Sustainability

I feel that my personal conception of sustainability is based on a philosophy that connects me more to my fellow man than to the ideal of the natural world. For me living sustainably is about being a good neighbor and a good steward. It stems from a desire to live a life that doesn't harm others. Living sustainably is kind of like sharing. When I limit my consumption and reduce my waste, I free up resources so that others may use them.
Of course putting these views into practice does require an understanding of the "natural" order of life. Be it a complex knowledge of my local ecosystem, or knowing where my food comes from. Being able to live a truly sustainable and therefore equitable life, requires a continual revaluation of both the "natural" systems of the world and the seemingly "unnatural" or man made systems of the world. I think an understanding of sustainability that limits itself to how I personally interact with the natural world is too limited and knowing things like my place in systems of privilege and oppression such as class hierarchy is equally important. I think sustainability is trying to live a simple life in a complex word.