It is an unfortunate reality that the poison of political ideology has contaminated the idea of climate change. What was once a scientific study has turned into a political football. The phrase itself is often viewed as a liberal agenda promoting globalism. Even as the evidence of climate change becomes more pronounced and the effects of human behavior on that change are more apparent, the tribalism present in our national politics is a major obstacle in addressing the challenge before us.
A study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication in the US found that, in trying to encourage support for climate policies, switching to the phrase “extreme weather” was more effective in winning over American conservatives — for whom “climate change” has become a highly charged term.
That’s important. We are seeing dramatic changes occurring over relatively short periods of time. The Florida Everglades and the Louisiana swamplands are disappearing before our eyes. Our own state’s coast is eroding as well. These losses reverberate throughout our region, state, nation and, yes, planet.
We fear the same may be happening to the word, “sustainability,” even though we know of no one, no matter his/her politics, religious or cultural beliefs or status, who doesn’t practice sustainability in some form. Often by necessity rather than choice, we practice sustainability, which in its broadest sense simply means the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time.
In business and policy contexts, sustainability seeks to prevent the depletion of natural or physical resources, so that they will remain available for the long term.
It’s not a radical idea for all to say that we want to leave future generations with a healthy environment and diverse world of nature. Being “good stewards” of our natural resources is a common theme of all religions.
The good news is that manufacturers and industries are embracing sustainability as part of their corporate creed through a concept called ESG. The “E” stands for environmental impact, the “S” stands for Social Impact (how the company affects the community where it is located) and “G” stands for the company leadership’s commitment to living up its environment and social/community obligations.
Of late, there has been some effort to label ESG Policy as “woke capitalism” among some conservatives.
Here in the Golden Triangle, we shouldn’t have to rely on politicians to help shape our view of sustainability. The Kerr-McGee disaster is an example of what can happen when a company neglects and ignores its responsibility to sustainability. Toxic creosote led to thousands of deaths in illnesses among its workers and those lived near the plant. The company’s means of producing their product was not sustainable. It was, in fact, deadly.
Flash forward to today and consider one of our leading industries, Steel Dynamics Inc., which was named by Investors Business Daily as one of the 100 Best ESG Companies of 2021.
“What is called ESG and sustainability is something that’s been woven into the fabric of our company since our inception 27 years ago,” Mark Millet, CEO of SDI, said in acknowledging the honor.
The responsibility isn’t limited to big corporations, though. Sustainability is something that can and should be practiced by all of us in our own homes. Too often, the die of sustainability is incorrectly perceived as impractical, costly or inconvenient. In most cases, that’s simply not true.
That’s why we were pleased to see Mississippi State’s Students for a Sustainable Campus hold its first off-campus Earth Day fair Saturday at Fire Station Park in Starkville in an attempt to reach more people and spread the word on environmental sustainability methods that the average person can use in their day-to-day life.
We may be frustrated with the politics that often encumber efforts to address climate change through sustainability. But we can move the needle ourselves by living more sustainable lifestyles to the benefit of future generations. If enough of us simply do that, it will create the critical mass that defies politics and ideology.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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