As we celebrate Earth Day today, it’s important to think about sustainability and to realize that it’s much more than a four-letter word.

Sustainability is often not clearly understood. Sometimes it’s been taken to mean a rebellion against consumption, an approach to life that’s based on minimalism.

Most people don’t want to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. It seems like we should be free to enjoy the consumer goods that are available, that we should welcome them with open pocketbooks.

In reality we need to be sustainable. We need to make sure that our planet is still habitable in future generations. That won’t happen if we have runaway consumption, the kind that fills up our landfills and emits pollutants into the air and into water resources.

We face a challenge in the 21st century because countries like China and India are pushing to industrialize. They feel that Western countries profited immensely from automation that started in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and that it should now be their turn.

They’re actually on track to repeat many of the same mistakes that were made by developed countries in the past. It was thought that pollution was a minor issue, that it would disappear on its own.

The West is partly to blame for what’s happening in China and India. There’s been such a push for economic globalism and free trade that we’ve handed those countries reasons to greatly expand industry. Global environmental impacts haven’t been much of a consideration.

It might seem that environmental issues are beyond the control of individuals. All throughout society, in advertising and on social media, there are efforts to get people to consume.

Instead of replacing furniture one piece at a time as they wear out, it’s become more typical to replace entire rooms.

No one repairs appliances anymore. Instead they’re just discarded and replaced. It’s even worse with computers. Changes in technology make them obsolete every several years, and unfortunately we don’t have the kind of federal regulations needed to create better options for consumers.

So it might seem like it’s beyond the control of any individual person. There are some expenses we can’t avoid, but there are others where it’s possible to make a choice.

We can plan our food purchases. We can make our clothing last for more than just a year or two. We can choose furniture that withstands changes in decorating styles.

Those kinds of steps are not only helpful to future generations, they make a difference for someone’s financial well-being.

I’m thankful that I’m not in my 20s. I’m grateful that I don’t have to start out and try to accumulate savings in today’s economy.

That’s a sad statement. It’s a sad reality. College costs are far too high. Housing costs too much. There’s need for creative approaches in both areas that allow people to live affordably.

Ideally someone who gets scholarships and works while in college should be able to come out debt free, or almost debt free. The fact that it doesn’t happen will hold people back in the future. It will leave them perpetually in debt, never able to truly realize the American Dream.

Earth Day is a reminder to do what we can to take charge of our lives. It’s a reminder to safeguard resources, both natural resources and our own personal assets.

The message of Earth Day should influence people every day of the year. The decisions we make should be sustainable. They should be the kind of choices that will help us to reach long term goals for economic stability.

It doesn’t require living a deprived way of life. Instead it could easily be healthier, happier and just simply better than becoming a heavy user of consumer goods.

It’s good to do something simple on Earth Day, something like a walk by the river or in a natural area. It’s a good chance to think about how our planet is a tremendous resource, one that can continue to give humanity many good things if it’s carefully managed. It helps to know that we can play a role.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent