Sustainability At Hampshire

Community-wide examples can be seen in Erika Linenfelser's poster "Sustainability at Hampshire" - please add your own suggestions!

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
"""Sustainability is “the ability to provide for the needs of the world's current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves”.""~ United Nations Brundtland Commission, “Our Common Future”, 1987" "Sustainability “is the preservation of the Earth for the good of present and future generations, so that our needs can be supported within the current natural systems without compromising those systems or the ability of future systems and people to meet their own needs.” ~Lin Gray F03, Div III Thesis: “Learning for Our Future: Moving Toward a Sustainable Worldview”, May 2007" "“The campus design should respect &amp; enhance the natural beauty of the land.” ~ Hampshire College, “Making of the College”, 1975"

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAMPSHIRE?
We, the Environmental Committee, propose that, as a community, we embrace sustainability as a lens that encompasses all aspects of campus life, thereby informing the actions and decisions made by each of us.

Every institution should play a key role in reducing anthropogenic carbon emissions and otherwise degrading the environment. But Hampshire is not just any institution: from its very inception, Hampshire has been dedicated to academic innovation and social justice. This, we believe, invests Hampshire with a special responsibility – as well as an opportunity – in the global drive for sustainability.

We have an obligation to assume leadership in promoting sustainability in all aspects of college life – learning, community, and our resources (buildings &amp; grounds etc.) – and an opportunity to cast Hampshire as a national and international center of innovation in all of these endeavors, thereby contributing to the long-term health of the College.

It is through us that change is made – each of us impacts our surroundings on a daily basis. We all have creative and innovative ideas to bring to these questions. As a community viewing our world through a lens of sustainability, we increase our awareness of, and positive impact on, the world around us.

We believe sustainability is critical to the mission of the campus &amp; affects all elements of the campus mission. Community-wide examples can be seen in Erika Linenfelser's poster "Sustainability at Hampshire" - please add your own suggestions!