Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Education and Action for a Sustainable Future
Debra Rowe, Ph.DPresident
U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable DevelopmentProfessor
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Behavioral SciencesOakland Community College
• Part I What is education for a green and sustainable future?
• Part II What are our sustainability challenges?
• Part III National Trends
• Part IV Solutions and Resources for you!
Sustainable Development is often defined as:
“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”
World Commission on Env. and Development. (1987). Our Common Future. England: Oxford University Press.
StrongEconomy
SocialWell-being
Flourishing Environment
SustainableSociety
Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability
Education for a Sustainable Society:
“enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to
participate in decisions …, that will improve the quality of life now without
damaging the planet for the future.”
Applied Knowledge/
TechnologicalSkills
Private Choices and Behaviors-Habits
Public Choices and Behaviors-Laws
Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Economies
EcosystemEcosystem
EcosystemEcosystem
• Part I What is education for a green and sustainable future?
• Part II What are our sustainability challenges and solutions?
• Part III National Trends
• Part IV Solutions and Resources for you!
Why is environmental responsibility such a high priority?
• Freshwater withdrawal has almost doubled since 1960 and nearly half the world’s major rivers are going dry or are badly polluted (New Internationalist, no. 329)
• 11 of the world’s 15 major fishing areas and 69% of the world’s major fish species are in decline (State of the World, Worldwatch Institute)
• Climate change (global warming) exists, a major culprit is fossil fuels, and impacts are very serious. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report: Summary for Policymakers: The Science of Climate Change)
4
Effects -Climate Change
Disruption of food production and the food chain
More extreme weather events
Disruptions of ecosystems, including water supplies
Spread of disease e.g. West Nile, Malaria, Dengue
Fever
Submersion of land masses – sea level rise50% of world’s population lives on the coasts
= Civilization Disruption and National Security ThreatSource: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, NASA, Pentagon, and
National Defense University
Why is Climate Change Important?
It is outside of the normal variability of climate.
We are the first generation capable of determining the habitability of the planet
for humans and other species.
The decisions now are crucial.
Why environmental Issues are so important
Our decisions will create:
more scarcity and suffering, or a future of greater abundance and higher quality of life
life supporting
resources
declining
consumption of life supporting
resources
rising
Global Perspective
Why is EFS such a high priority?
1. Much of the public doesn’t know that we are exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet. (www.myfootprint.org)
2. Public doesn’t know we can reduce human suffering and environmental degradation now while building stronger economies
3. A rapid shift in mindset is needed and education to action is the key.
Global Transition – Paradigm ShiftNot a list, a more accurate understanding and a lens for all we do
From• Carbon pollution powered• Take, make, waste• Living off nature’s capital• Market as master• Loss of cultural & biological
diversity• Independence• Materialism as goal
To• Non-polluting powered• Cyclical production• Living off nature’s income• Market as servant• Maintain cultural &
biological diversity• Interdependence• Reduced human
suffering and higher quality of life goal
Thanks to Tony Cortese for this slide
• Part I What are green jobs?
• Part II What is education for a green and sustainable future?
• Part III What are our sustainability challenges and solutions?
• Part IV National Trends
• Part V Solutions and Resources for you!
Read Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
by Lester Brown, founder of Worldwatch Institute
Explains how to get to sustainable clean energy solutions, sustainable practices and policies, poverty reduction, and economic health, and what each of us can/needs to do
Downloadable at www.earth-policy.org
Great sections to include in any course – actions near the end
Examples of what should/could be the norm:• Incredible potentials for renewable energies, and conservation
which keeps the money in the community• Benefits of sustainability:
• Saves Money and builds college and community economic health, Improve Physical Health, Reduce Financial Risk, Improve Quality of Life
• Sustainable Manufacturing Opportunities
• Financing and investment for green and sustainable will reap the economic and other rewards
• Transition Towns
• Sustainable Eau Clair - http://sustainableeauclaire.org/
We need engagement in sustainability solutions for all students and the public
KEY THRUST – KEY OUTCOME21st century learning outcomes require sustainability
perspectives and skills
Students, staff and community members know how to and choose to be more environmentally, socially and
economically responsible.
Where? In the personal, career, community and governmental spheres.
• Part I What are green jobs?
• Part II What is education for a green and sustainable future?
• Part III What are our sustainability challenges and solutions?
• Part IV National Trends
• Part V Solutions and Resources for you!
