An Artificial Christmas Tree?! You May Ask Yourself, Well, How Did We Get Here?
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
We bought an artificial tree. I do ask myself the question posed by the Talking Heads: “How did I get here?”
I bought it with an almost out-out-of-body sense of “this is so not-me.” I’d never, ever imagined we’d own an artificial tree.
But when my fifteen-year-old dude asked that we buy one— for environmental reasons— I had to at least consider it.
I did not buy one of these trees, available at the local hardware store. (See the spindly one in the middle— what is that? A Charlie Brown Christmas tree?)
The argument he made was that fresh trees consume water while being grown that’s effectively wasted when we toss our single use fresh trees after the holidays.
He has a point. There are other points in his favor as well. When a tree is cut down— any tree—as much as 100 pounds of heat-trapping CO2 is released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Then when the tree decomposes in the landfill— if it’s not mulched or composted— it releases even more potent, damaging global warming gases into the atmosphere.
However, this point is offset by the fact that fresh Christmas trees are renewable. They can be— and are— replanted every year. Those new trees absorb heat-trapping CO2.
And there are points against artificial trees. They’re made from petroleum. In our household, we try to keep our use of petroleum in any form as low as possible. Also, a plastic will take years to breakdown in the landfill. Then there’s the notable off-gassing of fumes from the tree. The bag it comes in for future storage has that telltale, nostril-flaring “aroma” that cues me to let it air out outside. I’m running the kitchen fan, near the family room where the tree is, 24/7 to try to vent the toxic gases.
As with many environmental decisions, there are trade-offs!
When he first saw the tree, my thirteen-year-old dude said, “What?? I can’t believe you bought an artificial tree!” However, he does get a kick out of the fact that you can make the tree expand and contract with push of a button, which is pretty hilarious. It also looks remarkably real, doesn’t it?
I miss the aroma of a fresh tree. I miss the idea of a fresh tree. I console myself that the cost of fresh trees is rising– and predicted to rise more in the next few years. And the artificial tree in our family room is yet another act of parental love.
CA Burns…My Sister’s Family Evacuates
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
I’ve been scared this week. Really scared. My sister and her husband along with their two young kids— my sons’ cousins— live near Ventura, California. This week, they evacuated from the home they’d only recently moved to from the east coast.
I’m grateful that my sister is a pretty cautious person. I doubt that she and her family will move back home before the danger from the fires has passed. This time.
But I’m worried for their future. For their safety.
Last night I heard a firefighter on the radio say there doesn’t seem to be a fire “season” anymore in California. Now, any time of year, dangerous fires can rage. What used to apply no longer holds. This is what I call “global weirdness.”
With the changes in our climate— among other factors— fires have been increasing, in California and elsewhere
My sister— and her husband, and my niece and nephew — have been lucky, all things considered. So far. They haven’t lost their house.
Many others have not been so lucky. They’ve lost their baby’s photo albums, their pets, their grandmother’s wedding dress. To say these losses are stressful is an understatement. Losing a home makes us feel unmoored.
These fires deepen my commitment to do everything I can to minimize the eco impact of our family’s lifestyle, and to keep using my voice as often as I can. I will continue to use my voice as a voter. And even though the personal and professional demands on my time have been impossible lately, I’ve rededicated to blogging here, using my spheres of influence.
I love my kids fiercely and I want the best possible future for them. For their cousins. For all the kids, near and far, who shouldn’t have to worry that they might lose their homes to floods, or fires. My wish for all children– here and around the world, is for them to have homes where they can feel like they have their mooring spot.
“The Reality” Debuts: Eco Reality #1
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
Two months ago, I made the tough decision to give up my very eco-friendly all-electric NissanLEAF– the topic of the now-concluded Spheres of Influence blog series “The SilverLeaf Chronicles.”
Now, the Eco Reality blog series begins. And the Hybrid Honda Accord that I’ve named “The Reality” is introduced. The color I had to settle on because the gorgeous shade of red isn’t available in the hybrid: Modern Metallic Steel. For the first time in my life, I actually wanted a red car. But I’m not unhappy with a charcoal gray car. It’s handsome. So far, I’m happy with this car. I’ve gotten as much as 55 MPG– which exceeds the EPA rating!
Why was the decision to go from an all-electric car tough? Mostly it was difficult because I felt really good about driving a zero-emission car. It was also fun to drive– it was sporty. And it was nearly free if you consider the monthly payment as being offset by savings on gas. When I see a NissanLEAF now, my heart still skips a beat. I feel like an honorary member of that “club.”
I really wanted to make the electric car “work” in my life. It was a commitment I wanted to sustain. But I couldn’t. As a single parent of two special needs boys and the daughter of an aging mother, my “sandwich generation” brain doesn’t have the bandwidth to constantly think about how to next charge my car, and wondering if I have the battery range to make it to the next destination. In three years, I only ever ran out of battery once– half a block from my house! But once was enough. With other stresses in my life that I can’t eliminate, I had to lose the stress of worry about battery range.
Hence, the name of the new car: The Reality. Reality is a constraint on our lives– in the eco realm, and in other realms. As concerned as I am about the future of the planet for our children, as committed as I am, I believe that we need to allow ourselves to make choices that work for us, without “eco guilt.”
We can challenge ourselves to make environmentally responsible choices in those areas of our lives where we can– and importantly– to write letters and make calls to our elected officials to support them in voting in the strongest possible environmental policies. The policies we put in place locally and regionally can help offset the major losses we’re facing on the Federal level right now. Our voices matter.
And so, we navigate the obstacle course of life, and live with The Reality. Onward.
When Eco Mission Clashes with Eco Reality: The SilverLeaf Chronicles 11 “
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
“I hope you’re getting a fuel efficient car,” says my fourteen year-old when I tell him that the car I’m about to buy the car that will become his when he goes to college. In fact, I bought a hybrid Honda Accord to replace the all-electric SilverLEAF. It meets my son’s criteria. As my ex says, “He’s your son!” It’s a smiling mom moment.
With some remorse, we leave the small but growing “club” of owners of all-electric cars. My regret is that even though I’m deeply committed to living as “green” as possible, I couldn’t make our lives work with a limited battery range. And charge time. For me as a single parent with one car, it was a source of stress that could be eliminated from an impossibly complicated life.
I live in the vise grip of the sandwich generation. An aging mother for whom I have increasing responsibilities, whose other child lives 2000 miles away. Two “tweens,” both with special needs. I’m a self-employed single mom. I juggle more plates than I can, imperfectly.
I really wanted to make it work with an all-electric car. Before I leased the NissanLEAF, I’d been saying in this blog and elsewhere— “I’m going to get the greenest car I can afford.”
Well, I’ve revised that. Now I’m saying, “I’m getting the greenest car I can afford that fits my overly complicated life.”
The NissanLEAF is really affordable. You can lease one for as little as about $200 a month. It costs next to nothing to charge ($10 per month for us in our geographic location, driving about 8000 miles a year). There’s pretty much no maintenance. It emits no global warming pollution.
But, I had to ask myself “What amount of money would make it worth the stress of worrying about running out of battery charge.” I realized the answer was: “No amount of money.” I had to follow my own advice as a psychologist: “Eliminate the stress you can, so you can better manage the stress that you can’t eliminate.”
I got spoiled by the low cost of the SilverLEAF. It’s going to be an adjustment to think about gas prices, and not-insignificant annual maintenance costs. I will not feel good about burning fossil fuels again, and generating global warming pollution as I drive. I will miss waving to other drivers of the NissanLEAF and enjoying that sense of fellowship.
But… there’s reality. Or what I call “eco reality.” Each of our lives has constraints. When we make decisions about how to balance our various responsibilities and lifestyle choices, we get to factor in the realities of our lives.
I will keep blogging, of course, about the challenges and rewards of living an eco-friendly life— including the decision to buy the specific hybrid we chose— in an era when the policies that have brought us clean air and clean water are in the path of a massive wrecking ball. A reckless wrecking ball.
I’ll continue to share stories of our family’s efforts to live “green” and I’ll keep touting the rewards of speaking out to our elected officials on climate policy, one of the most effective and empowering actions we can take, as I’ve discovered from my own experience.
In the wake of our President’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, you will hear more from me about ways that we can answer the call to local action when our national leadership is failing our children. The SilverLEAF Chronicles blog thread will be no more, but this mother who loves her children fiercely remains fired up. And so this blog will carry on, as I continue to use my spheres of influence, and seek to empower others to reap the rewards of using their spheres of influence to ensure our children a world in which they can thrive.
Still I Rise… with my sons
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
Among my favorite signs at the Chicago’s Women’s March were those referring to Maya Angelou’s timeless– and timely– poem, “Still I Rise.”
There was a poster saying “I rise” and the fitting collective variation, “Still we rise.”
I marched with my two “tween” sons, my ex-husband, and my beau.
My twelve year-old dude estimates that 13% of Chicago’s population marched. A friend in CA who is very ill with cancer “marched” in the virtual march for the disabled and ill. We were joined by hundreds of thousands across the U.S., and across the world. Reclaiming. Together.
We walked among a sea of women old enough to be great-grandmothers, and children too young to walk. We walked among women– and many men– of different shades. We walked in a sea of pink, especially pink cat’s ears.
Several days after the election, the most assaultive words that have ever been spoken to me as a woman were yelled at me– in broad daylight. I’ve had lots of crude things said to me by men, since the age of ten. But this was vile. It was profoundly troubling. It’s part of why I wanted to bring my sons on the march yesterday.
But it wasn’t just about protecting women yesterday. Many of us are under siege. Much is at stake.
And yes, one of my lenses is that of a mother who was moved to start this blog, and to create the terms “unlikely environmentalist” and “global weirdness,” out of a passionate need to protect the planet for my sons, for all of our children. From that vantage point, frankly there could have been more messages about caring for Mother Earth (a term I’ve actually never used ’til now). And those of us who care deeply about protecting the natural world need to vote, as a story in Inc. suggests we do not do in sufficient numbers. That’s some of the work we have ahead.
If we don’t make sure our policies protect the natural world on which we depend, all of our efforts to protect the rights of the vulnerable will be for naught.
Still, we walked among many clever, creative and inspired signs. And signs with humor– humor we need to buoy us, individually and collectively for the work ahead.
The work ahead includes living with uncertainty– and not letting our fear and dread convert uncomfortable uncertainty into the certainty of apocalypse.
As Rebecca Solnit, the author of Hope in the Dark says, “The future is yet to be written.”
As a psychologist– another of my lenses– who teaches mindfulness to her clients, one of my favorite posters yesterday was “Be mindful. Take action.”
The mindfulness we need to steady ourselves in this tough moment in history will be the topic of my next blog post.
On the action front, in my view the most important action we can take to protect the people, the services, the natural world, and the rights we care about– whatever they may be– is to speak out to our elected officials. I will blog about that, too– but in the meantime, the more personal the contact, the more effective. Personal visits, personal calls, personal letters.
To learn insider tips on how to be an effective advocate for your cause, check out the Indivisible Guide, compiled by former legislative staffers who share their wisdom on how to make your voice heard.
Onward… With actions grounded in mindfulness. With the spontaneous humor and grace embodied by our outgoing First Lady and President. With compassion. In community with those who do– and don’t– share our views.
An Environmentalist Who’s Not Depressed?
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
While many are struggling with post-election blue , there’s an environmental professional who is not depressed. That’s right.
We woke up on November 9th, and the world had changed. Environmental leaders– and Democratic campaign staffers, people whose rights are fragile, concerned citizens, among others–have been reeling. Worried. Depleted. Overwhelmed. Disoriented.
But Brad Warren— my brother, Director of Global Ocean Health, who was featured in the June, 2016 Spheres of Influence Virtual Round Table— is not depressed. Concerned, absolutely. But not depressed.
What’s his secret?
First, he practices meditation. Shortly after the election, he told me that meditation allows him to feel whatever there is to feel. Anxiety. Fear. Dread. Anger. Helplessness. Sadness. Whatever there is to feel. It doesn’t need to be squelched, or drowned, or avoided by leaping into premature action for the sake of action alone in this time of existential crisis.
Shutterstock image
“The leader has to recognize when negative emotions like frustration, impatience, anger, lack of self-confidence, jealousy, greed start to influence his thought processes… These negative thoughts and emotions not only can lead to wrong decisions but also waste mind energy.” The Dalai Lama
Brad’s meditation practice allows him to regroup, to restore himself for the work ahead, to reflect on what has happened and why, and to ground his recalibration of his strategy in reflection rather than reaction.
His use of meditation allows him to get out of the reactive mode we’re in when we are driven by fear– when our minds our constricted–, and shift into reflection, which sets the stage for thoughtful analysis and strategic, considered response. Reflection also sets the stage for collaboration, including collaborating with others with whom we may differ.
Second, Brad has found his purpose. His clarity about his direction allows him to harness his emotions, his mind, his energy towards a strategic end. He is very clear about his role as an advocate for the stakeholders whose interests are threatened by of the unregulated waste stream that is CO2 pollution — the largest of any source of pollution, ever. An unregulated waste stream that holds the potential to disrupt every aspect of our lives, from our economy to national security to our health.
