Sustenance, Wastage and Time

‘Time’ is a crucial element that leads to either sustenance or wasteful use of resources. More importantly, the connection is between Time, Thought and subsequent action that leads to resourcefulness or wastage. I intend to state broad parameters that reflect the two contrasting phenomena:

A)     On sustenance: There is a simultaneous consideration of following concerns that results in cautious consumption of available resources:

1.       Survival of a large quantum of population on limited means necessitates extensive sharing of common resources for prolonged duration. One can’t afford to use resources for one’s own/ individual benefit and one has to negotiate multiple and conflicting requirements of self, family, community, society for utilizing the available resources for generating food, shelter and clothing.

2.       The onus is therefore, on reducing costs, and stretching the utility of a resource to its maximum limits.

3.       The same resource, after its utility, may be converted into something else (recycle) and the same intention of (2) will continue. This necessity of recycling will continue till nothing is left to reuse again. Subsequently, minimum waste remains.

4.       The principle of (3) is seen in ecosystems, traditionally high density societies, cycles of food, traditional architecture, building techniques, cycles of clothing and so on. Almost everything becomes interconnected – from agriculture, to raw materials, to use of hand techniques, to finished products to utilization of these goods, to recycling and again generation of new chain of interconnections. What it does to the society is nothing short of creating a unique socio-cultural and religious fabric. The perception of life itself changes.

5.       Considering above points, it may be clear that a lot of simultaneous and diverse thinking goes into perceiving and conception of any resource + product. This involves time and a personal reading of place and people. The entire phenomena is time intensive. Every change needs critical inspection before it gets accepted by the society.

6.       The fundamental qualities of society that get developed is collective memory, history, culture, community bonding and general reverence to Nature.

B)      On wastage: My take on this phenomena is that wastage is linked to abundance. Abundance of what?

1.       Abundance of resources as compared to population – In scenarios where resource availability is virtually unlimited, there is no need to consider how much an individual should limit his/ her consumption foot print. By resource, I mean land, water, forests, and anything above + below the ground.

2.       Abundance of resource can lead to abundance of supply of products (for profits)

3.       Abundance of products may lead to abundance of choice

4.       Now here is the catch – if we are faced with abundance of choice of consumption in a limited amount of time (we have a limited life), then we cannot spend sufficient time to think regarding effective utilization of a given product for longer sustenance of the same. Why should we care? If a product is replaced by something new (in the next instant), then why should we bother regarding the product’s afterlife, or its longevity or its reuse or whatever happens after we have consumed and “disposed” the product? It’s not ‘my’ problem!

5.       Abundance of availability of resources, faster generation of cycles of consumption is leading to what I call – time crunch to think critically regarding concerns of sustenance. Simply put, it generates a tendency that says:”I do not have the time to think about sustenance and reuse. It is much easier to buy and consume things”.

6.       Above point also means more choice to the individual, more privacy and rise of individuality (as against a collective decision making process). It also raises costs of living.

7.       This has repercussions on nature of memory, community and society.

Thus, critical criteria for evaluating sustenance factor of any society is what is the nature and the quantum of waste that an individual generates? More waste implies more abundance of resources and that also implies less time to consider sensitive aspects of sustainability.