Sustainable development that provides for today’s basic needs, while assuring that future generations have enough for themselves, cannot be achieved by relying on government alone.

 

That is the basic message of “State of the World 2014,” the annual report on the state of our planet issued by the highly respected Worldwatch Institute.

 

The report points out that citizens who have expected their governments to lead on sustainability have been disappointed. Government action following high-profile international environment conferences like the Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) meetings “has been lackluster.”

 

The report says successful leadership “often comes from the bottom up rather than the top down.”

 

It says: “Action on climate, species loss, inequity and other sustainability crises is being driven by local, people’s, women’s and grassroots movements around the world, often in opposition to the agendas pursued by governments and big corporations.”

 

Living in Metro Manila often frustrates me. Most people seem to expect both national and local governments to solve their problems and will not do anything on their own. But outside the metropolis, people are much more self-reliant. There is so much local initiative going on.

 

People in many parts outside Metro Manila have learned that they have to find solutions to their own problems because help from the national government is often too late or don’t come at all.

 

Growing their own food

 

I have seen communities with populations of only a couple of thousands already practicing waste segregation and recycling. They have set up nurseries for reforestation and established community composting areas where residents can bring their biodegradable waste and get fertilizer for their gardens.

 

While prices of prime commodities are political issues in Metro Manila, residents of these communities grow their own food and eat simple but nutritious meals consisting mainly of vegetables.

 

They have not made cheap instant noodles—which are almost without nutritional value—their main substitute for rice, the traditional staple which is becoming almost a luxury item for Filipinos.

 

There is no reason why Metro Manila residents cannot be as self-reliant as people outside the metropolis. They can even grow their own vegetables despite the limited space available to urban residents.

 

But dependency is strong among most Metro Manilans. They no longer know how to help themselves and prefer to be miserable and uncomfortable as they wait for their local governments to solve their problems.

 

“State of the World 2014,” which marks the Worldwatch Institute’s 40th anniversary, “examines both barriers to responsible political and economic governance, as well as gridlock-shattering new ideas.” Authors analyze trends and proposals, regional and local initiatives, which demonstrate “that informed and engaged citizens are key to better governance.”

 

The book stresses that citizens can govern for sustainability.

 

Help needed

 

Perhaps somebody out there can help Carmen R. Perez with her problem.

 

She wrote: “We would like to know where we could dispose of used needles. My mother has her medicated nebulization administered through needles. At present, we put the needles inside a used plastic water bottle much like the receptacles in the hospitals. But the bottle is included in the garbage collection every week. Is there any ‘safer’ place we could get rid of the needles?”

 

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