Tuesday, December 10, 2013
I Have Been Enlightened...now what
Last blog entry I read the Furman Sustainable Master Plan. I really do not have much that I want to add to the plan. The goals are very clear, the plan is laid out, and the university is now responsible for carrying it out.
I believe that there is something so vital and necessary to the study and practice of sustainability that cannot be taught or enforced- passion. I was so lucky to have two amazing professors in the Earth and Environmental Department this past semester that not only taught me the foundations of EES, but also that this kind of lifestyle can not be carried out without passion. I think that passion is what guides and inspires the human race to flourish. Passion is necessary for sustainability because this lifestyle is not easy. I see more and more that it is the farthest thing from easy. I think that sustainable methods, for example the ones on Furman's campus, are easy to talk about. However, it is the enforcement, the pure mentality of it, that seems almost impossible to convince people of.
I am at an utter loss as to why humans do not care more about preserving this world in which we live. I can not figure out why such a disconnect between nature and person has occurred. I do know that passion for this subject is required to inspire others. I think that one must have passion for the environment, in order for this reconnect to spread within society. The Master Plan is wonderful, but at the end of the day, it is still words. The Sustainability Planning Council is an example of a group of people who are truly passionate in changing the lifestyle of this campus to one that benefits both nature and society. However, I think the mass public must be inspired as well. A fire must be lit within the hearts of every person who calls themselves a citizen of this world, because without a love and enactment of sustainability, we might now have this world for long.
The most important things I have learned all year can be summarized in a video my To Walk The Land professor Dr. Ranson showed us today on the last day of class. It is truly amazing and I highly suggest everyone to watch it:
Furman University Master Sustainability Plan
A very unique aspect of Furman that originally drew me to the college was not only the major of Sustainability, but also the sustainable practices carried out by the institution. Every day I feel pleasantly shocked by the initiatives of the university. My learning about sustainability is filled with wonder as I am actually able to see the tangible effects of the lifestyle. I know that Furman can do more when it comes to sustainable initiatives, but I am in awe at how far they have come. With this being said, I was very interested in reading the “Furman Sustainability Master Plan”. This document, which was contributed to by some of my awesome professors, lays out Furman’s plan and goals in sustainability. Ok the document is about 40 pages long so I did not read the entire thing, but what I did read was so enlightening and informative that I thought I would share:
Basically Furman has just really began its sustainability initiatives in the past decade. Here is a brief timeline of events: in 2001 the board of trustees voted to promote sustainability, in 2002 all the new buildings and renovations had to meet LEED silver, in 2003 Hipp Hall became the first LEED building in South Carolina, in 2004 sustainability became the main strategic goal as the new university plan puts it at top priority, in 2005 the SPG (Sustainability Planning Group) was created, 2007 the first greenhouse gas inventory was created and President Shi signed the ACUPCC commitment, in 2008 the Center for Sustainability was established, in 2009 Climate Action Plan strategies were developed and the Sustainability Master Plan was completed, and from 2007 to the future this plan will be enacted. In 2026, the university hopes to be completely carbon neutral.
Some brief highlights from the master plan that might aid in understanding the lingo from above:
The first wave implemented was centered around how to be more energy efficient. To combat this, Furman started creating LEED buildings. LEED certificated (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Buildings Ratings System) greatly saved on energy. However, energy was not everything as the university wants to focus on creating environmental citizens. I am going to steal a paragraph from the Master Plan as they desctibed this process much better than I could-
“To help ensure that such fundamental conversations are nurtured
and renewed, we have focused considerable attention on
integrating sustainability-related topics and issues into the
academic program. In fall 2008, for example, the Furman faculty
implemented a new curriculum that requires all students take at
least one course dealing with “Humans and the Natural
Environment.” At the same time, the university launched an
array of related curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular
initiatives to connect the university’s academic emphasis on
sustainability with student life and community outreach activities.”
