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 Honoring the existing local sustainability initiatives

• Part II Catalyzing the next steps

• Part III Ramping up the impacts

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

Your Accomplishments – Just a taste

• Sustainability commitment from the president - ACUPCC and before

• Sustainability in the:• Mission• Strategic plan

• Steering committee with representatives from different departments

• Sustainability across the curricula - Clear Creek project (Mimi Riley)

• Student activities with Kelly Munson

• High percentage of classes with sustainability as a focus

• Workforce development - clean energy training program with a total of 12 programs, 2 leading to certifications (NABCEP/HERS)

• Facilities - 2002-2006 electricity and natural gas consumption reduced by 33%, recycled 75% of waste stream including food composting and food services (special session)

• Organic vegetables sold in campus and dining services

• Goats rather than pesticides• Bus transportation keeps 1600

cars off the road daily

Your Accomplishments – Just a taste

• Use technology to increase energy efficiency

• Goal of being carbon neutral by 2015

• Solar 3 project (competed April 2011) is last phase - total of over 20,000 kw which will accomplish goal of over 100% renewable energies status

• Serve as a living classroom and GRID POSITIVE, making money for the college from the extra energy production

• Done over 6 years with aggressive

• Annie Rafferty leading the clean energy programs

• Community Commitments:• Jon Stallman - City of Chico

Sustainability Taskforce• Annie Rafferty - On board of the

endowment for sustainability at CSU Chico

• Linda Zorn – Exec Dir Workforce Development, as part of the Private Industry Council participates in NoRTEC – Northern Rural Training Employment Consortium

More Accomplishments and Community Engagement

• Annie Rafferty – Clean Energy Workforce Training for NoRTEC

• Dr. Ken Meier, Annie Rafferty, Linda Zorn and Les Jauron from Butte CC and Scott McNall as Chair with CSU reps on the Higher Ed Taskforce of the Baytec Alliance

• Private Industry Council’s Cleantech Innovation Center – has Clean Energy Classes from Butte, classes from CSU – Chico and entrepreneurialism of Living Elements

• And students, faculty and staff are doing even more, contributing to a culture of sustainability!

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

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 office, utilities, news outlets and others to motivate the public to take action.

2. Convene sustainability partnerships, community forums, community education, etc. to catalyze entrepreneurship, and organizational and government policies that will build a healthy green 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!!!!

Acting on 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

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

We need engagement in solutions for all students and the public. You are on your way!

U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development:

Convene, Catalyze and Communicatewww.uspartnership.org

Sector Teams: Business, Higher Education, K-12, Communities, Faith, Youth…

www.uspartnership.orgJoin 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. Goldman Sachs and 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 – Climate Challenge, Reduce Your Impact, Action Campaigns, Powershift, 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• World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics

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.

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

Climate Leadership in Higher Education

Over 650 presidents in all 50 states, including you!

You are already impacting Scotland, Australia…

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)

28

www.theSeedcenter.orgwww.theSeedcenter.org

• U.S. Dept. of Education Sustainability Summit• National Council of Social Studies endorsement

of the K-12 Sustainability Standards• Global Competencies by Chief State Education

Officers including sustainability• Institutionalization in job descriptions and

performance reviews from Cornell to Lane CC to ASU

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, Mexico, Sweden… 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

• Take a big idea you have to teach in your course and a big sustainability idea. Create a learning activity that includes both.

• Take your job 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, many are Comm. Colleges• S in the schedule and recognition for

graduation/transcript• Positive scenarios and futures fairs (description at

DANS website)

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 – put it in job descriptions (e.g. ASU) and include as professional 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

Next Steps

Get it in more of the assignments, into student life activities and into the bathroom stalls. Check out the existing national initiatives Energy Action, Campus Ecology, Recyclemania, National Teach-In, Student Resolutions, and 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.

Modeling 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)

• The campus and the community as a living lab for a sustainable future, shared nationally and internationally

The lab and the campus can also be a community demonstration center for sustainability

Free online system for you – www.playagreaterpart.org

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

Possible next steps

1. Become national sustainability Fellows for HEASC, DANS or the U.S. Partnership

2. Feed what you are doing into the media and into AACC’s SEED, AASHE and national student groups

3. Put staff on higher education national taskforces,

4. Work on USP and AASHE curricular and policy initiatives – we have a robust list of national projects you can work on.

5. Utilize the local and national media to shift societal norms

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! • 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. People are looking to you for stories and examples.

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 for our country and for our world.

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