And so he continues to work with tribes along the Pacific who rely on fishing for their food and their livelihoods, to serve as a translator of science so that non-scientists can understand what’s at stake for them–especially on the policy front– and to convene seafood industry magnates whose businesses will die without fish to sell — to restaurants, to grocery stores, to us.
Occasionally I speak here as a psychologist. This is one of those moments. As we prepare for the road ahead, we can all benefit from grounding ourselves before we jump into action. For Brad Warren, his purpose was already clear. For many, that purpose remains unclear, and the process of sorting out how to make a contribution is ongoing. There is much to do, on many fronts. Inner clarity can help wisely discern our course and inform the strategies that we adopt in this unprecedented time.
Zen and the Art of Strategy. How’s that for a book title?
Love, Responsibility and Voting
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
Since I realized in the summer of 2006 that global warming posed a threat to my children’s — all childrens’ — health and well-being, one of my most rewarding discoveries has been that our voices and votes really matter to our elected officials. This has been the most transformative aspect of becoming an unlikely environmentalist.
propublica.org
To recycle, or to vote, that is the question
I’d thought that we just needed to make “green” lifestyle changes, like recycling. I’m still a committed recycler, I do buy organic produce, and of course, I drive an all-electric car, AKA TheSilverLEAF, whose adventures are chronicled here.
Over time I came to appreciate that the scale and urgency of the climate crisis is so great that the only way to effectively tackle the problem is to change our polices. Our elected officials make those policies that will make or break the effort to ensure our kids a viable future.
I’ve always voted, but that new-found understanding of the key role of policy reform led me to meet with elected officials, to talk about the urgency of the climate crisis, and its implications for our children.
What I now believe is that it’s far more important to vote (and easier!) than to recycle.
Even one voice counts
Here’s what I’ve discovered about the power of our voices as voters.
For the Spheres of Influence Virtual Roundtable, I interviewed a former legislative assistant to a state Senator who told me that five or six voters speaking out on an issue is often a significant number for many elected officials. Just five or six constituents? That’s you and a few members of your extended family, or a few of your friends, or some moms from your kids’ school. I thought our votes were just grains in the sand.
The former legislative assistant also shared her observation that just one voter’s story— if it’s a compelling story— can tip an elected official’s vote. One person’s story.
My unexpected encounter with then-Senator Obama’s office
Understanding the importance of policy— and advocating for policy change— also led to my most powerful experience on my path as an unlikely environmentalist.
I’d never written a letter to an elected official before. But global warming— and my love for my kids— gave me a reason to write to then-Senator Obama when he represented Illinois.
I got a phone call from his environmental legislative assistant. We had several conversations. I was amazed. It was perhaps the most empowering moment in my life.
To Vote, or not to Vote?
Lots of people aren’t excited about our presidential candidates in this acrimonious election. Some are thinking about sitting this one out.
However, there is a great deal at stake in this particular election. Many climate experts see this election cycle as our last chance to avert the worst possible impacts of unchecked global warming.
If you don’t want your kids and grandkids to be suffering from ravages of wild fires and floods, food shortages, droughts, numerous wars over increasingly scarce survival resources such as water, and new diseases we’ve never heard of… vote your eco conscience. Even if it’s an unenthusiastic vote, it’s a vote that matters to your kids’ future.
Love and responsibility
I’m a self-employed, divorced parent with two special needs kids. I don’t have time to run around being an advocate.
But I’ve made time. Because I love my two tween boys, fiercely.
Talking to our elected officials is an act of parental responsibility. Voting is an act of love.
Tales from our Chicago Staycation: The SilverLEAF Chronicles 10
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
This year on our family summer vacation, the SilverLEAF got to join us– on our staycation. The SilverLEAF happily brought us to downtown Chicago, to the streets of the south side of Chicago, and to the Skokie Lagoons. Usually the all-electric SilverLEAF gets left behind while we rent a conventional gasoline-powered SUV for a road trip, or take a plane. But the SilverLEAF served us well on this year’s urban adventures.
Our plan this year was that each of us— the two dudes, my mom, and me— would plan a day, including the all-important meals. My 11-year-old dude chose a trip on the Chicago Water Taxi to Chinatown. We’d done the trip some years ago and enjoyed it, so it was time for a reprise. I chose kayaking. My 13-year-old dude chose a history tour. My mom chose an outing to see the new-ish Stony Island Culture Bank, created by the great designer and urban thinker, Theaster Gates.
Here are some photos from our ride on the Chicago Water Taxi to and from Chinatown. The pagoda that serves as the entrance to the park where you get off the water taxi in Chinatown:
We really enjoyed the dim sum at Three Happiness. We way over-ordered, and ended up bringing home about 10 pounds worth of leftovers. No pics, sorry!
I personally really like this artistic rendering of a map of the Chicago river on the river-facing side of a downtown building as we rode back from Chinatown:
The coolest thing— in my opinion— about the water taxi to Chinatown? You get to see parts of the city that you literally can’t see from anywhere else.
The 11-year-old DudeSter’s assessment: “10 out of 10. Would do it again!” Spoken like the tween he is.
My mom’s pick— a visit to the rundown South Side bank that urban re-designer Theaster Gates’ turned into a lovely cultural center— was preceded by a meandering trip in pursuit of soul food. With Yelp as our guide, we decided to check out Five Loaves. Our trip was so circuitous that we got there just after it closed. Thanks again to Yelp, we found our way to Daley’s, where the dudes loved the fried chicken and the fries, and my mom enjoyed the chicken noodle soup so much that we took extra home for her.
We then made the short hop over to the fabulous, rustic-yet-classy Stony Island Arts Building. Very accessible from Lake Shore Drive, not far south of my old stomping ground, the University of Chicago campus.
Take a look at these photos of the current exhibit and the building which convey the roughness of the old structure while capturing its renewed elegance.
For backstory on this exciting urban culture project, see this article in Slate.
In a non-urban vein, my 11-year old and I went kayaking at the Skokie Lagoons, off the North Branch of the Chicago River. We got really up close and personal with a gray heron who was slowly, slowly stalking a fish.
When my 13-year old dude’s day came, instead of touring historic sites in Chicago, like the site of the Haymarket riots— his original idea— he just wanted to hang out with us, and mostly with me, so he said. He can be a little excessively sincere at times— which makes me doubt his sincerity— but I took it at face value. On his day, we did hang out, mostly at home, he rode his bike quite a bit (per usual), and we ate pizza— his pick.
We spent one night at The W Hotel on Lake Shore Drive. The decor was a little too “Las Vegas” for us, but there was a great view from one of our rooms:
We didn’t make it to the National Mexican Museum, which had been on our tentative wish list. Next time!
