Saint Louis University • Earth Day 2010

sustainability

live

special issueOneWorld

S T A F FManaging EditorLauren Hashiguchi

Senior EditorJohanna Hemminger

Graphic DesignerKelcey Towell

Design and Photography DirectorNeelaysh Vukkadala

International Section ManagerTyler Porth

Local Section Manager Libby Fischer

Research EditorAllison Reilly

Layout Design TeamStephanie Kunz

Online Development Stephanie KunzLuke Gatta

Copy and Content DirectorSwathi Chidambaran

Outreach CoordinatorRachel Dratnol

Founder and VisionaryJesse Sullivan

We are already one, but we imagine that we are not. OneWorld exists to rediscover that, while we are many in our cultures, religions, and struggles, we are one in our common humanity. We yearn to remove the barriers of ignorance and injustice, because the most basic and unchanging truth that unites us is the infinite value of the human person. OneWorld emphasizes this unity by raising awareness of social injustice, inspiring action, and transforming our hearts, minds, and society.

Our Mission Statement

Dear Readers:

Liberation theologians state that the way to approach injustice is to “observe, judge, act.” This too is how Live OneWorld approaches social justice. In our pages we present information about the world so that readers can analyze it and form their own judgments. This is only part of the process.

As students, business leaders, investors, teachers, policymakers, consum-ers, and citizens of the world, simply taking note of the damages that non-sustainable practices have on our planet and its population is not enough. It is our duty to integrate the practice of sustainability into the fabric of our work and actively confront non-sustainable practices.

This issue is dedicated to sustainability in all aspects of our lives and work and is published in collaboration with the Center for Sustainability. The paper used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means that the wood used for production was harvested in a manner that meets standards for managed forests. Live OneWorld supports the elimination of negative consequences of logging like habitat destruction, water pol-lution, displacement of indigenous peoples, and ecosystem destruction.

Live OneWorld deeply values the care and guidance we receive from our mentors, advisors, and supporters. We extend Jason L. Young, OneWorld’s staff advisor, our deep and genuine gratitude. We would also like to thank Tim Keane of the Emerson Ethics Center and the Center for Sustain-ability for his support, guidance, and efforts to advocate for sustainability through education and advocacy. This magazine is printed with the support of the Center for Sustainability. Special thanks to Kelcey Towell for her innovation and incredible graphic design work. We thank Kent Porterfield and Student Development for their support. Michelle Loren-zini continues to be a source of guidance. We would also like to thank Campus Progress and our CP advisor David Spett, to whom OneWorld owes much of the improvements it has made in the past year and a half. OneWorld is able to touch our community because of the network of support we receive from our network of mentors, supporters, and the Saint Louis University community, who are committed to pursuing lives of service for others.

Live OneWorld,Lauren and Johanna

Corniche Gloss is an FSC Certified Paper. Printed using Soy Based Inks.

Cover photo by Andrea Bricco/Getty Images

table ofC O N T E N T S

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Published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress

(online at CampusProgress.org).

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Sustainability in Action

Environmental Sustainability in Developing Nations

A B C

A. Citizens of Set Net, Nicaragua view the newly installed windmill in their town for the first time. Photo by blueEnergy Group.B. A happy customer of Urban Cafe. Photo by Claire Wolff.C. A child amputee sits up in her hos-pital bed in Jacmel, Haiti. UN Photo

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sustainabilityby Johanna Hemminger

The term “sustainability” is frequently mentioned today, somehow applying simultaneously to economic development, the environment, the functionality of common institutions, politics, and other �elds. Furthermore, it seems to be applicable on any sort of scale: one can refer to the sustainability of urban Beijing, for example, or the sustainability of a student organization on a college campus. This broad concept was packaged into a single de�nition in 1987 at the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, de�ning sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”; but what does that mean in the world now, twenty-three years later?

We know from various examples that planning for the future has become a necessity. China's massive industrial revolution in the latter part of the twentieth century led to current problems of low air quality levels and pollution-related deaths. Several organizations' establishment of institutions like schools in sub-Saharan Africa crumbled due to a lack of thought of the necessities to keep the programs running. Today, humans are faced with the results of these non-sustainable practices as well as the challenge of incorporating sustainability with innovative and extensive ideas and plans for human progress. Will the technologies that are being introduced today bring adverse e�ects in a few decades? Will the strategies used for economic and infrastructural rebuilding after a natural disaster, such as January's earthquake in Haiti, continue to be bene�cial even in �ve years?

Choosing the easiest solution to the problem, or going after the fastest means of development, only works in a �xed slice of time and history. In reality, the choices that we make a�ect some other aspect of the world, whether it be of an unrelated subject or a di�erent lifetime. Luckily, humans have realized that our decisions do not stand alone: based on this notion of interconnectedness and cause-and-e�ect, we can work to develop and innovate in a sustainable way that will minimize or eliminate possibilities of later problems, and that will ensure the continuous cycle of change and improvement necessary for the enhancement of humanity and the world on which we live.

?what is

The term sustainability is frequently mentioned today, somehow applying simul-

taneously to economic develop-ment, the environment, the func-tionality of common institutions, politics, business, and other fields. Furthermore, it seems to be ap-plicable on any sort of scale: one can refer to the sustainability of urban Beijing, for example, or the sustainability of a student organi-zation on a college campus. This broad concept was packaged into a single definition in 1987 at the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Develop-ment, defining sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. But what does that mean in the world now, twenty-three years later?

