Defining Some Common Sustainability Terms

First, it is important to understand the difference between common terms used when discussing sustainability. While green, renewable, and clean energy sound interchangeable, they have different definitions.

Green energy is derived from natural sources like the wind or the sun [1]. Therefore, wind turbines and solar panels could be considered green energy. Based on this definition though, one could argue that fossil fuels are examples of green energy since they come from nature. But when fossil fuels are burned, they release nitrogen oxides into the air which advance the creation of acid rain and smog. If this excess nitrogen oxide is deposited into bodies of water, it can lead to oxygen-deprived aquatic zones, harmful algal blooms and toxicity for the creatures that live there [2]. So is the term green energy really a good measure of sustainability?

The United Nations defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [3]. Do fossil fuels fulfill this definition? Fossil fuels (like coal, natural gases, and oil) are finite energy sources. They’re going to run out in the near future, but the pollution they create will have lasting impacts that current and future generations will have to manage. Therefore, this definition of green energy clearly isn’t so green.

Renewable energy comes from sources that are naturally and constantly restored. Wind and solar energy are also examples of renewable energy. Renewable energy is also sometimes called sustainable energy [1]. Because fossil fuels are not replenished in a timely manner (they come from decaying plants and animals, a process that takes thousands of years), they can’t be classified as renewable energy either.

Finally, clean energy is energy that doesn’t pollute the atmosphere when it’s used [1]. But in reality, almost nothing is truly clean. A wind turbine is more ‘clean’ than fossil fuels because it doesn’t create any emissions when generating electricity, but fossil fuels still go into the process of creating these turbines. Similarly, electric cars don’t release emissions when they are driving, but they do pollute the atmosphere through the power plant needed to charge the car’s battery. So to some extent, both wind turbines and electric cars, two inventions widely interpreted as more sustainable than their competitors, are still not clean.

In summary, green energy = sources from nature (green stuff), clean energy = clean air, and renewable energy = sources that are replenished in a short period of time (renewable and replenished kind of sound the same) [1]. None of these terms are really a good way to characterize sustainability though, because the definitions vary depending on who you ask and how far back in the process of creating these energy sources you’re willing to go.

It’s common practice for companies to use these buzzwords to greenwash their products, and this propagates misinformation and non-eco friendly products. For example, the fast fashion clothing brand Shein. Shein is problematic for a plethora of reasons, but one big one is that they greenwash their products by naming random shirts “eco recycled polyester” and adding a little “eco” stamp with a leaf in the bottom left corner of their product pictures [4]. A consumer may see these buzzwords and be influenced to buy the products in an effort to be more sustainable. In fact, a 2020 study by Business of Fashion found that 30% of Gen Z and 32% of millennials would spend more on products that have the least negative impact on the environment [5]. Which is a great step! But little do they know that despite these great sounding product names, the clothes they’re buying are still made of synthetic fabric, and although these fabrics are great for companies because they’re easy to produce, they’re not so great for the environment. These fabrics release plastic microfibers, chemicals, and petroleum (all of which are non-degradable) into bodies of water [6, 7].​​ The clothing industry is responsible for more than 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution [7].

Eco-Stylist, a social enterprise organization that evaluates companies on their sustainability, once surveyed Shein and a number of other fast fashion brands such as Zara and H&M. It awarded Shein exactly 0 points. Out of 100. It was the only major brand to earn a score of 0 [8].

So when you come across these environmental terms, don’t take them at face value. Think about your own definitions and only then decide if something is truly sustainable.

Works cited

[1] National Grid. (2022). What is green energy? NationalGrid. Retrieved August 2,

2022, from https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/

What-is-green-energy

[2] United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, January 31). The sources

and solutions: Fossil fuels. United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/

sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels

[3] United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainability. United Nations Academic Impact.

Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/

Sustainability

[4] SHEIN. (n.d.). EvoluSHEIN recycled polyester criss cross back cami top

[Photograph]. SHEIN. https://us.shein.com/

MOTF-ECO-RECYCLED-POLYESTER-BLEND-RIB-KNIT-TANK-TOP-p-2636540-cat-1779.html?src_i

dentifier=st%3D2%60sc%3Dsustainable%60sr%3D0%60ps%3D1&src_module=search&src_tab_p

age_id=page_search1661267758584&mallCode=1&scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~sustainab

le~~~~0

[5] Holmes, H. (2022, April 14). Has shein killed the dream of sustainability in

fashion? Daily Beast. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://www.thedailybeast.com/has-shein-killed-the-dream-of-sustainability-in-fashion

[6] Nguyen, T. (2021, August 10). SHEIN is the future of fast fashion. is that a

good thing? Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22573682/

Shein-future-of-fast-fashion-explained

[7] The dangers of synthetic fibers and fabrics on the environment. (2018, February

19). Superego. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://superegoworld.com/

blogs/the-world/the-dangers-of-synthetic-fibers-and-fabrics-on-the-environment

[8] Einhorn, B., & Wei, D. (2022, july 13). Fast-Fashion behemoth shein says it's

cleaning up its act. Will anyone buy it? Bloomberg. Retrieved August 23,

2022, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-07-13/

shein-s-fast-fashion-waste-concerns-could-harm-ipo