Sustainability at CSB/SJU

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "sustainability" mean?

It may be easier to define what it's not: burgeoning landfills, political upheaval, deforestation, rolling blackouts, unhealthy air, habitat loss, child poverty, social anomie, declining biodiversity, economic inequality, and urban sprawl are not features of sustainability. Social, economic, and environmental practices that nurture the earth and its community of life equally are. Some definitions offered by others include:

"Sustainability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any such ongoing system to continue functioning into the indefinite future without being forced into decline through exhaustion. . . of key resources." -- Robert Gilman, President of Context Institute

"Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." -- United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development

"Then I say the earth belongs to each . . . generation during its course, fully and in its own right, no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence." -- Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789

"Sustainability is the [emerging] doctrine that economic growth and development must take place, and be maintained over time, within the limits set by ecology in the broadest sense - by the interrelations of human beings and their works, the biosphere and the physical and chemical laws that govern it . . . It follows that environmental protection and economic development are complementary rather than antagonistic processes." -- William D. Ruckelshaus, "Toward a Sustainable World," Scientific American, September 1989

"The word sustainable has roots in the Latin subtenir, meaning 'to hold up' or 'to support from below.' A community must be supported from below - by its inhabitants, present and future. Certain places, through the peculiar combination of physical, cultural, and, perhaps, spiritual characteristics, inspire people to care for their community. Theses are the places where sustainability has the best chance of taking hold." -- Muscoe Martin, "A Sustainable Community Profile," from Places, Winter 1995.

What is the "Sustainability Working Group?"

The idea for a Sustainability Working Group was conceived at the Second Nature Midwest Regional Workshop held in rural Indiana June 7-11, 2001. The CSB/SJU team of Gordon Brown, Ernie Diedrich, Karolanne Hoffman, and Derek Larson returned from the conference with an action plan that included the formation of the SWG to coordinate the initial stages of a sustainability initiative on our campuses. The SWG was formed to create a path toward sustainability in thought, practice, and teaching at CSB/SJU in keeping with the institutions' Coordinate Strategic Plan and our Benedictine heritage.

What are other schools doing to promote sustainability?

Sustainability in higher education can take many forms. Institutional members of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future have signed the Talloires Declaration, a statement of purpose that includes a ten-point agenda for sustainability. Other schools have created their own paths toward sustainability in both teaching and practice. In some cases this has meant creating new programs housed in "green" buildings, such as the Environmental Living and Learning Center at Northland College, or taking stock of an institution's existing practices and looking for opportunities for system-wide change, as with the Greening the Campus program at Ball State University.

What can I do to help CSB/SJU become more sustainable?

You can help by attending SWG meetings, joining a Resource Committee, and making others aware of the need for creative leadership and action toward a sustainable future. Sign up for the sustainability email list, look for public announcements of upcoming meetings/workshops or contact Dr. Derek Larson, CSB/SJU Environmental Studies Program Director, for more information.