We know from various examples that planning for the future has become a necessity. China’s mas-sive industrial revolution in the lat-ter part of the twentieth century led to current problems of low air quality levels and pollution-related deaths. Several organiza-tions’ establishment of institutions like schools in sub-Saharan Africa crumbled due to a lack of thought in thinking of about the necessi-ties to keep the programs running. Today, humans are faced with the results of these non-sustainable practices as well as the challenge of incorporating sustainability with innovative and extensive ideas and plans for human prog-ress. Will the technologies that are being introduced today bring adverse effects in a few decades? Will the strategies used for eco-nomic and infrastructural rebuild-

sustainability | 5

sustainabilityby Johanna Hemminger

The term “sustainability” is frequently mentioned today, somehow applying simultaneously to economic development, the environment, the functionality of common institutions, politics, and other �elds. Furthermore, it seems to be applicable on any sort of scale: one can refer to the sustainability of urban Beijing, for example, or the sustainability of a student organization on a college campus. This broad concept was packaged into a single de�nition in 1987 at the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, de�ning sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”; but what does that mean in the world now, twenty-three years later?

We know from various examples that planning for the future has become a necessity. China's massive industrial revolution in the latter part of the twentieth century led to current problems of low air quality levels and pollution-related deaths. Several organizations' establishment of institutions like schools in sub-Saharan Africa crumbled due to a lack of thought of the necessities to keep the programs running. Today, humans are faced with the results of these non-sustainable practices as well as the challenge of incorporating sustainability with innovative and extensive ideas and plans for human progress. Will the technologies that are being introduced today bring adverse e�ects in a few decades? Will the strategies used for economic and infrastructural rebuilding after a natural disaster, such as January's earthquake in Haiti, continue to be bene�cial even in �ve years?

Choosing the easiest solution to the problem, or going after the fastest means of development, only works in a �xed slice of time and history. In reality, the choices that we make a�ect some other aspect of the world, whether it be of an unrelated subject or a di�erent lifetime. Luckily, humans have realized that our decisions do not stand alone: based on this notion of interconnectedness and cause-and-e�ect, we can work to develop and innovate in a sustainable way that will minimize or eliminate possibilities of later problems, and that will ensure the continuous cycle of change and improvement necessary for the enhancement of humanity and the world on which we live.

?what is

ing after a natural disaster, such as January’s earthquake in Haiti, continue to be beneficial even in five years? Will today’s business practices ensure the sustainability of the natural and human world?

Choosing the easiest solution to the problem, or going after the fastest means of development, only works in a fixed slice of time and history. In reality, the choices that we make affect some other aspect of the world, whether it be of an unrelated subject or a differ-ent lifetime. Luckily, we humans have realized that our decisions do not stand alone; based on this notion of interconnectedness and cause-and-effect, we can work to develop and innovate in a sus-tainable way that will minimize or eliminate possibilities of later problems, and that will ensure the continuous cycle of change and improvement necessary for the enhancement of humanity and the world on in which we live.

“ “Today, humans are faced with the results of these non-sustainable practices as well as the challenge of incorporating sustain-ability with innovative and extensive ideas and plans for human progress.

6 | live OneWorld

by Elizabeth Fischer and Candace Potter

sustainability | 7

Farming is arguably the world’s oldest profession. But despite a multi-millen-nial legacy, it has taken only

100 years for farming to become a small percentage of the workforce. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), from 1900 to 2002, the number of farm workers in the United States fell by more than 90%. As tech-nology, industry, and the service industry have grown exponentially in the past century, Americans have flocked from the farm to the city in search of a higher paycheck and “a better life.”

Given that Americans still consume food in these bustling cities, this economic and lifestyle shift has ma-jor implications for our lives. What has the mass exodus of ordinary farm workers to cities meant for the food we consume?

The growth of American cities has in part been caused by and has in part contributed to the massive expan-sion of factory farming in the U.S. Tomatoes, a summer crop, look the same when purchased in winter as in the regular months. According to a 2003 study by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, “the average conventional produce item travels 1,500 miles, using, if shipped by tractor-trailer, one gallon of fossil fuel per hundred pounds,” making its production and dispersal non-sustainable.

The Urban Farming movement has emerged as a response to the non-sustainability of factory farming. Urban Farming, a concept that has been around as far back as the time of the Persian Empire, uses land and resources in a city or metropolis to produce food for people living within that particular urban area. Although urban and peri-urban farming are not new concepts, the growing awareness of the short-

comings of factory farming in the U.S. has led to a renewed interest in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in or near major metropolitan areas.

Biver Farms, located just a few miles from St. Louis, is an example of a peri-urban farm dedicated to sustain-able agriculture. The farm, started in 1996, works on a co-op system: customers pay in advance to have vegetables delivered throughout the season and this forward pay-ment provides funds for the men to purchase resources in the beginning of the summer. The excess produce is sold at local farmer’s markets, such as Schlafly, Tower Grove, Clayton, and Edwardsville. The farm produces a calculated amount of food, just enough for sales and profit, but not so much that produce is wasted.

