Until humanity actually saw a man land on the moon, witnessed the first airplane in flight, or experienced the existence of the Internet, few would dare to dream that any of it would become reality. We are a skeptical species, and for whatever reason, are often unconvinced something new is possible until we see someone else accomplish it first. So it is with the current state of our world. Most of us know, to varying degrees, that we should be trying to live more sustainably, and reducing our negative environmental impact if we don't want to destroy our future quality of life. However, many would argue that such changes are too difficult, that altering the functioning of an entire society is impractical, that people just won't do it.

The intention of this article is to provide some evidence, from first hand experience, that the notion of becoming a more sustainable society is not as impossible as it may seem… it's already being done.

In terms of ‘green living’, Europe has been a few steps ahead of North America since around the 1950-60s. After recently spending a month traveling through Poland, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Czech Republic, I can assure you, this is true. Nearly everywhere I went, small efforts were being made, adding up to equal a substantial positive impact overall. Imagine yourself driving through these countries, while seeing and experiencing the following things:

Many food locations serve orders with real dishes rather than disposable ones, including highway service stops, a fast food restaurant in the mountains of Poland, and even a McDonald's that I visited out of curiosity. Cars are small and efficient; our road trip was completed in a 10-year-old car with 5.8L/100km fuel efficiency on average… better than most modern cars today! In terms of eating, fewer processed foods are consumed than in North America. Emphasis exists on fresh foods, and buying smaller quantities more frequently, creating less packing and waste production. Driving down the highway, solar panels or windmills in use are a pleasant common sight.

Co-generation plants are also visible on the horizon. Such plants create electricity by burning, in this case coal, while simultaneously creating hot water with the leftover heat that would have otherwise been wasted, and using it to heat a large part of the city.

A few nights staying with friends revealed the use of on-demand water heating, which has existed in Europe for years. In the kitchen, an electric heater under the sink came into use only when needed… a similar gas heater was found in the bathroom.

While our trip was by car, public transportation is enormous and efficient throughout Europe. My friend's parents, now in their 70s, have never possessed drivers licenses. Still, throughout their lives they have taken many vacations outside their home, including most of Europe, and many overseas countries.

The point to take note of aside from this seemingly endless list of examples, is how relatively easy it is. Everything flows as a natural way of life, not as a hardship. In fact, I would venture to say that the opposite is true: the way of life created a certain community-like environment that is different from that of our fast-paced style in North America. The approach in Europe is a more conscious way of life that not only strives for the best interest of the people and the planet, but also results in an increased overall satisfaction. It is a satisfaction that can only come when the idea of living for individual interest is set aside, and a more cooperative attitude is engaged, in which we are living for ourselves, each other, and something greater. I urge all of us to see the potential in this for our own lives, and make the strides towards a more sustainable world.