Sunday, October 09, 2005

UCSB Instituting The Natural Step

From the Daily Nexus, the student newspaper at the University of California, Santa Barbara, comes news of the university's efforts to implement a campuswide sustainablity plan. Step one: bring in consultants on The Natural Step. Step two (as is always the case at a university): form committees:
Today'’s [October 6] presentation will also introduce the 12 campus committees composed of three to four people that were created to focus on such areas of campus life as facilities management, food services and transportation, said Katie Maynard Sustainability Education and Outreach Coordinator.

Eric Cummings, Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) co-chair and fourth-year English major, said the Campus Sustainability Plan will be a subsection of the campus'’ new Long Range Development Plan, which will be released later this year. The plan regulates construction and expansion on campus for the next 30 years.

Cummings said EAB will be working extensively this year on campus sustainability plans.

"Our goal is to create a lifestyle that is sustainable for the future, and that will allow us to live in harmony with the environment,"” Cummings said. "Our main focus is to work on the sustainability plan and to lobby for it."
Of course, as you might imagine, I'm already encouraged since I see an English major heading up the process. I find this really inspiring, though, as I can't think of a better way to educate students about sustainability than to put it into practice with their involvement.

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