Saint Louis University sophomore Anna Schuh worked at Biver Farms in the summer of 2009. Schuh’s work not confined to the farm itself; she soon saw that her daily toil directly affected her community. Visiting friends’ houses, she would find the produce she had planted and picked on kitchen counters, ready to be con-sumed by local people. Schuh’s vision of food itself changed as well. Sus-tainable farming made her realize “all the work that goes into one potato.” When Schuh looks at her dinner plate now, she imagines all the planting, weeding, grow time, digging, and cleaning that went into each veg-etable. She realized, “somebody spent hours picking the food that’s on my plate.” The work she contributed to food production truly came full circle as she became a consumer more aware of her use the land’s products.

In accordance with its organic mission, Biver Farms does not use chemical pesticides to control weeds and bugs, but rather employs the use of alternative farming methods. To prevent weeds, the farmers lay straw on the earth blocking excess sunlight.

Instead of using harmful pesticides, the urban farmers deposit deer urine around the perimeter of the farm. Additionally, the farm cycles the crops planted in each plot so as not to strip the soil of nutrients, allowing the land to naturally replenish instead of encourage growth using nitrate fertilizers.

Therein lies the beauty of the sustain-able farm: an absence of reliance on chemicals and land treatments. By using these natural methods, organic farming is sustainable in and of itself. The lands’ natural cycles and pro-cesses become the main focus and a true understanding of the land means money is not spent on chemical pesti-cides or soil revitalizers. Although the crop yields of these farms are smaller, the produce generated is not chemi-cally plumped or waxed, providing a more fulfilling, more sustainable product for consumers.

Beans, chilies, and turnips freshly harvested from a peri-urban farm in PN. Photos by The Bitten Word

8 | live OneWorld

S Building Our Next Generation of Leaders...… by Allison Reilly

The idea of sustainability will soon be centralized at Saint Louis University. A new Center of Sus-tainability has been established.

“It’s time to change the way we do business,” said Tim Keane, professor of management and director of the Emerson Center of Ethics. “We’re serious about this.”

Keane, the center’s founder, was instrumental in making this center a reality. The Center of Sustainability has three focus areas: education, research and outreach. Keane said that this center differs from others in that the other centers have largely been focused on operations. “[The center] has a practitioner’s standpoint,” he said. “It will be funding research on poverty and social justice, and have a social equity perspective.”

The idea for the center and the new masters program got start-ed back in 2008, when the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation several one mil-

lion dollar grants to universities proposing to start a new master in development practice. Saint Louis University applied for the grant, but did not receive it. Even so, Keane felt that the masters program was something needed at SLU. “This is the direction of society right now,” Keane said. “There was really genuine ear-nest and a desire to collaborate.”

Roobik Gharabagi, Ph.D., head of the computer and electrical engi-neering department in the Parks College of Engineering, Avia-tion and Technology, was one of those willing to collaborate on the program. “The grant was a good motivator,” he said. “We can study what the needs are to create a sustainable society for St. Louis.”

This new center is made possible with a grant from Alberici Foun-dation, a St. Louis-based not-for-profit organization. The foun-dation will provide five million dollars over the course of the

sustainability | 9

Snext several years toward getting this new center up and running.

“It was a real opportunity to give back,” said John Alberici, Presi-dent of the Alberici Foundation and former member of the Saint Louis University Board of Trust-ees. “We try to sponsor things that will be good for the com-munity.”

Alberici is also the president of Alberici Group, a construction company that incorporates green elements into their projects.

“We need [this center] in the world today,” Alberici said. “It’s part of what we’re going to do as a nation.”

Along with the new center will be a new Master of Sustainabil-ity program, starting in the fall of 2010. The master’s degree is a two-year program where the first year is spent on foundational classes and the second year al-lows for emphasis on a particular aspect of sustainability. There is a field practicum/internship com-ponent as well.

Students can narrow their studies to one of three different tracks: public policy, business and engi-neering.

“Sustainability means different things to different people,” said Roobik Gharabagi. “I’m excited about the uniqueness of the program.”

Gharabagi also said that this pro-gram was originally scheduled to start in 2011. However, the uni-versity challenged those involved to bring this to fruition next fall.

Keane, Gharabagi, and others set a 20/20 vision for the center and the new masters. One goal was to get 20 students to enroll in the masters program for the fall 2010 semester within the first 20 weeks. Even before this issue went to press, Keane said that over 20 students had already expressed interest in the new program.

“We’re excited of the possibili-ties,” he said.

The Center of Sustainability will tentatively be located in Des Peres Hall. Students do not need an undergraduate in any specific field in order to apply for the Master of Sustainability. For those interested in getting involved with either the center or the new masters program, contact Tim Keane at tkeane@slu.edu.

10 | live OneWorld

THE MASTERS PROGRAMBuilding our next generation of leaders…

Master of Sustainability:by Tim Keane, Director of the Center for Sustainability

that creates long-term share-holder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, environmental and social devel-opments. What does the masters program offer graduates?

Graduates from traditional mas-ters programs frequently end up working just to “make a living”. In challenging economic times, they might not find any work at all. The Saint Louis University Master of Sustainability degree helps graduates pursue work that they are passionate about, while building careers of com-passion. Multiple studies have confirmed that workers with a deep understanding of sustain-ability related challenges and potential solutions will be highly valued in the workplace for the foreseeable future.

•The Bureau of Labor Statistics identified sustainability related skills as critically important across multiple industries.

•The Council of Economic advi-sors reports that “green” jobs are expected to grow faster than any other occupation through 2016. •Industries connected to the built environment are expected to add 8 million sustainability related jobs to the U.S. economy

before 2013.

