LCSust

An interesting article on the development side of "sustainable development." Perhaps economic measures are indeed overrated?

Check out this conference, titled "Resilience, Innovation, and Sustainability: Navigating the Complexities of Global Change," for some interesting interdisciplinary work.

As we are currently pursuing a LEED platinum certification for our new dorm building, this might be a good time to ask ourselves if following the status quo "green fads" is really the best way to be a "leader in sustainability"... especially if those fads could be falling out of popularity and assumed legitimacy

Map-based interface comparing human quality of life (primarily related to health, education, and income, but including other measures as well) in different parts of the US. Turns out, surprise surprise, that there are some huge differences from place to place, suggesting the necessity of situated research to explain these differences.

Interesting list of topics the NYT includes in their theme series: marriage, money, food (twice), and technology, all with iconic images depicting some sort of cycle.  What's fresh and what's missing in this overall picture?

The Oregon Sustainability Center, to be housed on PSU campus, embodies the utopia of high-tech self-sufficiency unlike no other contemporary structure around, and may possibly be unique in the U.S. today. But at what cost? And, is this the utopia we want to pursue??

So interesting, isn't it, that they had to add the adjective "desirable" to "sustainable," as if sustainable is not necessarily desirable. Is this the current state of clarity on our thinking about sustainable solutions?? One of the lead instigators of this journal (Bob Costanza), btw, now heads up the sustainability effort at Portland State.

Interesting way to present/visualize/allow comments on sustainability performance. Note inclusion of ecological/economic/social indicators, clear presentation of trends, and opportunity for comments/discussion at right.

I know LC made an attempt in the past to address our excessive water use on lawns, but it is my understanding that this didnt hold up very well. Perhaps we could discuss why it fell apart and revisit the concept again to see if there's anything we can do, at all, about this.

"2nd most beautiful school in the country incorporates sustainability into their beauty." Cant get environmental publicity much better than that, or a better reason to thus become the 1st most beautiful school. Despite what whether or not you agree with Julie Guthman on the locavore movement, you cant deny that local food is a hot topic. I firmly stand with the belief that local food is a crucial part of sustainability, regardless of political action. (Sure, political action is crucial too, but not necessarily for everyone. And even for those who are politically involved, that shouldnt exclude local action!) Like the movement to put solar panels on the white house, this would be, most importantly, a statement about our eco-awareness. We could even include in the press release a disclaimer saying that we think critically enough to know that local food isnt (in and of itself) the solution. But we can also explain that we know its important to do small as many things as possible on the individual scale; doing so keeps us mindful of the impacts of our day-to day individual choices and lifestyles, and it keeps us from getting lost in the theoretical world of politics and economics. PLUS this would align perfectly with the proposed new LC permaculture garden and the institutionalization (meaning turn them into something equivalent to College Outdoors instead of flaky club projects) of all three LC gardens.

search "edible landscaping" in google images to see just how beautiful it can be.

This is an invitation to attend a "webinar" about reducing energy use in buildings. This might be a little too specific for our task force, but perhaps it could give us a good idea of things other companies are doing. I am planning on "attending" as long as I dont get too bogged down with school.

Summary page for LC's Environmental Affairs Symposium 2008, Scales of Sustainability, including summaries of all panels, readings for keynote speakers (Lance Gunderson on resilience and Susan Buckingham on gender), and other resources designed to help us situate sustainability in time and space.

Surprising example of how unifying clean energy/energy conservation can be if framed in non-partisan, non-ideological ways.

Home page for UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014.  One fascinating aspect is its breadth compared with sustainability education in the US: as the page summarizes the Decade "is a vision of development that encompasses populations, animal and plant species, ecosystems, natural resources and that integrates concerns such as the fight against poverty, gender equality, human rights, education for all, health, human security, intercultural dialogue, etc."

A training program focusing on agriculture/food systems and urban built environments. 

Overview of President's Climate Commitment, including details on signatory institutions (674 at present) and reporting/actions. Lewis & Clark is one such signatory to the Climate Commitment.

BEST stands for Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center.  BEST represents an ecological modernization approach to sustainability, with a strong emphasis on green technology and business investment, while other dimensions are not emphasized.

The Global Reporting Initiative is "a network-based organization that has pioneered the development of the world's most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide." The GRI adopts an inclusive approach, with a variety of ecological, economic, and social indicators.