The occasion today is the inauguration of Stuart Lord as the 5th president of Naropa University. What should the Naropa community contemplate as Stuart Lord assumes the helm of this unique university? An occasion such as this is an opportunity to reaffirm the underlying principles of Naropa. It is an opportunity to bring new energy to an old mission, and to bring fresh ideas to an established institution. It is an opportunity to celebrate what Naropa has accomplished, and to contemplate what Naropa’s students can contribute.
One principle that Naropa has embraced is sustainability. People sometimes struggle to define sustainability. A commonly cited definition comes from the Brundtland Commission on the Environment and Development, which defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
This is a fancy way of saying what is expressed by the Kenyan proverb, "Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children"
Those thoughts place sustainability squarely in the realm of environmental concerns. And much of the conversation about sustainability focuses on the environment and energy consumption. But we need to think about all aspects of sustainability, from land development to food production to economic activity. What is especially important is to include social sustainability in the conversation.
A community that isn’t welcoming to people of different ethnic, cultural or economic levels will not long retain its vibrancy. It won’t help its children grow up to understand the complexity of the world they will inherit. And, it won’t be able to achieve its goals of environmental sustainability if it becomes an island of privilege.
Incorporating the notion of sustainability into our social and economic structures requires us to understand and respect interconnectedness and reciprocity.
But I don’t want to minimize the environmental component of sustainability.
Because to achieve sustainability in the broadest sense we first have to acknowledge that nature provides the basic infrastructure upon which everything else depends.
If we ignore the delicate and complex ecosystems that sustain life, they will slowly die.
So we must treat nature, ecosystems, the environment, as we would any other vital, valuable and irreplaceable component of our collective infrastructure.
We must invest in and care for the environment so that it can continue to sustain all aspects of human life.
And, as we know, the single greatest threat to the environment comes from human-caused growth in greenhouse gas emissions.
One of my causes in the state legislature has been to promote energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency is the cheapest and cleanest form of new energy.
Achieving energy efficiency does not have to wait for new technology. We have the technology right now to make our buildings and industrial processes more efficient and to harness waste energy for reuse.
And as a by-product of energy efficiency in buildings, the space in which we live, work, and learn is more comfortable and healthy to inhabit.
For an average school building, going green saves enough money to pay for an additional full-time teacher. The savings go beyond reduced water and energy use.
There are fewer sick days, reduced absenteeism by students, improved teacher retention, lower health costs, less waste to dispose of, and lower maintenance costs. And teachers and students perform better in energy efficient schools.
Retrofitting a building to make it more energy efficient is cost effective and create jobs that cannot be out-sourced.
The transportation sector is responsible for 25 to 30% of our greenhouse gas emissions. We can switch to electric cars and then power then with an electric grid that is fueled by renewable energy. That would be sustainable.
But it will take at least 20 years from when electric cars or hybrid electric vehicles become widely available to fully replace the existing fleet.
So in the meantime, and while we work on greening the grid that will power these vehicles, sustainable development is the most efficient and effective way to the reduce emissions that threaten the planet.
The number of miles people drive a year is growing at twice the rate of population growth.
That increase in driving is directly related to sprawling development patterns.
If we can institute sustainable development patterns that allow people to take transit, walk or ride a bike to their destination, or that allow people simply to drive shorter distances, we can reduce driving by 20 to 40%, and take a big bite our of the expected increase in transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable development patterns also help build community. We see our neighbors when we walk to the store. We can watch each other’s children when houses have front porches. Senior citizens can age in place if neighbors are close by and if they don’t have to drive to take care of their business.
So I applaud Naropa for its commitment to sustainability and I challenge you to include energy efficiency in your goals.
But to return to the task at hand: Welcome, President Lord, to Naropa University and to the city of Boulder.
Welcome to a campus that is fueled entirely by the wind; that is a signatory to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment; that has embraced the goal of zero waste and climate neutrality, and that understands our obligation to the next generation and many generations thereafter.
And thank you for allowing me to participate in this wonderful event!
