Sustainability Sham

In this era of putative sustainability,

We¹ chant the hymns of Earth’s salvation bright,

Yet, in our hearts, a darker truth takes flight,

As pretense masks our true reality.

We preach the gospel of reduce and reuse,

But in our actions, impiety abounds,

As plastic seas and polluted grounds,

Bear witness to our empty words, profuse.

Yet heed the warning of our folly’s creed,

For it’s not just nature that bears the weight,

But humanity itself, in dire need,

Of reckoning for our choices, myopic to fate.

For when the Earth is scarred beyond repair,

'Tis our own future we’ll find in despair.

Prose

The sonnet,^2,3 “Sustainability Sham,” is a humble attempt to use poetry as a powerful medium to render the relatively abstruse and complex issue of sustainability^4,5 into evocative imagery and emotive language, making it interesting and accessible to a wider audience. Through metaphor and symbolism, poetry resonates and establishes a deeper emotional connection, hoping to spark conversations and foster a sense of empathy and shared responsibility towards environmental custodianship. This sonnet is more than an aesthetic choice; it is a deliberate strategy to catalyze dialogue and action on the looming crisis.

This sonnet begins by exploring the contradiction between verbal commitments to sustainability and the reality of our collective actions.⁶ It depicts that although discussing sustainability is quite common, the dominant narrative is not getting translated into effective interventions (actions) that could lead to a positive change. Here, figuratively, it is claimed that words are much louder than actions, which should have been otherwise. The author (a poet) wants to assert that we are distracted by the charm and glamour that is associated with sustainability advocacy, and we have lost focus on the primary reason why practicing sustainability at all levels (micro, meso, and macro) is required.

This sonnet urges us to pay attention and wake us up from the false belief that we have nurtured for a long time. We have become so myopic that we continue to believe that our collective actions will only cause harm to nature and have become ignorant of the fact that our choices will ultimately have severe consequences on entire humanity. This anthropocentric bias, reflected in our short-sightedness, has evidently impeded the implementation of necessary steps toward safeguarding our planet and securing the well-being of future generations (of all living beings). Unconsciously, as we engage in the discourse of sustainability, we often perceive our efforts as directed towards the preservation of external entities yet fail to recognize their intrinsic importance for our well-being. It also highlights the interconnectedness between sustainability and our own well-being. While reciting the sustainability song, we unknowingly think that we are focusing on the salvation of anything and everything but us, a catastrophic misconception.

The sonnet wants us to confront the hypocrisy that often lurks beneath our well-meaning intentions. Examining our daily habits reveals the truth: small choices significantly impact us. From single-use plastics to excessive energy consumption and adopting fast fashion, our actions often contradict our environmental concerns. We advocate for environmental protection, yet our consumption habits generate mountains of waste. We champion green causes, but convenience often trumps sustainability when it comes to travel choices. Without waiting for a grand solution, we must collectively rise to the challenge. By implementing tangible changes in our daily lives and policies, we can mitigate the damage through decisive and unified efforts, paving the way for a future where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously in a symbiotic relationship.

Although the cursory reading of this sonnet might create an impression that this sonnet portrays our actions negatively. However, this is not to criticize our actions or to condemn them but rather to urge a change in course. By weaving intricate narratives, the poet illuminates the interconnectedness of human actions with the health of the planet, prompting meaningful reflection and collective action. It is a call to bridge the gap between our words and actions, aligning them with our values, for a truly sustainable and bright future. Let this sonnet be a catalyst for transformation, inspiring us to take responsibility and act with urgency and purpose.

Vimal Bhatt
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune
Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India
Symbiosis Knowledge Village, Gram Lavale, Tal Mulshi, Pune, Maharashtra
[email protected]

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank editors and anonymous reviewers for their essential contributions to delivering this significant work. The author would also like to express sincere gratitude to Associate Editor Dr. Alexandra Coghlan for her invaluable guidance. Her insightful suggestion to include accompanying prose with the sonnet was crucial in enriching the overall submission, providing essential context, and enhancing the readers’ understanding and engagement with the content. Her guidance proved to be instrumental in shaping the final piece.

Disclosure statement

The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work has not received any funding.

Notes

1 “We” represents the awakened consciousness of those who become aware of the hypocrisy and selfishness of collective actions of the human race, including theirs regarding sustainability, acknowledging their false self-righteousness and the detrimental consequences of their actions less on nature and more on the human race.

2 The above sonnet (poem) and the accompanying prose are original creations by this author, intended as a Letter to the Editor of JoST.

3 This poem follows the poetic meter of a sonnet that consists of 14 lines and adheres to a specific pattern of rhythm and rhyme. This sonnet follows the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, which consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a rhymed couplet (two-line stanza) at the end.

4 The concept of sustainability emerged to articulate a core principle for human development: intergenerational equity. Simply put, the term sustainability was conceived to convey that the current generation meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Pearson, 1985; United Nations, 1987). This chiefly includes: 1) environmental sustainability (preserving resources and ecosystems), social sustainability (ensuring social justice, equity, and healthy communities), and economic sustainability (creating a viable economy that meets societal needs without depleting resources).

5 Sustainability, in literature (Font & McCabe, 2017; Han, 2021; Ruggerio, 2021), is often discussed as predictions of actions taken today that we hope will lead to sustainability.

6 In this context, taking poetic liberty, the author wants to convey two distinct connotations using the word ‘action.’ Firstly, it denotes behaviors that deviate from the principles of sustainability. Secondly, it signifies a reluctance or failure to implement appropriate measures encouraging sustainable practices.