Page 684 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

weeks, policymakers for some cities and states were talking “development that meets the needs of the present without com-
about fossil fuel divestment in their portfolios as well. promising the ability of future generations to meet their own
A respected voice from South Africa hailed the new needs.” Sustaining human institutions in a healthy and func-
movement. Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond tional condition requires sustaining ecological systems in a
Tutu noted that the anti-apartheid movement on American healthy and functional condition. This is because the contribu-
campuses in the 1980s “played a key role in helping liberate tions of biodiversity (pp. 308–312) and ecosystem goods and
South Africa. The corporations understood the logic of money services (pp. 21, 134–135, 170, 308) are fundamental to human
even when they weren’t swayed by the dictates of morality. welfare. Yet sustainability means promoting social justice and
Climate change is a deeply moral issue, too, of course. . . . economic well-being as well as environmental protection.
Once again, we can join together as a world and put pressure Meeting this triple bottom line (p. 174) is the goal of modern
where it counts.” sustainable development. It is our primary challenge for this
century and likely for the rest of our species’ time on Earth.
WeIGHING tHe ISSUeS

SUStaINabIlIty oN yoUr CaMPUS What are students doing Environmental protection can enhance
on your campus to promote sustainability? What changes economic opportunity
have come about so far as a result of these efforts? Which
of the many types of initiatives described above do you think Our society has long labored under the misconception that
could be successful on your campus? How could you become economic well-being and environmental protection are in con-
involved? flict. In reality, the opposite is true: Our well-being depends
on a healthy environment, and protecting environmental qual-
ity can improve our economic bottom line.
Organizations assist campus efforts For individuals, businesses, and institutions, reducing
resource consumption and waste often saves money, as many
Many campus sustainability initiatives are supported by colleges and universities discover when they embark on sus-
organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of tainability initiatives. Sometimes savings accrue immediately,
Sustainability in Higher Education and the Campus Ecology and other times an up-front investment brings long-term sav-
program of the National Wildlife Federation. These organiza- ings. For society as a whole, promoting environmental quality
tions act as information clearinghouses for campus sustaina- can enhance economic opportunity by providing new types of
bility efforts. Each year the Campus Ecology program awards employment. As we transition to a more sustainable economy,
the most successful campus sustainability initiatives and posts some industries will decline while others spring up to take
hundreds of case studies on its website. In addition, national their place. As jobs in logging, mining, and manufacturing
and international conferences are growing, such as the bien- have disappeared in developed nations in recent decades, jobs
nial Greening of the Campus conferences at Ball State Uni- have proliferated in service occupations and high-technology
versity. With the assistance of these organizations and events, sectors. As we decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, green-
it is easier than ever to start sustainability efforts on your own collar jobs (p. 602) and investment opportunities are opening
campus. You can find links to resources for campus sustain- up in renewable energy sectors (Figure 24.17).
ability efforts in the Selected Sources and References section Moreover, people desire to live in areas that have clean
at the back of this book. air, clean water, intact forests, and parks and open space.
Environmental protection increases a region’s appeal, draw-
ing residents, increasing property values, and boosting the tax
Strategies for Sustainability

Figure 24.17 Green-collar jobs, such as employment as a
The pursuit of sustainable solutions on college and university wind power technician, increase as we progress toward a
campuses parallels efforts in the world at large. As more peo- sustainable economy.
ple come to appreciate Earth’s limited capacity to accommo-
date our rising population and consumption, they are voicing
concern that we will need to modify our behaviors, institu-
tions, and technologies if we wish to sustain our civilization CHAPTER 24 • Su STA in A bl E Sol u T i on S
and the natural environment on which it depends. In the quest
for sustainability, the strategies pursued on campuses reflect
those pursued in the wider society, and they also can serve as
models.

Sustainable development aims to achieve
a triple bottom line

As we explored sustainable development (pp.174–175), we
considered the definition put forth by the United Nations: 683

M24_WITH7428_05_SE_C24.indd 683 13/12/14 10:40 AM