•Growth across industries related to the environment is expected to drive earnings higher for indi-viduals with advanced sustain-ability competencies.

Saint Louis University in the only university in the Midwest that offers the only masters program focused entirely on sustainabil-ity. Saint Louis University offers candidates a unique educational experience based in social jus-tice, stewardship, and service. Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is the oldest university west of the Mississippi. SLU is consistently ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character devel-opment of more than 13,000 stu-dents on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain.

The Saint Louis University Mas-ters of Sustainability degree program will train leaders to understand the cascading issues surrounding society’s increasing use of our decreasing resources. The cross-disciplinary degree in-tegrates knowledge on sustain-able business practices, effective public policy processes and innovative design and engineer-ing approaches. Consistent with Saint Louis University’s mission, candidates learn applied ethical reasoning skills as the founda-tion for achieving sustainability.

So what does “sustainability” mean?

Sustainability can be interpreted in a variety of ways, often cre-ating uncertainty when stake-holders discuss potential solu-tions to climate change, energy consumption and other issues related to protecting the earth’s resources. The definitions below offer clarity, moving from the EPA’s broadest, most commonly understood meaning, to a Dow Jones interpretation specific to a business valuation context. Environmental Protection Agen-cy: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Dow Jones: A business approach

by Tim Keane, Assistant Professor of Management and Director, Emerson Ethics Center

sustainability | 11

““

What can I except as a candidate in the masters program?

Saint Louis University o�ers candidates a unique educational experience based in social justice, steward-ship, and service.

Who should apply?The multi-disciplinary nature of the Saint Louis University Master of Sustainability degree program invites knowledge sharing, and values a cross-section of educa-tional backgrounds and experi-ences.

Candidates interested in building foundational sustainability com-petencies through the degree program will come from:•Businesses with a focus on sus-tainability, including entrepre-neurial enterprises•Non-governmental and non-profit organizations •The public sector

Individuals with an existing, dis-cipline specific masters degree are encouraged to apply. Excep-tionally qualified, upper level un-dergraduates will be considered based on their demonstrated abilities.

The Master of Sustainability de-gree program will begin accept-ing applications on Earth Day, April 22, 2010. For more information on the SLU Master of Sustainability degree program, contact: The Center for Sustainability314.977.3608

What can I expect as a candidate in the masters program?

The rigorous course work and field training offered through the SLU Master of Sustainabil-ity will enable our graduates to lead the attack on sustainability related issues with an integrated, systems approach to solution development. Year One

The unique methodology builds foundational knowledge through core courses that cover general sustainability topics across various disciplines. All candidates go through their first year of the program level core courses together. Year Two

Candidates select a specific “ca-reer track” within each participat-ing discipline, including Engi-neering and Technology, Public Policy/Social Work and Business. Candidates also have an option to build a custom curriculum that supports a broader sustain-ability practitioner career path.

Field Immersion Experience

Each career track concludes with a field experience designed to immerse the candidate into a practitioner role inside an organi-zation or group that connects to their respective discipline.

by Tim Keane, Assistant Professor of Management and Director, Emerson Ethics Center

12 | live OneWorld

FAQsFrequently Asked Questions

What is the focus of SLU’s new Center for Sustainability?

In general, the Center for Sus-tainability will focus its efforts on research, education and collabo-ration. The orientation for most Center activities will be highly practical. An aggressive research agenda and innovative educa-tion programs will be developed with an expectation that output, i.e. sustainability related discov-eries and individual skills, can be transferred to the market in a relatively short period of time. That sense of urgency reflects the belief that the window for fixing the problems we all face is closing. Because we are all im-pacted by that reality means we must collaborate to reduce the time required to find solutions.

Who is involved in the Center?

The center will cross traditional disciplinary boundaries to im-prove existing sustainability programs and create new initia-tives. Multidisciplinary teams of researchers, professors, students and external stakeholders will collaborate in delivering solu-tions to the profound and press-ing environmental, economic, and social challenges related to sustainability.

Sustainability concerns have been voiced for decades. Why is SLU just now launching these initiatives?

SLU has been a leader in sustain-ability for a long time. Our posi-tive impact on redeveloping the St. Louis mid-town area alone has been recognized by civic groups for years. Additionally, in-dividuals and departments have already taken specific actions to address sustainability related is-sues. Extensive course offerings exist today across campus. SLU researchers have created innova-tions that will have a profound impact on greenhouse gas emis-sions through alternative energy products. Our Facilities Services group recently executed a ga-rage retrofit project that signifi-cantly reduced our environmen-tal footprint, resulting in:

•The equivalent of planting a 185 acre forest

•Energy saving equivalent to over one million KWh/year

•Saving 91,600 gallons of gas per year

•Removing 764 tons of green-house gases per year

How does the new Center for Sustainability fit into SLU’s strat-egy going forward?