My take on the staycation concept. This was our first. One challenge was that as a self-employed professional, it was a bit hard to fully disengage from work. The calls and emails kept coming in… However, I really liked not having the stress of hauling ourselves over some long distance. And of course, as a committed eco mom, I loved how low our ecological impact was. Oh yeah, and it’s a lot to cheaper do a staycation. We’d do it again!
Protecting Our Hot, Sour, and Lawless Oceans
Contributed by Julia Sanders
A meeting of the minds occurred June 1, 2015 between Ian Urbina and Brad Warren, addressing some of the most serious threats facing the ocean today. In an hour-long discussion moderated by Dr. Sarah Warren, Founder of Spheres of Influence, participants learned about the lawless world on the seas, and were offered a new way to tackle some of the ocean’s biggest threats.
Ian Urbina is an investigative journalist for The New York Times, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of The New York Times series “The Outlaw Ocean.” In the series, Urbina witnesses and reports on the savage lawlessness of the high seas, where slavery, human trafficking, abuse, murder, deliberate pollution, and many other shocking abuses happen daily — with impunity. He describes the rural men of the Philippines who are drawn in by false marine recruiters promising high wages working on foreign vessels, and instead find themselves facing grueling 20 hour days, constant beatings, and sometimes death. Even when they survive those conditions, and complete a lengthy “contract,” they find themselves unpaid, often deep in debt, and abandoned in a foreign port. Other stories follow stowaways thrown overboard by ruthless captains, scofflaw ships that dump oil slicks 100 miles long, and floating armadas of armed men and weapons caches, ready to come to the aid of ships facing what have become commonplace attacks from pirates, spawning an industry of on-call armed protection.
Urbina’s work paints a picture of a jurisdictional mess, in which a ship buys a country’s flag, and that country is nominally responsible for policing the vessel, while other agencies or countries who may want to investigate criminal activity are legally denied access. Responsibility is handed off in a circle, with each agency (the flag country, Interpol, the International Maritime Organization, etc.) passing responsibility to another — while long-time sources within maritime law enforcement admit that there is no person or agency capable of truly investigating and punishing these often horrific crimes.
On the other side of the discussion was Brad Warren, Executive Director of the National Fisheries Conservation Center, a non-profit devoted to helping people understand, adapt to, and mitigate the changing ocean conditions caused by climate change — especially by man-made carbon emissions. About 25% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean, lowering the pH and creating a crisis for many marine animals. This is known as ocean acidification, and it has already had a devastating effect on the West Coast oyster industry, causing wild baby oysters (known as oyster seed) to die in the first 72 hours of life, because the calcium carbonate they rely on to build their shells has become unavailable, transformed by the absorbed carbon emissions into bicarbonate. Since about 2008, Northwest oyster growers, many of them deeply multi-generational family operations, have been unable to rely on wild oyster seed from the ocean, but instead must buy it from hatcheries. And the harm doesn’t stop with oysters: all shelled organisms and many other types of ocean life have proven to be vulnerable to ocean acidification: mussels, shrimp, crab, lobster, coral, finfish, and countless others are under threat. That’s food we eat. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the ocean has already experienced a 30% change in acidity, at a speed the world has never experienced before.
In addition to this threat, there are several others caused by CO2 emissions. Hypoxia — at lack of oxygen— causes vast “dead zones” such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico where all life dies, and harmful algae blooms (which thrive in today’s higher temperatures) become even more toxic in a high CO2 environment.
In the discussion, Urbina focused on the perilous “blue/green” divide that exists among organizations working to combat environmental human rights problems, while Warren focused on the largest waste stream in human history, and how to tackle it.
Want to learn more? Listen to the archived discussion and see the webinar slides below!
Our NissanLEAF has been “tested.” So have we. The SilverLEAF Chronicles 9
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
The SilverLEAF got tested. As did I. As did my kids.
We were displaced from our home for 3-1/12 months by a neighbor’s construction dust. (Yes. It’s true.)
We have an outlet at home that allows me to charge every night when I get home from work. When you have to evacuate your home, you grab a few things and find a place to stay. Fast.
If you’re me, you don’t necessarily think about where you’re going to charge your all-electric car.
The first hotel we checked into didn’t have any charging stations or outlets available.
About a day in, I realized I had to move us. To a place with a swimming pool (for the kids), and access to a charger for The SilverLEAF.
Thankfully, I found a hotel that offered overnight parking in a lot with a charging station. Problem solved.
If the parking lot with charging stations hadn’t been an option, I would’ve had to rent a car. Which have been an additional expense, but would still have been cheaper than owning and operating a gas-fueled car year round. Glad I didn’t have to go the costlier, polluting rental car route…
While in the hotel, we did our best to live green. 
We recycled. We didn’t use paper plates or plastic-ware– where is that photo of the pile of dishes I had drying in the bathroom?? We declined to have our sheets and towels changed for as long as possible–there is an outer limit when you’re in cramped quarters with two tween boys.
After three weeks of expensive hotel bills, we moved into an apartment close to our permanent home. This solved the problem of unsustainably high living expenses. It also got my kids out of a cramped hotel room, a way of living that rubbed their nerves raw. It was especially hard on my struggling, introverted 13 year-old. And it solved the problem of being able to charge the car–I could park at home and charge overnight as usual.
After 3-1/2 long months of displacement, sharing a bathroom with two messy boys, and day-to-day creative problem-solving, we finally got back to our permanent home. Our patience and resilience was tested. My empathy has grown for the many refugees from natural disasters and political unrest. We had it easy by comparison. But it wasn’t easy. Phew. Onward.
The SilverLEAF Would’ve Made Friends in CA: The SilverLEAF Chronicles 8
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
Our SilverLEAF would’ve been right at home among all the Priuses and all-electric Teslas and NissanLEAFs in charming Ohai, CA. But alas, our the SilverLEAF had to stay home while we flew to sunny Southern California for spring break.
My sister recently moved her family from the shores of the Atlantic to the desert of California to take a position at (super-green retailer) Patagonia’s headquarters. So I took the kids to see their cousins.
This was our first chance to see them in their new digs. And it was my kids’ first trip to CA.
These palm trees in their back yard are amazing to eyes that are habituated to life in the north.
Highlights of our trip included:
- A cerebral #toocoolforthat thirteen-year-old dude discovering that he actually likes hiking. That he likes anything other than his girlfriend is a bit of a miracle.
- Finding fossil-rocks that had bunches of fossils all fused together.
- Seeing a sign on the freeway that announced that there was an electric car charging station at the next exit! (#OnlyInCA)
Perhaps the eleven-year-old DudeSter’s favorite moment: Finding hemp cookies in the grocery store. I don’t want to even imagine what they taste like. (#OnlyinCA)
One of my favorite moments was touring the grounds of my niece’s school, where they have mindfulness classes and eat in this “cafeteria.” Makes me rethink where my kids go to school…
Here’s what happens when an eleven-year-old DudeSter gets hold of your iPhone while you’re driving:
Turns out this photo is only a (well composed!) semi-random pic. This building is home to the designers of one of my son’s favorite games. Other photos taken by my son while I drove: totally random.