U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development:
Convene, Catalyze and Communicatewww.uspartnership.org
Sector Teams: Business, Higher Education, K-12, Communities, Faith, Youth…
Business principles of sustainability:
– Cradle to Cradle (McDonough)– Biomimicry (Benyas – Like nature, efficient
and not toxic)– World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (www.wbcsd.org)– Natural Step (Sweden and U.S.)– Natural Capitalism (Lovins, Harvard Business
Review)– More accurate economic indicators and
markets – Hazel Henderson
Trends in sectors – some examples
• Business – LOHAS - Japan, SOL Sustainability Consortium, Businesses for Social Responsibility, Shareholders, Investors (e.g. Swiss RE)
• Communities - Mayors Climate Protection and Smart Growth, Sustainable Communities Partnerships, Coalitions, Community Planning
• K-12 – U.S. Summit and collaboration, national webinars and resources
• Faith - Religious Partnership and Interfaith Alliance, Regeneration Project
• Youth –Action Campaigns: Powershift, 350.org, National Teach-in…
Higher education is taking a leadership role to prepare students and provide the information and knowledge to achieve a sustainable society.
What does it look like?
For higher education, Sustainable Development is being integrated
into:
Curricula Research
Operations
CommunityOutreach andPartnerships
Student Life Professional Development
Mission andPlanning Purchasing
public awarenesslegislation
Internationally, a taste…
• In Sweden, it is a law that all undergraduates be educated about sustainability
• High priority in higher education principles in European Union
• U.N. Decade and other ESD international conferences in Mexico, Bonn Declaration
• Earth Charter in Costa Rica – vision • Association of Canadian Community Colleges
• Global Sustainability Group out of MIT• Japanese campaign for sustainable living as
patriotism
GREAT NEWS!!!Growing National Trend in U.S.:
Over seventeen national HE associations and twenty national
disciplinary associations are creating initiatives
on Education for Green and Sustainable
Committed to the advancement of sustainability throughout
higher education
AACC American Association of Community Colleges AASCU American Association of State Colleges & UniversitiesAASHE Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher EducationACCED-I Association of Collegiate Conference & Events Directors - International ACE American Council on Education ACPA College Student Educators International ACUHO-I Association of College & University Housing Officers International AGB Association of Governing Boards of Universities & CollegesAPPA Association of Higher Education Facilities OfficersCCCU Council of Christian Colleges & UniversitiesNACA National Association for Campus ActivitiesNACUBO National Association of College & University Business OfficersNAEP National Association of Educational ProcurementNAICU National Association of Independent Colleges & UniversitiesNIRSA National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
SCUP Society for College & University Planning
Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium www.aashe.org/heasc
1. Presidents2. Academic Officers3. Student Affairs4. Trustees 5. Campus Activities6. Facilities7. Business Officers8. Planners9. Events Directors10. Recreation Directors11. Purchasers12. More….. On campus Sustainability Committees
•Higher Education Sustainability Fellows Programs•HEASC News Digest and shared publications•HEASC Resource Center - Socially,
economically and environmentally responsible procurement, operations, planning, leadership, learning outcomes and more!!
•Media Strategies for Sustainability •Informing Legislation
Resources
DANS – the Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability www.aashe.org/dans - click on
ResourcesInclude this in all disciplines and gen ed
• American Psychological Association
• Sociology• Religion• Philosophy• Math• Broadcasting• Architecture• Engineering (civil,
mechanical, eng. ed.)• Business
• Ecological Economics• Chemistry• Biology• American Association
for the Advancement of Science
• Computer Research• Humanities• STEM disciplines• Political Science• Anthropology• More…
Academic Disciplines and U. S. Partnership created DANS
Infusing green/sustainability into:
1. Curricula, including textbooks2. Promotion and tenure and accreditation3. Informing legislation and policy4. Informing the public5. Professional identity as an academic
See the resources at www.aashe.org/dansInclude sustainability in your courses. Request it for all
degrees and certificates and in gen ed core!!!
The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
Climate Leadership in Higher Education
Over 650 presidents in all 50 states
Resources (for presidents, students and you!)
• Education for Climate Neutrality and Sustainability – very good!!
• Energy Performance Contracting Toolkit• ACUPCC Voluntary Carbon Offset Protocol • ACUPCC Climate Action Planning Wiki• ACUPCC Reporting Tool• ACUPCC Implementation Guide• ACUPCC GHG Inventory Brief• ACUPCC Webinar Series• ACUPCC Solutions Page (includes links to further
resources)
So many examples at so many colleges!
Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education
AASHE (AY-shee)
www.aashe.org
Sign up for the free bulletin
Search the extensive resources and the digest
Join as an institution
HE Sustainability Examplesmore at www.aashe.org Annual Digest
• Systemic integration•Georgia Tech•University of North Carolina• Arizona State•Moraine Valley Community College• Lane Community College….
• Transportation•UC Boulder•Many community colleges
HE Sustainability Examplesmore at www.aashe.org Annual Digest
• Green Computing• League for Innovation (comm. colleges)• Educause
• Food•Marshalltown CC Organic Garden• Yale
• Institutionalization in job descriptions and performance reviews• From Cornell to Lane CC to ASU
HE Sustainability Examplesmore at www.aashe.org Annual Digest
• Energy Conservation, Renewable Energies & Climate Change – Modeling solutions
• Over 400 greenhouse gas inventories completed• University of Minnesota Morris – wind power and biomass• Turtle Mtn CC - wind• At least 11 campuses installed or announced plans to
install more than 1 MW each of solar energy in 2008-9, including Contra Costa Community College District (CA)
• Many more!
HE Sustainability Examplesmore at www.aashe.org Annual Digest
• Green Building• Built into all bid requests• So many examples, from Maricopa colleges…
• Socially and Environmentally Responsible Purchasing• Rutgers, Stanford, OCC
• Waste Minimization• 400 colleges in RecycleMania
Student Learning OutcomesACPA President’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006 – College Student Educators International
1. Each student will be able to define sustainability.
2. Each student will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and their values, and how their actions impact issues of sustainability.
3. Each student will be able to utilize their knowledge of sustainability to change their daily habits and consumer mentality.
4. Each student will be able to explain how systems are interrelated.
Student Learning Outcomes (cont.)ACPA President’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006
5. Each student will learn change agent skills.
6. Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability to their campus and community by engaging in the challenges and solutions of sustainability on their campus.
7. Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability globally by engaging in the challenges and the solutions of sustainability in a world context.
These outcomes match international declarations and other countries’ learning outcomes … Svanström, Lozano-G, Rowe (2008) “Learning outcomes for sustainable development in higher education”, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education; Volume: 9 Issue: 3; 2008
Making a positive change
• Faculty - Take a big idea you have to teach in your course and a big sustainability idea. Create a learning activity that includes both.
• Everyone else - Take your job activities and/or your daily activities and think about how you can make them more sustainability oriented in your behaviors, the normal practices or the policies in the institution. Describe the actions you can choose to help build a culture of sustainability.
Curricula – Systemic Change, not a fad more examples at www.aashe.org Annual Digest and www.theSeedCenter.org
• Sustainability Learning Outcomes for all students• Miami Dade, Some of the Maricopa, Oakland Community
Colleges… – learning outcomes in general education
• Univ. of Wisconsin – Oshkosh – essential learning outcome
• Arizona State University – required for all students
• 650 colleges in the ACUPCC – part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment
• S in the schedule and recognition for graduation/transcript
• Positive scenarios and futures fairs (description at DANS website)
Core pedagogy – real world project based learning!
Curricular Trends – national “transformation is underway in the academy.” Hundreds of colleges are:
1. Starting renewable energies and energy management programs, sustainable manufacturing, transportation, horticulture, etc.
2. Integrating sustainability principles into all technical and other disciplines,
3. Integrating sustainability into general education core requirements for all degrees
Solutions (cont.) via professional development:
1. All of us engaged as effective change agents* to create a sustainable future –include as professional/personal development focus
2. Connect the silos on campus – campus as a living lab and open to the public – use the media
3. Catalyze movement from apathy/fearful/obedient caring, effective involvement (healthy self-concepts & emotional/interpersonal intelligence)
4. Essential instructional approach – real world problem solving for sustainability (affects completion too)
5. Sustainability literacy and engagement for all students – a 21st century core competency – in all jobs
* Change agent skills list - http://www2.aashe.org/heasc/resources.php#ACPA
Key Actions beyond the norm with excellent benefits for you:
1. Colleges are the neutral high credibility source for the public – work with your state energy and social service and economic development offices, utilities, news outlets and others to motivate the public to take actions.
2. Convene sustainability partnerships, community forums, community education, etc. to catalyze entrepreneurship, and organizational and government policies that will build a healthy green and sustainable economy! Include pathways out of poverty, discussions on quality of life and happiness research
3. Reach out to associations of builders, mechanical contractors, plumbers, engineers, manufacturers, chambers of commerce, economic developmt agencies, non-profits and others to show them how to go green and sustainable
Economics as if people mattered!!!!