The new Center for Sustainabil-ity can help build partnerships between individuals and groups committed to solving our collec-tive sustainability related chal-lenges. That effort will require coordinated, purposeful com-munications within SLU itself, as well as with external stakehold-ers. Additionally, the Center will enable new solution develop-ment and the transfer of critically important skills to the market. Through the Center for Sustain-ability, we have the opportu-nity to position SLU as a leader in sustainability in the United States, and perhaps even across the globe.

sustainability | 13

For the past 20 years a very special day has been celebrated in St. Louis on the fourth Sunday of April: Earth Day. Earth Day is nationally cel-

ebrated on April 22nd. People from around the city flood the Muny Theatre grounds in Forest Park to participate in the annual Earth Day festival, which features activities, stewardship projects, and cultural institutions that help bring the community together with the mission of making “every day Earth Day, cultivating environmental stewardship and engag-ing individuals, governments, businesses, schools and the non-profit sector in celebration, education

St. Louis Earth Dayand action to support a healthy and sustainable future.” Educational demonstrations and activities allow people to actively learn how to incorporate sustainability into their lives while a host of non-profits and vendors provide information and inno-vative, green products for visitors. Also available is healthy, sustainable food for hungry participants.

An important group of people also participates in St. Louis Earth Day: artists. Eco-artists attend the fes-tivities to advocate for environmental sustainability through art. Saint Louis University junior, Kelcey Tow-ell, created the winning design for the 2010 Earth Day Logo (pictured). Towell, a graphic design stu-dent, applied with over 40 other artists from St. Louis City and was selected as one of 6 semi-finalists. The general public had the final vote and elected Towell’s design for the 21st Annual Celebration of Earth Day.

When asked why she chose to design for the Earth Day celebration, Towell responded, “I love design-ing for non-profits. It is important for artists to share their work with the public and not just a se-lect group of art critics. This ‘green-ness’ is becom-ing one of the more progressive movements in the country and around the world. To be a part of that movement and to help people become aware of it in such a cool way is very satisfying.”

This year the festival will feature exhibits themed on: Energy, Pet Care and Wildlife, “Reduce, Reuse, Recy-cle,” Arts and Crafts, Wellness, and a Farmer’s Market, to name just a few. Even the transportation will be sustainable. The Earth Day Committee is providing visitors who use public transportation or bike to get to Forest Park and who bring a reusable bag or water bottle with them will receive an eco-friendly prize.

Towell says “I want people to go the festival. Being “green” is not just about using special dish soap or ink; if you don’t go out and learn about it and try to live it, then it’s meaningless! It will be fun and will show people how to reduce their carbon footprint and make the world a little easier for ev-eryone to exist in together.” The 21st Annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival will occur on Sunday, April 25th with details at http://stlouisearthday.org.

By Lauren Hashiguchi

greentakes a little

Going

The new Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis Univer-sity offers sustainable and environmentally friendly components to its structure and operations.

According to the Antron Carpet Fiber & International Facility Management Associa-tion, a green building is a building “in which environmental considerations are given to design, construction and operation.” Chaifetz is a green building in all three aspects.

Mackey Mitchell Associates was one of two architects that designed the arena and have helped to incorporate a few of these green components.

“The white roof [of Chaifetz] reflects heat and light,” said John Guenther, principal and project designer with Mackey Mitchell As-sociates. “It’s better from an energy point of

by Allison Reilly

view.”A white roof reduces energy con-sumption as it puts less strain on the heating and cooling facilities than a darker roof, Guenther said.

Another green-design element of the arena is the dual-flush system in the men’s and women’s bathrooms.“We would approximate 250,000 gallons per year domestic water savings, below the Energy Policy Act of 1992 Water Use Limits es-tablished for plumbing fixtures, by using dual-flush valve water closets in the men’s and women’s restrooms throughout the facility,” said Paul Todd Merrill, director of sustainabil-ity with Clayco Construction Com-pany Inc., via email.

The Water Use Limits of the Energy

Policy Act of 1992 set the water-efficiency standard for a dual-flush toilet is 0.8/1.1 gallons per flush.

Clayco Construction was the con-tractor for Chaifetz as well as the Edward A. Doisy Research Center. Matt Reiter, senior project engineer with Clayco, said in an email in-terview that SLU and Clayco “have worked together in the past and have developed a tried-and-true working relationship and a great deal of trust”.A green element that’s both a de-sign and a construction feature is its on-campus location. “People can walk and don’t need to drive,” Guenther said.

It takes approximately seven min-utes to walk from Griesedieck Hall to the arena, incidentally.

“SLU is right in the central corridor of St. Louis,” said Sarah Hale, co-founder of SLU Students for Alter-native Transport. “There’s relatively

easy access for those who do not have a car.”

Hale said that SLU is in a perfect location because going east/west we have the Metro link, and going north/south we have the Grand bus lines. For those who choose to drive, another green-construction feature is the use of pre-existing parking facilities on and around campus.“Constructed parking areas were limited, to take advantage of exist-ing parking facilities on campus,” said Reiter. Eight parking lots are designated for the arena. Two of them are the Laclede and Olive-Compton parking garages on SLU’s campus and were here before the arena.

As for current day-to-day opera-

tions, some green installments in-clude the recycling of all cardboard and light bulbs. Also energy effi-cient is the HVAC (heating, ventilat-ing, and air conditioning) system. Certification demonstrates that the building is environmentally respon-sible, but because a building hasn’t been LEED certified does not neces-sarily mean the building isn’t LEED certifiable.

SLU chose not to pursue LEED cer-tification for the Chaifetz Arena. “It does happen from time to time that clients focus on getting the building erected instead of going through the cost-implications with certifica-tion,” Guenther said.

The U.S Green Building Council’s website on project certification out-lines the fees of certification. Fees range from $500 for a construction review of a newly constructed build-ing less than 50,000 square feet, to $22,500 for a combined construc-tion and design review of a newly

constructed building of more than 500,000 square feet.