One last photo. The view from my niece’s bedroom at dawn on our last day. (Think of the window screen in an artistic light!)
About the emissions we generated by flying instead of driving our zero-emissions SilverLEAF: Sometimes you gotta fly. As Stephen Dubner has said on the Freakanomics podcast, it’s all about trade offs. This is what I call eco reality.
And those emissions from our flight to CA can be offset by purchasing carbon offsets at my favorite source, Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
While we were in CA enjoying the scenery and the camaraderie of so many people “driving green,” Tesla announced it is taking pre-orders for a new model that is priced to compete with the modestly priced NissanLEAF. The SilverLEAF may have some competition for my heart. Stay tuned!
Collective Leadership: A New Way To Lead in the Age of Sustainability
Contributed by Susan Camberis
Just as we’re seeing the emergence of new business models to address social, environmental, and economic challenges, so too are new leadership models beginning to emerge.
One such model was discussed on the Our Spheres of Influence Fall 2015 Virtual Fireside Chat. Collective Leadership: Harnessing “Human Systems” for Innovation featured three global experts who spoke about the model, its origins, and how companies are putting it to use with impressive results.
What is Collective Leadership?
Collective leadership refers to empowering individuals to step forward and lead when their strengths are most needed by the team. Very different from a traditional ‘command and control’ approach, collective leadership is more agile and seeks to connect people through shared purpose.
The original creative impulse for collective leadership grew out of Roelien Bokxem’s experiences in the financial sector in 2008 in the Netherlands, after witnessing government bailouts of institutions that no one ever imagined could need rescuing. Roelien and PresenceAtWork co-founder, Jane Weber (Autstralia), realized that one leader acting alone couldn’t have changed the outcome, and what was needed was a leadership paradigm shift, geared more toward teams and organizations.
As described by moderator Melissa O’Mara (U.S.), Founder of i3Activate and a collective leadership practitioner and trainer, leveraging the strength of the collective is especially relevant for sustainability work – where all functions have a role to play and important ideas can come from anywhere.
Collective leadership is based on three key principles:
1. Balance the ‘Doing’ and ‘Being’ of Leadership. This first principle is really about balance. According to Philippe Wits, former CEO of Ardanta (Netherlands) and current Director of Life Insurance at ASR, a global insurance company and pioneer of collective leadership, balance in leadership “doing” and “being” means bringing out the best in people.
2. Capitalize on Collective Leadership through System Dynamics. According to Roelien, the second principle is about leading from the whole versus the old ‘command and control’ paradigm, which wastes a lot of time. Systems awareness is key. In order for everyone to feel comfortable stepping forward, sometimes the formal leader needs to step back and simply offer support and encouragement. It’s a very different way of leading.
Philippe added, with collective leadership, it’s okay for the leader to say, “I don’t know,” but this can be difficult at first – especially when others don’t want to step forward. What’s critical is creating an environment where people know they matter. “People think they don’t matter. If you think that, you have no impact.”
3. Leading from the Emerging Future vs. The Past. For Roelien this principal is about “connecting the dots together versus being on a straight-line path.” Practically, this means balancing strategy and milestones alongside agile, unattached thinking.
How is collective leadership working in practice?
Philippe has led the adoption of collective leadership at ASR. The journey began with his leadership team committing to three 3-day retreats. Initially people were anxious about collective leadership and what it meant, but when leaders really “got it”, people started to realize who they really were and what they could contribute. Some of the biggest benefits of collective leadership are deeper connections, increased interpersonal safety, and greater independence.
According to Roelien, in a recent case study with Ardanta, in which the team interviewed all levels in the organization— including the CEO— implementing collective leadership in conjunction with lean principles has yielded productivity increases as high as 66%. The pervasive feeling expressed at all levels in the organization was a recognition that, “I’m okay and I feel confident stepping forward to lead.”
“Often people have forgotten how great they are,” according to Philippe. It takes a lot of confidence to really step forward. “When you feel okay with yourself, you tend to want to put yourself out there.”
What can sustainability leaders do to begin implementing the collective leadership principles?
Work with your natural strengths. One of the tools used in collective leadership is a body-based strengths system – a shortcut to think about your own strengths during change. Melissa asked participants to consider the question: What role do you most naturally play in a change initiative?
Melissa suggested looking at that question through the lens of the following strengths:
I pilot ideas quickly
I connect people in a way that’s fun
I energize and inspire
I validate what’s feasible
I analyze all options and facts
I bring the vision of what’s possible (“stir the pot”)
I bring lots of practical ideas
I deliver on time
I keep harmony on the team
We each have skills and strengths in these various roles. When we’re more aware of where our strengths lie, and our environment supports bringing our strengths forward, we can lead more easily when the group needs us to ‘step up.’
Go slow to go fast. According to Roelien, one of the biggest things you can do is to allow yourself to slow down when making connections. The idea is to ‘go slow to go fast.’ For example, you might take the first hour of a 2-hour meeting to check-in and really connect with how people how are feeling, but the hour that follows is much more productive because everyone is present and fully engaged.
Focus on connection. As described by Philippe, “When I come into the office, I take a deep breath. I ask people, ‘How are you? How are you, really?’ I ask with no agenda, just be curious.” Philippe also spends more time just noticing and reflecting what he observes. For example, if he notices someone talking very quickly, he may say something like, “I notice that you are talking very fast. Are you okay?”
From an HR development perspective, I see collective leadership as a compelling combination of philosophies that leaders may recognize from participative and servant leadership models. In a day and age when we need to collectively engage with and solve harder problems through teams, it’s a model that sustainability leaders will benefit from understanding and integrating into their own practices. It also aligns with what employees say they want more of from their organizations, specifically greater purpose at work.
To listen to the full audio— with video for the first time (!)– of our Winter 2015 global conversation, click here:
To learn more about collective leadership, connect with Melissa and PresenceAtWork on Twitter @melissaomara or LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaomara/
PresenceAtWork is also kicking-off an Allies training program for Collective Leadership in February 2016. Here’s a link where you can learn more and register: https://registration.presenceatwork.com/.
About the author:
Susan Camberis is a talent management and HR leader, recognized for her passion for learning and sustainability. She currently serves as the Vice President of Learning and Organizational Development for Executive Coaching Connections, a Chicago-based firm specializing in leadership solutions, team development, and organization effectiveness. From 1999 to 2013, Susan held various HR roles with Baxter, whose commitment to sustainability spans more than three decades.
