Education and Action for
a Sustainable Future
Debra Rowe, Ph.D
President
U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
Professor
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Behavioral Sciences
Oakland 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.
Flourishing
Environment
Social
Well-being
Sustainable
Society
Strong
Economy
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.”
Ecosystem
Sustainable Communities
Ecosystem
Public Choices and
Behaviors-Laws
Applied
Knowledge/
Technological
Skills
Private Choices and
Behaviors-Habits
Sustainable Economies
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
• 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 rise
50% of world’s population lives on the coasts
= Civilization Disruption and National Security Threat
Source: 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
Global Perspective
life supporting resources
declining
consumption of
life supporting resources
rising
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 Shift
Not a list, a more accurate understanding
and a lens for all we do
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From
Carbon pollution powered
Take, make, waste
Living off nature’s capital
Market as master
Loss of cultural & biological
diversity
Independence
Materialism as goal
Thanks to Tony Cortese for this slide
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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
• 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
We need engagement in sustainability
solutions for all students and the public
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/
KEY THRUST – KEY OUTCOME
21st 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 Communicate
www.uspartnership.org
Sector Teams: Business, Higher Education,
K-12, Communities, Faith, Youth…
www.uspartnership.org
Join for free and
use the extensive resources
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:
legislation
public awareness
Curricula
Research
Operations
Mission and
Planning
Community
Outreach and
Partnerships
Purchasing
Student Life
Professional
Development
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
AASCU
AASHE
ACCED-I
ACE
ACPA
ACUHO-I
AGB
APPA
CCCU
NACA
NACUBO
NAEP
NAICU
NIRSA
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of State Colleges & Universities
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Association of Collegiate Conference & Events Directors - International
American Council on Education
College Student Educators International
Association of College & University Housing Officers International
Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges
Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers
Council of Christian Colleges & Universities
National Association for Campus Activities
National Association of College & University Business Officers
National Association of Educational Procurement
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
SCUP
Society for College & University Planning
Higher Education Associations Sustainability
Consortium www.aashe.org/heasc
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Presidents
Academic Officers
Student Affairs
Trustees
Campus Activities
Facilities
Business Officers
Planners
Events Directors
Recreation Directors
Purchasers
More….. On campus Sustainability Committees
Resources
• 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
DANS – the Disciplinary Associations Network for
Sustainability www.aashe.org/dans - click on
Resources
Include this in all disciplines and gen ed
• American
Psychological
Association
• Sociology
• Religion
• Philosophy
• Math
• Broadcasting
• Architecture
• Engineering (civil,
mechanical, eng. ed.)
• Business
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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:
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Curricula, including textbooks
Promotion and tenure and accreditation
Informing legislation and policy
Informing the public
Professional identity as an academic
See the resources at www.aashe.org/dans
Include 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 Examples
more 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 Examples
more 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 Examples
more at www.aashe.org Annual Digest
• Energy Conservation, Renewable Energies &
Climate Change – Modeling solutions
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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 Examples
more 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 Outcomes
ACPA President’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006 –
College Student Educators International
1.
2.
3.
4.
Each student will be able to define sustainability.
Each student will be able to explain how sustainability
relates to their lives and their values, and how their
actions impact issues of sustainability.
Each student will be able to utilize their knowledge of
sustainability to change their daily habits and consumer
mentality.
Each student will be able to explain how systems are
interrelated.
Student Learning Outcomes
(cont.)
ACPA President’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006
5.
6.
7.
Each student will learn change agent skills.
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.
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#ACP
A
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
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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
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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)
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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
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Mission
Strategic Plan
Budget
Orientation
Campus Map and
Signage
Building Policies
Operations and
Purchasing Policies
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Student Life
Infused throughout
curricula
First Year Experience
Gen Ed Core
Curricula Review
Community Partnerships
Workforce Development
Continuing Ed and
Community 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
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Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) – training and best practices
www.irecusa.org
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Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology (CERET) –
www.ceret.us - also NSF funded, online for faculty development, remote students
and pass-through degrees
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National Council for Workforce Education – examples at colleges
http://www.ncwe.org/documents/GoingGreen.pdf
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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
grassroots@awea.org
• For updates on federal policy, sign up at
http://www.vnf.com/news-signup.html
Challenges and Answers
Challenges
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Already busy
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Don’t know this stuff
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Putting out fires, don’t have time to do the right thing
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Issues complex and systemic
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Societal & environmental impacts invisible and ignored
Answers
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Don’t have to know the answers. Just keep asking the
sustainability questions. Don’t try to get it perfect first.
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Use resources and learn from others to help you learn,
grow and implement
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Sustainability is everyone’s job! Doing nothing is not
benign – it is destructive.
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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 dgrowe@oaklandcc.edu