The Why of Sustainability

From the Fall 2010 Issue

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<p>I thought you would be interested in this article from <em>environment: YALE</em> magazine, the Journal of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.<br />
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<h3 style="color:#666;">The Why of Sustainability</h3>
<em><p>By Julie Newman
</p></em><p> <span class="dropcap">F</span>or those of us committed to greening Yale, the reasons for doing so have always been self-evident. Who could argue with the benefits derived from using less energy and resources to fulfill one’s job responsibilities, especially in an age of austerity when reducing costs is paramount to maintaining the pre-eminence of this great institution?</p> <div class="img left" style="margin-top: 6px"> <img alt="Julie Newman" src="http://environment.yale.edu/magazine/uploads/10fall-commentary-33.JPG" style="width: 188px; height: 243px" /><br /> <span class="credit">© Michael Marsland</span><br /> Julie Newman</div> <p> In some quarters, however, it has always been fashionable to assert that we can’t afford to conduct business sustainably, and those cries are now even louder given the downturn in the economy. I say, tell it to President Levin, himself a distinguished economist. Over the past 10 years he has forcefully argued that environmental citizenship must extend beyond the university’s academic enterprise and that Yale as an institution must adopt policies and practices that will contribute to a more sustainable planet. Five years ago, he boldly committed the university to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, at a cost of less than 1 percent of annual operating expenses. And just last year he formed a Sustainability Task Force that has developed a three-year blueprint—just released—for transforming how Yale handles its waste, transportation, food, water usage, energy and greenhouse gases, land, procurement policies and compliance with environmental health and safety initiatives.</p> <p> The university already finds itself well-positioned to realize this ambitious strategic plan because…

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<p><a href="http://environment.yale.edu/magazine/">Environment: YALE</a> magazine is Published by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies<br />
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