Susan is completing a Leadership in Sustainability Management certificate from the University of Chicago’s Graham School. Her capstone research is focused on ways to enhance cross-functional communication between HR and Sustainability teams.
Susan created and moderates the open LinkedIn Group Leading Talent Sustainability, and her writing has been appeared in GreenBiz, Forbes.com, and PBS Next Avenue. Follow Susan on Twitter @susancamberis or connect with her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/susancamberis
Join Us 12/2 – Collective Leadership: Harnessing “Human Systems” for Innovation
Spheres of Influence
Fall 2015 Virtual Fireside Chat
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015
noon-1pm ET/11am-noon CT/ 9am-10am PT
Collective Leadership:
Harnessing “Human Systems” for Innovation
Featured Global Guests:
Melissa O’Mara
Founder, i3Activate
Previously a sustainability leadership catalyst at Smart Cities and IBM
Roelien Bokxem
co-founder of PresenceAtWork (Netherlands)
Philippe Wits
Former CEO of Ardanta (Netherlands)
CurrentDirector of Life Insurance at ASR
a global insurance company & pioneer of collective leadership
About Melissa O’Mara:
Melissa O’Mara’s mission is to maximize institutional and cultural response to environmental and economic challenges through activating teams and communities of purpose, accelerating public/private collaboration and innovation, and enabling collective leadership. She founded i3Activate, LLC, as a platform for transforming the way we lead organizations and address today’s complex challenges.
Prior to founding i3Activate, LLC, Melissa was an intrepreneurial corporate leader with 28 years of experience at US Smart Cities, Andersen Consulting, Schneider Electric, and IBM.
About Philippe Wits:
Philippe Wits of the Netherlands is former Director/CEO of Ardanta, a global life insurance company and a pioneer of collective leadership. He currently serves as Director of Life Insurance at ASR. Philippe is focused on continuous improvement through lean and collective leadership to empower employees to reach their full potential, as well as reach the company’s and their own goals.
About Roelien Bokxem:
Based in the Netherlands with background in the Financial Sector, Roelien Bokxem is co-founder of PresenceAtWork. She is a certified coach and systems consultant with broad experience delivering experiential learning for executives and teams. She finds pride and joy in co-designing PresenceAtWork’s collective leadership curriculum.
Listen to Melissa and Roelien here on this podcast. Check out the first 15 minutes in particular. (The start button is on the upper left.)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/voiceofevolutionradio/2015/02/13/presence-at-school-co-creating-the-future-of-education
THIS ONLINE EVENT IS FREE BUT WE WELCOME DONATIONS TO COVER THE COST OF OUR INTERNS!
We hope you can join us for this participatory event!
The VW Betrayal: The SilverLEAF Chronicles 7
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
“I feel tainted” says my beau, who owns a VW diesel Golf. He’d been proud to drive that car. He enjoyed it’s sportiness, but appreciated its (promised) clean-burning engine.
He bought the car shortly before he and I got involved. His pride in the green-ness of the car increased when he got involved with me– my passionate investment in reducing our collective ecological impact for the sake of our children has rubbed off on him a bit.
Now, my beau does not anger easily. In fact, he’s an exceptionally even-tempered person. And he’s not obsessed with all-things-environmental– unlike me!
But he feels that he’s now branded by his polluting car as someone who doesn’t care about the ecological impact of his car.
Millions of VW diesels have been sold around the world to unsuspecting people. Some of them– not all– cared a lot about the purported low emissions of their cars.
It’s about excess global warming pollution, and immediate harm to our health as well. An AP study estimated that as many as 94 people in the US alone may have died in the last 7 years as a result of the VW excess emissions. In Europe, where most of the diesels have been sold, the health impacts and deaths are estimated to be greater because of the greater population density. Our health has been damaged.
More than once since the VW fraud story broke, I’ve been glad that I drive a car for which the emissions can’t be faked– because there are no emissions.
I don’t feel branded as a polluter when I drive TheSilverLEAF. But it’s not fair to VW diesel drivers that they should be tarnished.
The Volkswagen betrayal goes beyond deceiving car buyers– and the EPA. It’s a betrayal of our social contract to protect the natural world so that future generations can thrive. Our children have been betrayed.
Our NissanLEAF Skips the Vacation Trip to Taliesin- SilverLeaf Chronicles 6
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
The SilverLeaf was lonely this year when we went on vacation. Again.
Last year we drove to Ohio from Chicago in a rental. This year we drove to the home and studio of the original “organic” architect, Frank Lloyd Wright— Taliesin East— in Spring Green, Wisconsin. In a rental minivan.
Taliesin East – Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio, Spring Green, WI
The all–electric NissanLEAF could have made it to our launch point for the visit, charming Mineral Point, Wisconsin. In theory.
Downtown Mineral Point, WI
After all, it’s only 168 miles from Chicago to historic arts community of Mineral Point. And NissanLEAFs have been known to take go as far as 120 miles on a charge. And some drivers have taken trips of over 1000 miles–– with stops to charge along the way, of course.
But… with two restless boys in the backseat, I didn’t want to hassle with stopping to charge. And we were four adults— including my mom who is less hardy these days— in addition to those two young men in the back. There’s no way to squeeze that many bodies in the hatchback LEAF. Hence, the rental of the minivan. This is what I call “eco reality.”
My mom had been longing to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin since she was in college. I was delighted to fulfill that dream for her. And thrilled to learn about not just Frank Lloyd Wright’s remarkable design vision, but his pioneering commitment to sustainable design and architecture.
Here we see his creative re-purposing of gas pipes that were no longer needed as pipes once Taliesin had converted to electricity.
Gas pipes repurposed as a trellace and painted in Wright’s signature red
And about two decades before the region had gone electric, Wright brought electricity to his home and studio by creating hydropower from a small dam he created on his property.
How do I feel about the cost of renting a minivan for our vacation? Fine. The rental cost was about what I used to spend on gas in four months. I now have a modest monthly lease payment, no maintenance costs, and I pay about $15 a month for the electricity to run the 100% electric NissanLEAF.
What about the eco footprint of renting that minivan? For the entire trip we emitted about 235 pounds of CO2 (or “global warming pollution”). You can calculate your own car’s “carbon footprint” http://store.shrinkyourfoot.org/carbon-footprint-calculator#driving just as I did. I can live with emitting a couple hundred pounds of CO2 in order to drive a car the rest of the year that saves over 8000 pounds of emissions a year. Just as I can live with The SilverLeaf being lonely while we go on vacation.
P.S. I loved Mineral Point, WI so much that I went back a couple of weeks later with my sweetie. We loved it so much that we’re going back in the fall for an art tour. And my extended family may gather again there next summer.