Reiter said that some of the build-ings in the region that have or are attempting a LEED rating in-clude Cortex, Novus, Corporate Solae Global Headquarters, Wash-ington University- Danforth Student Center, and SLU’s own Doisy Re-search Center.

The $81 million complex consists of

10,600-seat arena, a practice-play facility and a three-story athletic office building with approximately 100,000 cubic yards of earth cut and filled, 24,000 cubic yards of con-crete poured and1150 tons of rebar placed.

Guenther said that Chaifetz is a building that is of high-perfor-mance and will serve the SLU and St. Louis communities for many years to come.

“The green movement is definitely getting stronger, comparing fresh-man year to now” said Oza. “There’s more awareness and concern.”

16 | live OneWorld

Citizens of Set Net, Nicaragua view the newly installed windmill in their town for the first time. Photo by blueEnergy Group.

Firstcomesenergy

sustainability | 17

On the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, energy and electricity is inaccessible to more than 75% of the population. As the world modernizes and more efforts are placed into technological development, access to an inexpensive, clean, and sustainable source of energy becomes a necessity; without energy, after all, technology cannot exist. In response to this issue, blueEnergy was started as a non-profit organization by brothers Mathias and Guillaume Craig in 2003. Mathias, an MIT graduate, combined his passion for the Nicaraguan people fueled by his childhood visits to various developing countries with his engineering degree to found an organization that has paved the way for sustainability in these nations. His point of entry: wind tur-bines. blueEnergy is responsible for low-cost energy innovation that requires an entirely dif-ferent approach from start to finish. Mathias and his engineers have set their gaze on providing their energy technology (by combining solar and wind power) in remote communities. Rather than manufacturing the turbines in one centralized location, blueEner-gy sets up the infrastructure and capacity nec-essary to produce a turbine, and allows local workers to supply the labor. The community gets power and newly created jobs. Further-more, the fees collected from private energy use are invested into a community energy fund

to cover operation and costs.

The reason this holistic approach to energy is being so successfully implemented is due to the fact that top-down energy development does not work in impoverished nations. The central governments do not have the neces-sary resources to expand energy services to all areas of the country. Furthermore, the local people do not have the technical skills and background to maintain a high-tech, foreign energy system. Sustainability in this practice has a long way to go, but learning from errors and unexpected events have encouraged its growth and pos-sibility. Developers cannot expect to introduce a project in a developing nation and have it work automatically; they have to teach them to maintain it and invest the energy into posi-tive community projects. If the technology is introduced improperly or incompletely, it would not function properly, at least accord-ing to standards of emission, and would harm other aspects of the community in which it is introduced.

“Lessons in Bringing Technology to the Develop-ing World,” a podcast aired on November 6, 2009 on Public Radio International, dives into the sustainability of energy projects in developing countries.

by Michael Cisarmodernthen thecomes

world

Talk of hybrid cars, reusable shopping bags, and solar panels dominate public discussion while not enough is said in response to the non-sustainable, destructive industry practices that consumers benefit from. In Teluk Kabung, a small town on the island of Su-matra in Indonesia, fierce debates over environmental destruction caused by an uncontrolled pa-per milling company, Asia Pulp and Paper Company (APP), are quickly moving to the forefront of the political stage. Indonesia, a country of 17,508 islands, hosts the world’s second largest level of biodiversity, and tropical forests cover approximately 60% of the landmass. However, its rich forests are quickly dwindling, and with it the livelihood of the populations who depend on its resources.

APP’s reckless clear-cutting has taken both an environmental and human impact. In 2009 Public Radio International released a podcast detailing the damage this company had inflected on about 500 families who live in a village

by Megan McCray

of Teluk Kabung. For generations, the people of Teluk Kabung have lived and prospered by harvesting coconuts, which they make coco-nut oil from to sell. Their livelihood depends on the health of the forest and the health of their coconut trees.

Since the mid-1980s, APP has used controversial negotiating processes with the Indonesian government to control and clear cut Indonesia’s forests. They control approximately one-fourth of Indonesia’s remain-ing forests and express plans to create more wood pulp planta-tions within the next few years. Romain Pirard and Rofikoh Rokhim examined the destructive business practices of APP in a 2006 report, APP in Indonesia: the business rationale that led to forest degrada-tion and financial collapse. Among the dangerous attributes of APP highlighted by Pirard and Rokhim are non-sustainable expansion, ne-glect to invest in plantation estates in favor of forest conversion, and deplorable negotiating practices with the Indonesian government.

Stumps scatter what once was lush forest in Corridor, Riau, Indonesia. Photo by Romain Pirard.

When the Indonesian government grants land to companies, it often includes villages whose popula-tion is left with no choice but to leave their homes.

A central issue concerning forest-ing companies is the deforesta-tion of a valuable environmental resource. When part of a forest is destroyed, the insects swarm to adjacent forests and then over-crowd and consume the plants. By 2007 insects had destroyed most of the coconut trees of Teluk Kabung, stripping away what little income the villagers have left. It takes about seven years for a coconut tree to produce coconuts after sustaining damage. Although some trees have been replanted, it will be at least 2014 before the villagers can harvest and sell coco-nuts again. Furthermore, families have one-tenth of the rice they had before APP clear-cut nearby forests. Irresponsible business and industry decisions have taken a devastating toll on the Indonesian forests and its many dependents.

