Sustainability: Version 2

The more that the semester has progressed, the more I began to realize how difficult it is to find a definition that addresses all aspects of sustainability. However, in my opinion, the most significant component of sustainability is rooted in education. If we want to change the way in which people live their lives so that sustainability is an option, we must first educate society about sustainability and everything that it entails.


In Rappaport’s Campus Greening, campus greening is described as something meant to “[reduce] environmental footprints, [save] money with increased efficiency, and [to show] skeptics that progress is possible” (Rappaport 10). I think all three of these goals are valuable and worth pursuing, but I feel like the last one possesses a bit more significance largely because it attempts to educate those who don’t believe that change is a possibility. I wouldn’t say that I was a skeptic prior to enrolling in this class, but I do know that I wasn’t educated about the numerous sustainable practices one can do to encourage change. The lifestyle project gave me a richer understanding of how little things can make a big difference in the long run. For instance, I used to spend at least 12-15 minutes in the shower everyday. After the lifestyle project, I try to spend as little time as I can in the shower. 6-8 minutes is my new shower time. I know this still may seem like a long shower to many, but compared to where I was, it seems like a significantly shorter time to spend in a shower. I believe that my decision to lower my shower time will help in the long run, and it is essentially a small change meant to promote something on a much larger scale. After we collected our baseline data, we received an estimate of how much water was wasted in showers. It was after I saw the outrageous amount of water that I was wasting that I resolved to change my showering ways. It may seem like what I am saying here is immaterial, but it really isn’t because my experience is similar to the vast majority of the population. It was only through education that I was able to see that the way that I was living was detrimental to the earth, and I think this is clear proof that education plays a significant role in promoting change towards adopting sustainable practices.


Another important thing to note about education is that it can help change the system as a whole. As Rappaport suggests, “the enthusiasm of students, [and their] ability to engage in discussions of difficult society issues, [their] capacity to innovate, and talent for inspiring future decisionmakers” all are major strengths within the education system (Rappaport 10). It is the best place to begin change towards sustainable practices.


I know that I have not offered a precise definition of what sustainability is, but I think that it is virtually impossible to define a term that has so many different things that can be included in that definition. Instead, I will offer a piece of what sustainability is. Sustainability is education. Once we make sustainability a part of the curriculum of schools and a priority, we just might make our footprints invisible.