This is where my beau and I stayed:
The Miner’s Cottage in Mineral Point, WI
Climate Change Prompts Transdisciplinary Curriculum & Cross-School Collaboration
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
The essential question posed in our Summer 2015 virtual fireside chat was Does climate change “change everything” in higher education and beyond? The answer, from various vantage points, was a resounding “Yes.”
We had a far ranging conversation that even touched upon the profound reality that climate change changes our sense of time.
Professor Richard Rood set the stage for the conversation. Professor Rood, a climate scientist at University of Michigan who teaches multidisciplinary courses on climate impacts and adaptation, painted a picture of a world in which we are not only seeing droughts and extreme weather events, but severe wild fires in unlikely spots such as Alaska.
Professor Nancy Tuchman, founding Director of Loyola University’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability in Chicago, reminded us that climate change threatens the security and stability of our food system as well– a reality, I would add, that is likely to touch all of our lives to varying degrees, particularly those living in poverty.
Climate change represents not just a threat but an opportunity for new models for innovation and collaboration, however. Professor Tuchman shared the story of how a student-driven enterprise at Loyola to reduce food waste and fossil fuel use has led to Loyola working with other schools, such as Northwestern University and University of Illinois-Chicago, to use waste grease from their kitchens to run campus buses. Such projects not only reduce climate impacts and afford hands-on learning for students, but forge new alliances that can wield more effective levers for necessary collective change to tackle climate change. The sphere of influence of each institution expands by virtue of such collaborations.
Professor Joel Towers, Executive Dean of the Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York, spoke to meta-level effects on our sense of place and time. As a psychologist, I was particularly struck by his remarks about our sense of time being disrupted when what have historically been “100 year storms” become frequent occurrences. Climate change can disorient us.
Professor Towers remarked upon how the urgency of climate change is driving Parsons to a transdisciplinary approach to pedagogy, again underscoring how climate change can crack open new possibilities that may yield benefits beyond environmental sustainability.
Listen here to the conversation among these thoughtful experts about what I call the need to prepare the next generation to work, live and lead in a hot, crowded world:
7/29 Does Climate Change “Change Everything”? Implications for Higher Ed & Beyond
SPHERES Of INFLUENCE VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHAT
SUMMER 2015 PROGRAM
Does Climate Change “Change Everything”?
Implications for Higher Ed & Beyond
Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
12pm-1pm ET / 11am-noon CT / 9am-10am PT
Featured Guests:
Richard Rood (UMich)
Joel Towers (The New School)
Nancy Tuchman (Loyola-Chicago)
About Richard Rood:
Professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic & Space Sciences at the University of Michigan
Dow Sustainability Distinguished Faculty Fellow
Professor Rood’s primary research interest is in the interface of climate change with all aspects of society.
http://sustainability.umich.edu/conversation/2014/03/climate-change/
A biologist by training, Professor Tuchman’s specializations include Global Climate Change and Human Impacts.
Thanks in part to Professor Tuchman’s vision, Loyola University Chicago has been ranked the greenest university in the Midwest in the Sierra Club’s annual ranking.
https://summer2015spheresofinfluence.eventbrite.com
The Good, Bad & the Ugly: My LEAF at 1 Year: SilverLEAF Chronicles 5
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
A year ago I made the leap I’d been promising to take by buying the greenest car I could afford: I bought the all-electric NissanLEAF, and launched the SilverLEAF Chronicles blog series.
The SilverLEAF is celebrating its first birthday with our family.
Now that we’ve weathered a summer and a (hard) Chicago winter, here are my honest reflections on what I love — and what I would change if I were Nissan.
What I love about the NissanLEAF:
1. It’s green
First and foremost, I love what I expected to love, it’s green-ness.
I now drive knowing that the eco impact of my car is minimal. In my previous Toyota Avalon, I used to plan my trips carefully and take mass transit when I could.
The LEAF car has no emissions. None.
My passion for living green– and voting green– is inspired by my love for my two young kids. Driving this car is an act of fierce love. As a parent, that feels good.
2. The cost
Between tax rebates and no cost for gas, this car pretty much pays for itself.
You can get a top of the line LEAF for around $300 a month, and basic model for around $200 a month.
And you never pay for gas. Ever.
I charge at home about half the time, and the electric bills have not gone up noticeably.
And, the car is virtually maintenance-free– no oil to change, no belts to replace.
I’ve met LEAF owners who say that they pay less per month to own a LEAF than they paid for gas in their conventional car.
From a sheer cost standpoint, it’s a no-brainer.
3. It’s sporty
The SilverLEAF is peppy! I test drove the Prius, and it was sluggish.
For reasons having to do with electric motor technology, the LEAF has a lot of pick up. And it handles well. It’s fun to drive!
I met a LEAF owner who said he feels like he’s driving a sports car.
My ten-year-old son thinks it looks cool, too!
4. LEAFs build community
When LEAF owners pass each other on the road, we wave at each other.
We talk to each other when we run into each other, sharing stories about the car.
I had no idea I would be joining a community when I got this car. It’s an unexpected perk!
What I would change about the NissanLEAF:
1. The engine sound
In a state of nature, an electric motor is silent. Wisely, Nissan has added a high pitched tone that is emitted when the car is driving under 15 MPH to cue pedestrians that a car is coming.
The problem is, it doesn’t sound like a car motor, so pedestrians wander out in front of it without looking. (There are other reasons at this point in history, having to do with things like walking into the street on our SmartPhones!)
I get why Nissan would want it’s electric car to have a unique sound that differentiates it from a gas powered car.
But this is a safety matter.
2. The battery range
We’ve driven this car– without stopping to charge–close to 100 miles (on its first day with us!)
If you learn how to drive very efficiently, which I’m still working on, it can be driven well over 100 miles.
Longer battery range would make it work more readily beyond local driving, which would be great. Some of us suffer from “range anxiety,” especially when we’re having to run either heat or air conditioning, which drain the battery.
I hear that Nissan– and other companies– are working on new battery technology which will give it about 30% greater range. That will be wonderful.
Would I buy a NissanLEAF again?
Absolutely. I plan to swap out my current leased NissanLEAF for the new model in two years– when longer battery range comes on line.
Happy Birthday, SilverLEAF!
Sustainability in Higher Education: Necessity… or Cult?
Contributed by Richard Rood, PhD
I recently attended a webinar, organized by Spheres of Influence (http://ourspheresofinfluence.com/ ), on the emergence of sustainability as a course of study. The webinar had a special focus on The New School (http://www.newschool.edu/ ) which has recently gone beyond divestiture to embed climate change into its entire curriculum. The New School is at the forefront of sustainability which fits into its vision (http://www.newschool.edu/mission-vision/ ) “where design and social research drive approaches to studying issues of our time, such as democracy, urbanization, technological change, economic empowerment, sustainability, migration, and globalization.”
