Not an Expert?

One of the toughest obstacles for a sustainability practitioner is to be lumped into a specific niche by the term sustainability.  The phrase “I specialize in sustainability” means different things to different people. To some it means working with environmental science, to others it’s helping with international development, to others it’s a watchdog role.

The most basic meaning of the term sustainability is to sustain, to last into the future. So what does that apply to? Well that applies to whatever you feel passionate about. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to hear about sustainability and think “oh, they must be talking about that “sciency environmental stuff.” I’m an artist or I’m an accountant – sustainability is their field, I don’t tie into that.”

But sustainability is not just about the environment. Sustainability is about sustaining or ensuring the future of anything and everything- finances, food for the poor, business, clothing, human needs, soccer, painting, and yes, the health of the earth.

What do you bring to the table?

One common misconception is that we should leave the problems in society to be handled by the ‘experts.’ That is like saying we should leave all food preparation for all the people in all of society to be done by professional chefs, Gordon Ramsey and Emeril Lagasse. Sure, sounds delicious, but it also sounds silly and completely unfeasible. We all need food, and to expect that all food for all of society will be prepared by two ‘expert’ people is ridiculous. Just as food affects all of us, so does sustainability. This is why it is important to include everyone in that conversation, not just a few ‘experts.’

New Leaf is a place where people from all different backgrounds and experiences can plug in – the extent to which you get involved and connect is up to you. But remember, your passions and what you bring to the table are unique and cannot be brought by anyone else. As a combined effort and team, we can work together to make a meaningful difference in the world.

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