For the Public
• Individuals at the college doing it and telling their stories too – posting their stories and the stories of students – e.g. MTV’s Breaking the Addiction to Oil
• Sharing the links – e.g. low cost energy conservation and solar, environmentally/socially responsible purchasing and investments (http://www.greenamericatoday.org/ and www.socialinvest.org)
• www.energystar.gov and http://www.eere.energy.gov/
The lab and the campus can also be a community demonstration center for sustainability
Next Steps
Get it in your assignments, into student life activities and into the bathroom stalls. Check out Powershift, 350.org Campus Ecology, Recyclemania, Sustainability into General Education core, make up your own (ICARE – I Care About Renewable Energies)
Building healthier self-concepts.We can change society for the better.
Tell the stories of success and persistence.
Imagine a country where all college students get credit for helping to solve our societal problems through their
academic assignments.
Aids with retention and economic development
Let us know if you want your own free version
Key Places to Place Sustainability:
Create a college wide Sustainability Committee
• MissionMission• Strategic PlanStrategic Plan• BudgetBudget• OrientationOrientation• Campus Map and Campus Map and SignageSignage
• Building Building PoliciesPolicies
• Operations and Operations and Purchasing Purchasing PoliciesPolicies
• Student LifeStudent Life• Infused Infused throughout throughout curricula curricula
• First Year First Year Experience Experience
• Gen Ed CoreGen Ed Core• Curricula ReviewCurricula Review• Community Community PartnershipsPartnerships
• Workforce Workforce DevelopmentDevelopment
• Continuing Ed and Continuing Ed and Community EventsCommunity Events
Brainstorm Systemic Change
1. What additional academic and co-curricular activities would bring sustainability alive more?
2. What community partnerships would help create more models/living labs for sustainability?
3. How do we want to continue to structure this so we can work with each other to build the critical mass to make this happen?
4. Sustainability leaders come from all parts of the community and walks of life.
Some Educator Resources for green technician education – just a taste
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) – training and best practices www.irecusa.org
• Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology (CERET) – www.ceret.us - also NSF funded, online for faculty development, remote students and pass-through degrees
• National Council for Workforce Education – examples at colleges http://www.ncwe.org/documents/GoingGreen.pdf
• American Wind Energy Association – new curricular project – www.awea.org
• AACC Green Resources at www.theSeedCenter.org
www.theSeedCenter.org from the American Ass. of Comm. Colleges
56
Additional Resources for the Community
• Sustainable economies/communities/master action plans• Invite key stakeholders, envision and then create a
sustainable region. Resources:• Communities resources at www.uspartnership.org• Transition Towns, Smart Growth Network, Community-Wealth.org
• Save money and reduce pollution – get an energy audit for your home/other buildings and then weatherize, use a solar hot water heater, regularly caulk and weatherstrip, look at community renewable energies –www.eere.energy.gov and www.energystar.gov
• Work on policy
Policy Resources – a Necessary Step
Resources to Engage in National Policy • Solar Energy Industries Assn - www.seia.org/• Solar Nation from the American Solar Energy Society www.solar-
nation.org• American Council on Renewable Energies – www.acore.org• Efficiency First - www.efficiencyfirst.org/policy/ • American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy -
www.aceee.org/ • American Wind Energy Assn smart briefs – email
[email protected]• For updates on federal policy, sign up at
http://www.vnf.com/news-signup.html
Challenges and Answers
Challenges• Already busy• Don’t know this stuff• Putting out fires, don’t have time to do the right thing• Issues complex and systemic• Societal & environmental impacts invisible and ignoredAnswers• Don’t have to know the answers. Just keep asking the
sustainability questions. Don’t try to get it perfect first.• Use resources and learn from others to help you learn,
grow and implement• Sustainability is everyone’s job! Doing nothing is not
benign – it is destructive.• You have an important role to play. Take big steps.
Conclusions
1. The public is not educated enough about the energy and sustainability issues before us.
2. We need sustainability literacy and engagement in solutions for ALL. Technology is part of the answer but there is more.
3. You are creating the future with your daily decisions.
4. You are in a unique and important role to help create a sustainable future. Successful precedents/materials can assist you in the sustainability path you choose as a private person, as an employee, and as a community member.
5. We can model and change consumption, investment, institutional and civic policies and behaviors to create a economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future.
The Power of What You Do
• We can choose a sustainable future
Congratulations for all you have done.
Congratulations for all you will do in the future.
Let your enthusiasm show!
For more information, contact Debra Rowe at [email protected]