Sustainability is a young and changing field of research and education. Sustainability is not as easy to define as, say, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, or urban planning. The Graham Sustainability Institute (http://graham.umich.edu/ ) at the University of Michigan, answers the question “What is Sustainability?” (http://graham.umich.edu/about/sustainability ) as, “Sustainability encompasses solutions-driven scholarship and practice that seeks to safeguard the planet’s life-support systems and enhance quality of life for present and future generations. The field is defined by the problems it addresses rather than the disciplines it employs. It draws from multiple disciplines of the natural, social, engineering, design, and health sciences; from the professions and humanities; and from practical field experience in business, government, and civil society.”
The incorporation of sustainability into university research and education is not without controversy. In a recent blog on universities divesting their endowments and pension funds from fossil fuel companies (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/comment.html?entrynum=333 ), one of the articles I referred to was by George Will (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sustainability-gone-mad/2015/04/15/f4331bd2-e2da-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html ) in which Will takes the position that divestment is sustainability gone wild. Will states that sustainability is like a religion with, for example, its premises “more assumed than demonstrated.” He further argues that “weighing the costs of obedience to sustainability’s commandments is considered unworthy.” Will is riffing off of the more than 250 page document by the National Association of Scholars (http://www.nas.org ) entitled, Sustainability: Higher Education’s New Fundamentalism (http://www.nas.org/articles/sustainability_higher_educations_new_fundamentalism1 ).
The National Association of Scholars “is a network of scholars and citizens united by our commitment to academic freedom, disinterested scholarship, and excellence in American higher education.” The National Association of Scholars was founded in 1987 by Stephen Balch, who is identified as an American conservative scholar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Balch ). The National Association of Scholars should not be confused with National Academy of Sciences (http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/mission/ ), which is the abbreviation I associate with “NAS.”
The material I reference above strongly links sustainability and climate change, and, ultimately, takes the position that universities are taking unfounded positions based on “unresolved scientific debates.” There is suggestion that faculty are pressured “to imbed sustainability into the curricula of unrelated courses.” The document relies, sometimes deftly, on the rhetorical forms (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/comment.html?entrynum=222 ) that are used to nurture doubt.
These writings from George Will and National Association of Scholars pose sustainability as political or ideological. There is the suggestion in these writings of a cultish march towards sustainability across the university community, and that divestment of fossil fuels is part of that cult.
Universities and the members of the faculty at universities are not homogeneous bodies of institutions and individuals. As stated in my divestment blog (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/comment.html?entrynum=333 ), my faculty colleagues don’t all support divestment. In fact, based on the Figure below, I would conjecture that more universities have denied efforts to divest than have approved them.
Figure 1: More than $50B in divestment pledges has come from 28 universities, 41 cities, 72 religious institutions, 30 foundations and hundreds of individuals. The New School is committed to divestment. (Credit: Paul Horn/InsideClimate News)
Similarly, there is a wide range of opinions on sustainability and the integration of sustainability into curriculum. In science departments, there is often the opinion that sustainability is notional, and not easily defined nor easily measured; hence, it is not science. It is also true that sustainability has far broader reach than climate change.
I was first introduced to sustainability as a subject of research and education when I started my academic career in 2005 at University of Michigan. At University of Michigan, we have the Erb Institute (http://erb.umich.edu/ ) which is “Creating a Sustainable World Through the Power of Business,” the Center for Sustainable Systems (http://css.snre.umich.edu/ ), which supports “the design, assessment, and management of systems that meet societal needs in a more sustainable manner,” and the Graham Sustainability Institute (http://graham.umich.edu/ ), which fosters “sustainability at all scales by leading stakeholder-centric activities that systematically integrate talents across all U-M schools, colleges, and units.” All of these institutes have strong relationships with donors who have high success in business. Their donations paint the picture of individuals, families, and businesses that recognize the importance of sustainability to assure future societal and business success. (Disclosure: I work closely with the Graham Sustainability Institute (http://graham.umich.edu/ ), and I am a Dow Sustainability Distinguished Faculty Fellow (http://sustainability.umich.edu/dow ).)
One of the points from the Spring, 2015 Spheres of Influence webinar (http://ourspheresofinfluence.com/2015/04/29/curriculum-transformation-for-climate-a-grass-tops-story-of-change-at-the-new-school/ ) is that sustainability is emerging, and that standards and practices are maturing. Sustainability studies and education are no longer only for the early adopters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_adopter ). For those interested in the incorporation of sustainability into education, there a number of resources, including Sustainability Improves Student Learning (http://serc.carleton.edu/sisl/index.html ), a group that includes associations of physics, chemistry, biology, and geosciences.
Adding the concept of sustainability to problem-solving requires that we think about where our resources come from and what happens to our waste. It brings into consideration the energy required to obtain resources, manufacture, and dispose of and manage the waste products. The value of the environment and ecological systems is brought into the calculation of cost. It’s true that there is nothing in that list that is an easy calculation, and there are many aspects of sustainability that are not uniquely and definitively quantified; there are value judgments made by individuals, governments, advocacy organizations, and corporations.
Since sustainability crosses many disciplines, it is, in fact, quite difficult to bring into the discipline-focused culture of universities. It brings a focus to problem- solving and participatory, deliberative process. There is a high demand from students, who increasingly see the requirement to manage our resources and wastes in order to thrive. Sustainability is an essential topic of research and education; it is something that we must learn to do right.
About the author
Professor Richard Rood is a climate scientist who teaches multidisciplinary graduate and undergraduate courses at University of Michigan. He is a Dow Sustainability Distinguished Faculty Fellow. Prior to his teaching career, he served as a scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A climate-science communicator, he uses his spheres of influence by reaching a wide lay audience by blogging about climate change for the WeatherUnderground (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/rickyrood/article.html )
Curriculum Transformation for Climate: A “Grass Tops” Story of Change at The New School
Contributed by Dr. Sarah
In our Spring 2015 Spheres of Influence Virtual Fireside Chat, we heard the story of how students at the New School in New York City used their voices to move the leadership of the university not only to divest from fossil fuels, but to commit to embedding climate change in entire curriculum. And, the leadership has gone still further by determining to create an entire campus– from students to staff to faculty– of “climate citizens” who will be required to make climate commitments.
Michelle DePass, Dean of the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at the New School shared the back story and some of the challenges they’ve faced in this transformation, while Dr. Debra Rowe, Founder of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, offered context related to sustainability curriculum in higher education.
Listen here to Michelle DePass share this powerful “grass tops” story of curricular and culture transformation, and to Debra Rowe share insights and resources for joining the growing movement of educators creating curricula for sustainability:
Spheres of Influence 
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