The Importance of Social Pressure in Sustainable Development

The Importance of Social Pressure in Sustainable Development

I was born on one of the top industrial cities in Mexico, since my family trips outside of town I have always wonder why Monterrey was so different from other cities across the world. A difference that at the age of 12, I wasn’t able to understand, even though there was a “strong feeling” that came up every time I saw a small town; while anxiously waiting to reach Munich, I continuously repeated myself “how lucky are these people to live under such a clear and blue sky, I asked myself”, “where are all the 15 meters high billboards obstructing this beautiful landscape with a Big Mac promotion?” At that moment, I said, well different cultures.

Nowadays being able to understand the implications that all these brings up, is more than a “different culture”, is a whole new way people work together to define how their cities should function involving a future perspective. Luckily, Mexican government has been adopting carbon emission measurements to align my country into international treaties; however social pressure made a nice impact to achieve this. If giving regulations to billboards along a highway involves gathering your community don´t think twice and do it, because the way we live in our city is shaped and defined by us and we should not give up a better-quality life to a bunch of bureaucrats who can´t even take small decisions.

While writing this paper, I came up with the idea of sharing the ways I try to reduce my family ecological footprint. Consider that this recommendations weren’t obtained from any source so hope some of them are new for you!

1.The 3 trashcan system in which I separate the garbage by the next nomenclature: Plastic/glass, organic and lastly paper.

2. Biodegradable plastic bags and coffee cups. I accept that using a thermo flask for coffee and a lunch box all weekend isn´t my thing. Losing them every week is why is a good alternative to use this kind of material in our daily basis.

3. Solar panels: Well, more than a billing reduction, a social responsibility.

4. Bottle caps: Separate the plastic bottles from its caps. In my country is used to gather them with the purpose of helping sick people get treatments! Besides, they could end up thrown anywhere else.

I hope all of these ideas can work for you.

We live in a world period in which we can´t depend on our leaders to take action of the environmental issues, Fortunately we can start to spread ideas between ourselves and those around us. Let us don´t permit our future generations fall into the hands of others, who finally, aren´t real leaders.

• Héctor Mendoza

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