AASHE Conference

November 19, 2015

In late October, 8 students attended the Association of Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education. We asked them "If you could share what you learned with students all over OSU, what would you tell them?" Their responses:

•  Ben:
  “I learned that sustainability is most easily achieved through motivating others to want to make a personal behavioral change.”
• Allison:
  “Sustainability is more than just changing out your lightbulbs or recycling your plastic water bottles; it includes those, but goes much deeper than that. Sustainability regards not treading heavily on the earth, not depleting precious resources faster than the can be replenished naturally, not ravaging whole or partial ecosystems and fellow organisms’ habitats […]”
• Madison:
  “Sustainability is about making the best out of situations we are given in all spheres of life. We can bounce back from the issues that confront us, and take a stand.”
• Kristina:
  “Sustainability is not just about the environment. The environment is just one small piece. You need to think about the economy and the well-being of society or sustainability does not work.”
• Roland:
  “Not using is better than recycling.”
• Janie:
  “Sustainability begins with simple actions. You don’t have to be a champion of environmentalism to make an impact. Look for small things that you can do on a day to day basis that can help you live more sustainably, whether that is walking more or trying to turn off water when you aren’t using it. Every seemingly insignificant act can make a difference.”
• Tori:
  “Sustainability is for everyone. No matter who you are, where you come from, what you study, somehow your life will benefit from a sustainable mindset.”
• Vikas
  "Without a sustainable mindset out world's most precious and cherished features would be forever lost in the discord of everyday life."