Guest Blogger: Caught in a Sustainability Groundhog Day?

Brad McAllister, one of this month’s guest bloggers, is a partner and managing director at WAP Sustainability. He holds a B.S in ecology from the University of Georgia and an M.S in environmental science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Brad is an adjunct professor of Enterprise Sustainability at the Institute for Sustainable Practice at Lipscomb University and a member of the Climate Project.

In this time of heated political discourse and animosity it’s always comforting to find an agreement that we can hang out hats on. Just was the case a few days ago when both Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck emerged to declare, even as the heartland and northeast braced for another winter blow, that spring was on its way. Agreement was even found on the international stage as Canadians Shubenacadie Sam and Wiarton Willie both concurred with their American counterparts. Rejoice, rejoice! Nature has spoken spring is around the corner!

For many, Groundhog Day also brings to mind images of a 1993 comedy by the same name. The film starred Bill Murray as a dejected, self-centered, and down-right rude meteorologist forced to relieve, day-after-day, February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The cycle was only broken when Murray’s character allowed himself to see what the small town and its residents had to offer.

So what does this have to do with sustainability in higher education and on college campuses? Many professionals trying to implement sustainability in a university setting feel that they are in a groundhog cycle; reliving the same experiences and not making progress in their fight to create a more sustainable campus community. For all their good intentions and work, progress just doesn’t seem to happen.

Does any of the below sound familiar?

• You’ve scheduled a meeting to discuss the state of sustainability on your campus and all anyone wants to do is talk about what the definition of sustainability is?

• Despite best intentions, you’ve experienced deadlines pass you by, (including, perhaps, GHG inventory and Climate Action plan deadlines required by the American College & Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment?)

• You’ve delivered presentations to student groups who look like they would rather be in an organic chemistry or finance class.

• You’ve received commitments and confirmation of financial resources only to find that the resources have been reallocated.

When these and other roadblocks repeatedly happen they become much more than hiccups, they become serious obstacles is seeing a sustainability vision to fruition. I can assure you that these issues are not only specific to the campus setting but occur throughout government and industry as well. The good news is, like Murray’s character, campuses are finding ways to break this cycle.

Take for instance, the University of Colorado at Boulder's recent achievement of STARS GOLD status or Duke’s Corporate Sustainability Program and Carbon Offset Initiative.
Numerous other institutions are also finding ways to break the cycle. Here in Tennessee, Lipscomb University has seen success with its Institute for Sustainable Practice by offering degrees and certificates in both sustainable business and science.

Over the next month we will be breaking down the Groundhog Cycle that many campuses find themselves in by using insights uncovered from our sustainability experience in government, industry and higher education. We will cover a variety of topics including:

• Effective engagement by removing barriers of departmental segregation.

• Purchasing and the power of life cycle thinking in the supply chain.

• Success Stories from the world of effective messaging.

• Building momentum from the local community and business leaders.

• The Integration of Sustainability and Traditional Curriculum.

• The Power of Sustainability in Higher Education

Be sure to check back with us. We hope you’ll read, enjoy, and by all means, let us know what you think by commenting or emailing the authors directly.

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