The United Nations initiated a pro-gram called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) which offers incentives to developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable develop-ment. Indonesia is of particular interest to REDD not only because of its biodiversity, but also be-cause much of its forest is made of carbon-rich peat. The disruption of peat-filled land releases high amounts of carbon into the atmo-sphere. In Indonesia, REDD hopes to reduce the amount of green-house gases and reduce deforesta-tion. However, many government

officials are skeptical of this plan.

Logging and wood pulp planta-tions are profitable businesses for Indonesia and the financial impact of curbing these industries is a deterrent for reform. Although the need to control irresponsible clear-cutting practices is clear, the government is concerned for In-donesia’s economy, which profits from the logging industry. While REDD attempts to aid countries who make efforts to control harm-ful logging industries, such ac-tions would not provide as much revenue as the logging industry offers immediately. Currently pol-icy makers are more concerned with the immediate present, not the future.

Meanwhile, villagers affected by logging practices call for com-pensation for damage to the land and their economic viability. They are concerned about the loss of land for future generations. They need food now and they want legal titles to their land to prevent further domination by logging

companies.

Environmental destruction for profit is occurring in South Amer-ica in the Amazon, in Africa in the Congo, in India in the Western Ghats. Our actions today have an impact on the world tomor-row. Will it matter in fifty years if we have beautiful houses but nowhere to put them? Investors and leaders in business must temper market forces with moral considerations when consider-ing investments with companies who practice without regard to negative human or environmental impact. Correspondingly, con-sumers have a responsibility to actively learn about and respond to harmful business practices. As stewards of the Earth, we need to change our ways if we want to continue living on it. Indonesia’s motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” or “Unity in Diversity,” is something the entire world can adopt and come together under to solve this global problem.

20 | live OneWorld

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By Lauren Hashiguchi

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sustainability | 21

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In the months following the quake that rocked Port-au-Prince, aid workers scrambled to treat the

wounded, bodies were cleared from the streets, and Haiti’s suffer-ing slowly faded out of the news circuits. As Haiti struggles to meet the immediate needs of over three million displaced people, the work is far from over. Over the next decade, the international community and the people of Haiti will mount a massive effort to rebuild. The destruction is crippling, but from it emerges an opportunity for sustainable redevel-opment of a hub city, the economy, and of the already degraded environ-ment. Haiti was already in a precari-ous state prior to the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, with complete depen-dence on imports, overwhelming international debt, the centralization of government and industry in Port-au-Prince, massive deforestation, and a population of which over half live in abject poverty. The earthquake has created a window of opportunity for sustainable redevelopment.

A sustainable financial relationship with the international community is a cornerstone of development. Over the next five to ten years, Haiti will require a projected 3 billion dollars.

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By Lauren Hashiguchi

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Many donors are wary of giving funds directly to the Haitian government, who are notorious for corrupt, misman-aged spending of international aid dollars and who have already accumu-lated 1 billion dollars in debt prior to the quake. Better coordination among donors and stronger alignment with Haiti’s development plans will expedite and improve the rebuilding efforts. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute of Columbia University and author of The End of Poverty, calls for a “single, transparent, multidonor recov-ery fund for Haiti and the world to see,” funded through the Inter-American Development Bank and overseen by a board including appointees by Haitian President René Préval and the U.N. sec-retary general and donors. This finan-cial board could enforce sustainable, transparent allocation of funds agreed upon by the Haitian government to go towards development. Sach’s proposal complements Hillary Clinton’s assertion that large donors like the US must be partners, not patrons.

In addition to this well-managed international fund, partial or complete forgiveness of debt is necessary. The quake radically shifted assumptions about Haiti’s economic growth that were the basis for loans given in the

past. In the weeks following the earth-quake Venezuela forgave part of Haiti’s debt; hopefully more nations will follow suit. Haiti cannot repay its current debt as it rebuilds its infrastructure, econo-my, and societal institutions. Debt for-giveness is a step towards sustainable international relationships and financial partnership.

As international dollars are applied to redevelopment, the flattened cities offer the opportunity to create a city that can support economic and social growth that approaches the bench-marks of a more developed nation. Prior to the quake, Port-au-Prince hosted a slew of haphazardly placed concrete buildings, crumbling streets, and only a handful of traffic signals. Now there is the chance to implement improved building practices and careful urban planning. The new Port-au-Prince may support industry, education and health care centers, sound living quar-ters, and the return of city life. What is needed further than the replacement of homes will be the development of a well-planned, well-built city.

A proposed initiative called Business Rebuild, led by Tim Keane of Saint Louis University’s Emerson Ethics Center, lays out an approach that integrates the

Left : A child amputee sits up in her hospital bed in Jacmel, Haiti. UN Photo by Marco Domino.Right: An estimated 50,000 Hai-tians displaced by the earthquake have pitched makeshift tents on the grounds of the Petionville Club, a golf and tennis resort in Port-au-Prince. UN Photo by Sophia Paris.

