change, become short-lived and lose its power.
Environment. Sustainable. Climate crisis. Energy. We see this vocabulary plastered all over the media, and billboards and we engage in the trend, we buy the beeswax, we get the reusable produce bags, and we try to go zero waste. Eventually, it becomes overwhelming, and those feelings trump the continuation of whatever mission, challenge or change we embarked on.
For example, according to Google Trends, Beeswax wrap started to gain traction in late 2017, and peaked in November 2019. However, the trending plastic wrap alternative dwindled, and it no longer became the frequently looked up and bought alternative.
Taking on the challenges to be “perfect” at the sustainable lifestyle can be difficult. Specifically, like Lubowiecki-Vikuk’s study says, it’s hard and in some demographics not as accessible. But taking on the challenges that are maintainable and accessible can make a bigger impact than hopping onto a trend and giving up a short time down the line.
Kirsten says, “It can be almost overwhelming, but taking away this pressure on yourself to be perfect, to do slow steps and work your way up to it,” is a realistic approach to sustainability.