The Sustainability Planning Group in using the Climate Action Plan, have a unique goal of making the university carbon neutral by 2026, its bicentennial year. The Group has now added over one hundred new members and has changed its name to the Sustainability Planning Council. The Council is run by some amazing people I have been fortunate enough to meet. It is
co-chaired by Tom Kazee, Provost, Angela Halfacre, Director of
the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, and Bill Ranson,
Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
I believe that the Sustaibility Master Plan is an amazing document that should be read by all, no matter their area of interest. The document concludes by stating:
“Sustainability has become a core principle and a transformational
force at Furman. Our efforts in this arena have won national
awards and stimulated the growing interest of students, faculty,
staff, alumni, and community members. Student organizations
have initiated a dizzying array of campus projects. A cadre of
student leaders committed to sustainability has emerged to lead
our efforts on campus and—after they leave Furman—in their
communities. The fabric of campus life has been altered.
Nurturing sustainability also nurtures our sense of community by
focusing attention on a compelling goal: to ensure that Furman
remains a perpetual landscape of possibilities for generations of
students to come. Step by step, Furman is making a difference.
The campus community is justifiably proud of its sense of place,
and even prouder of the culture of sustainability that is spreading
across the campus. The seed of sustainability that germinated
over a decade ago is blossoming into a collective vision:
Sustainable Furman. The good work of nurturing our
environment, our campus, and our community, is never over. Nor
should it be. This plan reflects that ongoing reality and
commitment.”
Basically Furman has just really began its sustainability initiatives in the past decade. Here is a brief timeline of events: in 2001 the board of trustees voted to promote sustainability, in 2002 all the new buildings and renovations had to meet LEED silver, in 2003 Hipp Hall became the first LEED building in South Carolina, in 2004 sustainability became the main strategic goal as the new university plan puts it at top priority, in 2005 the SPG (Sustainability Planning Group) was created, 2007 the first greenhouse gas inventory was created and President Shi signed the ACUPCC commitment, in 2008 the Center for Sustainability was established, in 2009 Climate Action Plan strategies were developed and the Sustainability Master Plan was completed, and from 2007 to the future this plan will be enacted. In 2026, the university hopes to be completely carbon neutral.
Some brief highlights from the master plan that might aid in understanding the lingo from above:
The first wave implemented was centered around how to be more energy efficient. To combat this, Furman started creating LEED buildings. LEED certificated (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Buildings Ratings System) greatly saved on energy. However, energy was not everything as the university wants to focus on creating environmental citizens. I am going to steal a paragraph from the Master Plan as they desctibed this process much better than I could-
“To help ensure that such fundamental conversations are nurtured
and renewed, we have focused considerable attention on
integrating sustainability-related topics and issues into the
academic program. In fall 2008, for example, the Furman faculty
implemented a new curriculum that requires all students take at
least one course dealing with “Humans and the Natural
Environment.” At the same time, the university launched an
array of related curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular
initiatives to connect the university’s academic emphasis on
sustainability with student life and community outreach activities.”
The Sustainability Planning Group in using the Climate Action Plan, have a unique goal of making the university carbon neutral by 2026, its bicentennial year. The Group has now added over one hundred new members and has changed its name to the Sustainability Planning Council. The Council is run by some amazing people I have been fortunate enough to meet. It is
co-chaired by Tom Kazee, Provost, Angela Halfacre, Director of
the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, and Bill Ranson,
Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
I believe that the Sustaibility Master Plan is an amazing document that should be read by all, no matter their area of interest. The document concludes by stating:
“Sustainability has become a core principle and a transformational
force at Furman. Our efforts in this arena have won national
awards and stimulated the growing interest of students, faculty,
staff, alumni, and community members. Student organizations
have initiated a dizzying array of campus projects. A cadre of
student leaders committed to sustainability has emerged to lead
our efforts on campus and—after they leave Furman—in their
communities. The fabric of campus life has been altered.
Nurturing sustainability also nurtures our sense of community by
focusing attention on a compelling goal: to ensure that Furman
remains a perpetual landscape of possibilities for generations of
students to come. Step by step, Furman is making a difference.
The campus community is justifiably proud of its sense of place,
and even prouder of the culture of sustainability that is spreading
across the campus. The seed of sustainability that germinated
over a decade ago is blossoming into a collective vision:
Sustainable Furman. The good work of nurturing our
environment, our campus, and our community, is never over. Nor
should it be. This plan reflects that ongoing reality and
commitment.”
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