Sustainability: Higher Education's New Fundamentalism
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SUSTAINABILITY HIGHER EDUCATION’S NEW FUNDAMENTALISM March 2015 NAS A report by the National Association of Scholars SUSTAINABILITY HIGHER EDUCATION’S NEW FUNDAMENTALISM March 2015 NAS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS RACHELLE PETERSON PETER W. WOOD © 2015 National Association of Scholars © Cover Image: Andrew Burton/Getty Images ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS Mission The National Association of Scholars is an independent membership association of academics and others working to sustain the tradition of reasoned scholarship and civil debate in America’s colleges and universities. We uphold the standards of a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, searches for the truth, and promotes virtuous citizenship. What We Do We publish a quarterly journal, Academic Questions, which examines the intellectual controversies and the institutional challenges of contemporary higher education. We publish studies of current higher education policy and practice with the aim of drawing attention to weaknesses and stimulating improvements. Our website presents a daily stream of educated opinion and commentary on higher education and archives our research reports for public access. NAS engages in public advocacy to pass legislation to advance the cause of higher education reform. We file friend-of-the-court briefs in legal cases, defending freedom of speech and conscience, and the civil rights of educators and students. We give testimony before congressional and legislative committees and engage public support for worthy reforms. NAS holds national and regional meetings that focus on important issues and public policy debates in higher education today. Membership NAS membership is open to all who share a commitment to its core principles of fostering intellectual freedom and academic excellence in American higher education. A large majority of our members are current and former faculty members. We also welcome graduate and undergraduate students, teachers, college administrators, and independent scholars, as well as non-academic citizens who care about the future of higher education. NAS members receive a subscription to our journal Academic Questions and access to a network of people who share a commitment to academic freedom and excellence. We offer opportunities to influence key aspects of contemporary higher education. Visit our website, www.nas.org, to learn more about NAS and to become a member. “The protection of planet earth, the survival of all species and sustainability of our ecosystems is more than a mission. It is my religion and my dharma.” - Rajendra Pachauri, former head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change TABLE OF CONTENTS Sustainability: Higher Education’s New Fundamentalism...............................................................................1 About the National Association of Scholars.............................................................................................................2 Table of Contents.....................................................................................................................................................................4 Tables and Key Illustrations...............................................................................................................................................8 Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................................................................10 Executive Summary..............................................................................................................................................................11 Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................................14 What Is Sustainability?................................................................................................................................................15 The New What?.................................................................................................................................................................18 Sustainatopians...............................................................................................................................................................19 Why College?.....................................................................................................................................................................24 Hurdles.................................................................................................................................................................................25 Ideology...............................................................................................................................................................................30 Catastrophe........................................................................................................................................................................31 Where Did Sustainability Come From?..............................................................................................................32 The Report...........................................................................................................................................................................33 Chapter 1: The Greening of the Curriculum...........................................................................................................35 Degrees of Sustainability...........................................................................................................................................37 Integrated............................................................................................................................................................................41 Bonanza................................................................................................................................................................................42 The Piedmont Project...................................................................................................................................................44 Environmental Humanities.......................................................................................................................................45 Living Laboratory............................................................................................................................................................49 Enchanted...........................................................................................................................................................................51 The Back Story..................................................................................................................................................................52 Prepositions and Sustainability..............................................................................................................................55 Chapter 2: The Anatomy of CSM..................................................................................................................................59 Launching the CSM........................................................................................................................................................62 Dissecting the Movement..........................................................................................................................................66 Diversifying the Movement.......................................................................................................................................71 Gender and Sustainability.........................................................................................................................................76 The Brundtland Report................................................................................................................................................79 Social Ecology...................................................................................................................................................................83 Power Shift.........................................................................................................................................................................85 Conservatives and Sustainability..........................................................................................................................87 Chronology.........................................................................................................................................................................91 Who’s Who in Sustainability....................................................................................................................................94 Chapter 3: The Global Warming Debate...................................................................................................................98 History...................................................................................................................................................................................99 Global Warming: Yes..................................................................................................................................................102 Global Warming: No...................................................................................................................................................106