"Sustainability?"

Most Americans say green to include anything that benefits the environment.

SUSTAINABILITY is a newer buzz word coined in a 1987 UN report, “Our Common Future”. The definition is given as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It includes:

1. “…the concept of ‘needs’, in particular the essential needs of the world’s poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
2. …the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organizations on the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs.”

Sustainability is much more than hugging trees. It involves finding creative ways to bring people out of poverty while conserving natural resources for the future. ORU has a new major in Environmental Sustainability. The new class, Global Development & Sustainability, will be offered this spring. Check it out.

By Dr. Steve Herr, Chairman, ORU Green Campus Committee