Background

 

The idea for this project grew out of with Lehigh student Viki Danta a on a climate-protection project here in Bethlehem. One weekend, she visited a friend at Harvard and was amazed at all they are doing to be more sustainable, including energy efficiency, high-performance buildings, waste reduction, transportation, and local & organic food. At first, we thought this might be a function of their generous endowment, but our research showed that colleges and universities around the country — large and small — are doing far more than our Lehigh Valley colleges. We did find some bright spots right here in Pennsylvania, at institutions as diverse as Franklin & Marhall, Juniata, and Penn State.

 

When we researched what colleges and universities are doing throughout the country, we realized that our local colleges and universities are part of the problem instead of being part of the solution.The campus sustainability initiative uses internships on each campus to focus efforts to build institutional support for sustainability. Colleges and universities can have an enormous impact—both in their own operations and in their effects on others—but institutional inertia and resistance to change takes a sustained effort to overcome.

 

The purpose of this initiative is to jump-start activities at our Lehigh Valley colleges and universities and guide each campus to generate its own sustainable, institution-wide commitment to sustainability, including environmental stewardship, social justice, and community engagement. This initiative presents Lehigh Valley colleges and universities with a unique opportunity to take a lead role in efforts to create and develop a more sustainable world. 

Here's why these efforts are so important:

 

1. Each college and university acts like a small city that generates substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to global climate change; they need to act promptly to make their operations more responsible; fortunately, many of the solutions will also reduce expenses.

 

2. Instead of preparing students to build and contribute to communities that are sustainable, they provide a traditional education that prepares students to contribute more to the problem than to the solution.

 

3. Colleges and universities serve as role models and teachers to the community at large, including our public schools, and they need to take a more active role in the community.  Colleges and universities already work with local school systems but need to focus some of their efforts on incorporating an understanding of sustainability into the classroom.

 

 

 

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