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Baseline Sustainability Literacy Survey Results

Summary

Surveys given during the 2011-2012 academic year at Ohio University indicated that sustainability

literacy on campus is in a developing stage. Respondents recognize vague concepts of sustainability but

not specific details such as standard definitions or the relationships between various sustainability

concepts. Only 39.1% of respondents recognized the standard Brundtland definition1 as the best

definition of sustainability; only 17.6% of respondents had calculated their own carbon footprint; and

though the majority of respondents recognized many tenets of sustainability, only 23% of respondents

recognized either infrastructure or social justice as components of sustainability. Data from these

surveys can be used as a baseline to evaluate strategies to increase sustainability literacy on campus.

I. Background

Surveys were given in classrooms, at co-curricular activities, and at a mini-farmers market at Ohio

University between September 23, 2011 and February 20, 2012 . Shoppers at the mini-market were

approached by staff members from the Office of Sustainability at Ohio University and asked if they

would take a short survey about sustainability and the farmers market in exchange for a reusable

shopping bag. Ninety-six shoppers took the survey. An additional 132 staff, faculty and students

(mainly students, though status was not tracked) took the survey in classroom or co-curricular settings,

for a total of 228 respondents.

1 The Brundtland definitionof sustainable development is: "..development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" from The Report of the Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987.

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II. Survey Questions

The survey consisted of the following three questions:

1. What do you believe is the best definition of ‘sustainability’?

A) A movement to promote concern for the environment primarily through recycling,

reducing waste, and selecting "green" products.

B) A way of life that demands personal responsibility in being a steward for the

environment.

C) Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their needs.

D) The maintenance of ecological balance.

E) Other

2. Have you calculated your own carbon footprint?

A) Yes

B) No

C) What’s a carbon footprint?

3. What does “sustainability” mean to you? Please circle the terms that apply. Put a question mark

beside the letter if you do not know the term.

(adapted from: Fieselman, L. (2010). Meredith College Sustainability Literacy Assessment Survey)

A) Reducing, reusing, recycling

B) Thinking global, acting local

C) Social justice

D) Conserving resources

E) Personal wellness

F) Living simply

G) Supporting the local economy

H) Infrastructure development

I) Behavior change

J) Cutting my carbon footprint

K) Innovation/education

L) Being efficient

M) Taking responsibility for my actions

N) Other_________________________________

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III. Results

I. Data

Data from the 228 surveys were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed. The percentage of

respondents choosing each answer was calculated. Some respondents chose more than one answer

for question 1, so the total number of responses is greater than 228 for question 1. One respondent

did not answer question 2, so the total number of responses is less than 228 for question 2. Raw

data is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Data from the Ohio University Sustainability Literacy Baseline Survey, 2011-2012

Question 1 answers A B C D E

Percent of total

(238)

25.6 22.7 39.1 8.8 3.8

Question 2 answers Yes No What’s a carbon footprint?

Percent of total

(227)

17.6 74.4 7.9

Question

3

answers

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N

Percent

of tot

(228)

89.

3

72.

1

22.

8

78.

6

40.

5

47.

9

65.

1

23.

3

44.

7

57.

2

49.

8

73.

5

60.

9

0.9

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II. Charts

Figure 1: Answers to survey question #1.

Figure 2: Answers to survey question #2

25.6%

22.7% 39.1%

8.8%

3.8%

All Responses for Best Definition of Sustainability, through April, 2012

Movement

Way of life

Meeting the needs

Maintenance

Other

17.6%

74.4%

7.9%

All Responses for Carbon Footprint Calculation, through April, 2012

Yes

No

What's a carbonfootprint?

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Figure 3: Answers to survey question #3

IV. Analysis

Only 39.1% of respondents chose the standard Brundtland definition as the best definition of

sustainability. The rest chose definitions which captured only some of the concepts of sustainability

(environmental concerns, definition A: 25.6%; personal responsibility and environmental concerns,

definition B: 22.7%; ecological balance, definition D: 8.8%; or other (respondent-written definitions

covering various aspects of sustainability), no answer: 3.8%). Although respondents could have been

aware of the Brundtland definition but not felt it was the best definition, the responses seem to indicate

that a majority of respondents are not familiar with the standard sustainability definition.

The majority of respondents at Ohio University have not taken a carbon footprint quiz, which is a method

of measuring individual sustainability. Only 17.7% of respondents had taken a carbon footprint quiz.

Since carbon footprint quizzes are easy to administer, easy to take, and cover many concepts of

sustainability, requiring carbon footprint quizzes in some Ohio University courses could be a simple

strategy for increasing sustainability literacy on campus.

Answers to the third question, “what does sustainability mean to you?”, indicate that the majority of

respondents have at least a vague understanding of sustainability concepts, but are not aware of the

details of the relationship between sustainability and many aspects of campus life. For example, energy

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nta

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Re

spo

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All Responses for Sustainability Topics, through April, 2012

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usage and corresponding costs could be cut drastically if the infrastructure on campus was more energy

efficient, but only 23% of respondents saw infrastructure as an aspect of sustainability. Social justice, a

basic tenet of Ohio University’s Sustainability Plan, was also only considered a component of

sustainability by 23% of respondents. Other categories that received lower scores were personal

wellness, living simply, and behavior change. These categories could be targeted in a campus-wide

sustainability awareness campaign.

V. Conclusions

There is work to be done to increase sustainability literacy at Ohio University. The data from these

surveys can be used as a benchmark to evaluate the effectiveness of any strategies used to raise

sustainability literacy on campus. Some simple strategies could be: requiring carbon footprint quizzes in

certain courses; highlighting concepts such as social justice and living simply as sustainability-related in

campus marketing and information services; creating an Ohio University definition of sustainability that

is used in all publications.