Comments on: College Sustainablity Report Card Released http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released Ideas and commentary from the campus sustainability community Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:43:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Ryan Powell http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-756 Ryan Powell Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:51:16 +0000 http://www.aashe.net/staffblog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-756 I worry about the repercussions of imposing any one-size fits all criteria upon campus sustainability. Historically, the municipalities and universities that undertook their own sustainability assessments two decades ago remain the farthest along today. There are two lessons here: Local sustainable activity (even in concert with larger national movements like Step It Up, FTN, CCC) is largely discursive. It 'bubbles' up as individuals identify the unique sets of problems within their own community and use the tools of organizing, collaborating, lobbying and often emulating to affect change. Second, sustainable activity (and related metrics) are subject to change. Much like the highly contested classroom grading curve, assigning A's to the leaders and F's to those who don't score all the right binary variables systematically marginalizes innovators and late-comers with capacity invested elsewhere. With respect to SEI's under-researched (both indicators and the results for indicators) and highly-publicized report, I feel it has the potential to severely hinder sustainable activity on many campuses. The fear of an F is an effective motivator; the act of receiving an F has never motivated anything but withdrawal. You can lead a horse to water... but ultimately all you can do is provide any university with the tools to undertake their own sustainability assessment and support them as they go from there. I worry about the repercussions of imposing any one-size fits all criteria upon campus sustainability. Historically, the municipalities and universities that undertook their own sustainability assessments two decades ago remain the farthest along today. There are two lessons here: Local sustainable activity (even in concert with larger national movements like Step It Up, FTN, CCC) is largely discursive. It ‘bubbles’ up as individuals identify the unique sets of problems within their own community and use the tools of organizing, collaborating, lobbying and often emulating to affect change. Second, sustainable activity (and related metrics) are subject to change. Much like the highly contested classroom grading curve, assigning A’s to the leaders and F’s to those who don’t score all the right binary variables systematically marginalizes innovators and late-comers with capacity invested elsewhere. With respect to SEI’s under-researched (both indicators and the results for indicators) and highly-publicized report, I feel it has the potential to severely hinder sustainable activity on many campuses. The fear of an F is an effective motivator; the act of receiving an F has never motivated anything but withdrawal. You can lead a horse to water… but ultimately all you can do is provide any university with the tools to undertake their own sustainability assessment and support them as they go from there.

]]> By: frank.powell@furman.edu http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-714 frank.powell@furman.edu Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:47:40 +0000 http://www.aashe.net/staffblog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-714 I must believe that the report has much positve impact on higher education's efforts to be environmentally responsible. I hope Julian's constructive comments above will be seriously incorporated into next year's instrument. And to Sam, above, thanks for the warning that good grades may lead to greater complacency. My life experience predicts the opposite, however. I must believe that the report has much positve impact on higher education’s efforts to be environmentally responsible. I hope Julian’s constructive comments above will be seriously incorporated into next year’s instrument. And to Sam, above, thanks for the warning that good grades may lead to greater complacency. My life experience predicts the opposite, however.

]]> By: Sam Hummel http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-679 Sam Hummel Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:07:33 +0000 http://www.aashe.net/staffblog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-679 <p>I share Dave's sentiments. I think these kinds of rankings are often under-researched, overly-promoted and not particularly instructive. I say that having experienced the release of a similar report when I was the Sustainability Coordinator at Duke University. The report rated Duke's sustainability program highly, which one would think would be a good thing. In reality, I watched the sense of urgency on campus evaporate as people said, "hey, we're at the head of the pack." Some persons even addressed me with retorts implying I had lied to them about the comparable performance of our sustainability program. I think they felt that way because I did regularly say that we had "a long way to go." But, I didn't mean that we had a long way to go before we would be "out-competing" our peers in the battle for sustainability supremacy (isn't that an oxymoron). I meant that we had a long way to go before we would have a truly sustainable educational institution. I was talking about a non-relative end-goal, whereas the report's rankings touted relativism. What good is relativism when our planet has constraints that are absolute?<br /> So, to me, this latest report is just another case of relativism. Either that, or the absolute scale schools are being measured against does not reflect what it would take to have a truly sustainable educational institution. If that were the measure, I doubt any school would have achieved an A in any category. That shouldn't be discouraging. That's reality. That's the awe-inspiring challenge. That's where the sense of urgency comes from. That's why there is potential here for people to make a huge difference.</p> I share Dave’s sentiments. I think these kinds of rankings are often under-researched, overly-promoted and not particularly instructive. I say that having experienced the release of a similar report when I was the Sustainability Coordinator at Duke University. The report rated Duke’s sustainability program highly, which one would think would be a good thing. In reality, I watched the sense of urgency on campus evaporate as people said, “hey, we’re at the head of the pack.” Some persons even addressed me with retorts implying I had lied to them about the comparable performance of our sustainability program. I think they felt that way because I did regularly say that we had “a long way to go.” But, I didn’t mean that we had a long way to go before we would be “out-competing” our peers in the battle for sustainability supremacy (isn’t that an oxymoron). I meant that we had a long way to go before we would have a truly sustainable educational institution. I was talking about a non-relative end-goal, whereas the report’s rankings touted relativism. What good is relativism when our planet has constraints that are absolute?
So, to me, this latest report is just another case of relativism. Either that, or the absolute scale schools are being measured against does not reflect what it would take to have a truly sustainable educational institution. If that were the measure, I doubt any school would have achieved an A in any category. That shouldn’t be discouraging. That’s reality. That’s the awe-inspiring challenge. That’s where the sense of urgency comes from. That’s why there is potential here for people to make a huge difference.

]]> By: Dave Newport http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-678 Dave Newport Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:35:37 +0000 http://www.aashe.net/staffblog/campus-operations/college-sustainablity-report-card-released#comment-678 One one hand I am pleased that the efforts of my campus leaders are being recognized--and that gives them something to feel good about. Hopefully they will want to keep working. However, on the other hand, we got straight A's in the campus categories--yet our GHG emissions are increasing. So how happy can we feel? I am a little concerned that the A's came too easily. I agree with Gioa, few, if any campuses probably qualify for all A's. One one hand I am pleased that the efforts of my campus leaders are being recognized–and that gives them something to feel good about. Hopefully they will want to keep working.

However, on the other hand, we got straight A’s in the campus categories–yet our GHG emissions are increasing. So how happy can we feel?

I am a little concerned that the A’s came too easily. I agree with Gioa, few, if any campuses probably qualify for all A’s.

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