22 | live OneWorld

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An elderly woman is seen on the grounds of the Petion-ville Club, a golf and tennis resort where an estimated 50,000 Haitians displaced by the earthquake have pitched makeshift tents for shelter. UN Photo by Sophia Paris.

diverse skills and knowledge necessary for sustainable redevelopment in Haiti. The effort requires teams of architects, engineers, building trades unions and academics to collaborate with the Haitian workforce and public sector in the sustainable reconstruction of critical infrastructure and buildings. Beyond the obvious benefits of the reconstruction projects, the most important deliverable for Business Rebuild is a trained Haitian workforce. “In the past, short term profit dominated the business enterprise in developing countries. That inevitably led to exploitive, non-sustainable economic development. Through this collabora-tive, integrated approach, SLU is hoping for nothing less than redefining the way business is done,” says Keane, a leader who works at the intersection of business and social justice. In partnership with Haitians, Business Rebuild teams from the US would construct high impact, green buildings like schools and health centers. Haitians would be trained in the skills necessary to evolve a middle class. For example, Haitians workers who were only able to secure low-income, assem-bly line type work in the past, would be trained by Business Rebuild teams to be-come skilled craft construction workers, engineers, contractors and entrepreneurs in the sustainable building supply chain. Even public officials would learn how to develop and implement sustainable building codes. The Business Rebuild initiative is in its formative stages, with

near term priorities focused on solidify-ing partnerships and funding to launch the first project.

Beyond sustainable building practices, it is important to look ten years ahead to the sustainability of the workforce and the economy. Haiti cannot forever re-main dependent on the developed world to construct their buildings and streets. Haiti must develop a workforce of skilled builders, which did not previously exist. Prior to the earthquake, Reuters reports that 2/3 of the buildings were unsound; structures that toppled were constructed from stacked concrete cinderblocks and sparse metal reams. Builders who are trained in the practice of constructing sound structures will support the small country in sustained development by leaving Haiti with a workforce capable of sustainable building that will remain after the international aid has been reduced.

Another aspect of development is the establishment of sustainable environ-mental practices and the restoration of the depleted environment. A 1997 study by the Inventory of Conflict and Environ-ment of the Mandela Project found that Haiti has only 2 percent forest cover, the result of decades of political instability. Decades of unsupervised land policies and the use of charcoal as a primary source of heating energy for cooking

have stripped the land of its forest cover. The result has been increased landslides and flash floods, as well as soil erosion that impedes food production by farm-ers. Haiti needs massive reforestation ef-forts to restore the topology of the land. In addition, the introduction of renew-able energy sources like solar and wind energy must be introduced in parallel with efforts to reduce the widespread practice of using of charcoal-burning stoves.

Finally, the farming economy needs an infusion of aid money for farmers to obtain seeds and other materials needed to begin growing food again. As the environment is restored, alternate energy is introduced, and the reliance on international food donations diminishes, Haiti will come closer to stand on its own two feet.

Another consideration it rebuilding a sustainable economy is to introduce factories and industries to Haiti. A US embargo in the early 1990s that aimed to catalyze the democratization of Haiti instead destroyed the meager manu-facturing industry. The introduction of factories will provide long-term jobs for Haitians and contribute to the economy. If the Haitian government can remain stable enough, the possibly of introduc-ing factories to Haiti after the initial rebuilding efforts promises to strengthen the weak economy.

The devastation of the earthquake top-pled many building and claimed many lives, but it also leaves an opportunity for sustainable redevelopment that the country has never had the opportunity for. From the ashes of burned grasslands comes new, more vibrant growth. In the wreckage of this natural disaster, Haiti has the chance for substantial growth of its economy and its infrastructure.

1. Akka(a) Israel (b) Saudi Arabia (c) Turkey2. Zaragoza(a) Italy (b) Poland (c) Spain3. Chemnitz(a) Switzerland (b) Germany (c) Belgium4. Troon(a) Australia (b) Holland (c) Scotland5. Husavik(a) Iceland (b) Russia (c) Norway6. Triesen(a) France (b) Liechtenstein (c) Austria7. Kisumu(a) Kenya (b) Japan (c) Indonesia8. Mandalay(a) Myanmar (b) Tobago (c) Macau9. Zeltweg(a) Germany (b) Austria (c) Sweden10. Iquique(a) Brazil (b) Chile (c) Venezuela11. Ystad(a) Finland (b) Portugal (c) Sweden12. Zagazig(a) Egypt (b) New Zealand (c) Luxembourg

You Went WHERE??

1. (a) 7. (a) 2. (c) 8. (a) 3. (b) 9. (b) 4. (c) 10. (b) 5. (a) 11. (c) 6. (b) 12. (a)

solution

The Doerr Center for Social Justice Education and Research supports the good work of “live OneWorld.” The Doerr Center at Saint Louis University:

• encourages dialogue through education

• increases knowledge about social justice through research

• promotes just social change locally and globally

School of Social Work 314-977-2734 http://socialjustice.slu.edu socljust@slu.edu

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A view of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo helicopter waiting in a feild. UN Photo by Myriam Asmani.

24 | live OneWorld

urbanstudiocafe

REfreshing aCommunityby Maria Sennet

@St. Louis is a city with many hidden treasures. With a total of 92 dis-tinctive neighborhoods, each area contributes its own character to the greater whole of the city, offering jar-ring contrasts from one to the next. There is history seeping out from every corner, but it is not always easy to find. Oftentimes the deprivation seems to overshadow the beauty that exists. Sometimes it takes some digging through or stepping out of one’s typical routine to find. St. Louis is a unique city and has a lot going for it, but there is no doubt it needs plenty of work. Like in many urban cities, “white flight” and zoning laws have caused large amounts of tax money and legislative influence to move from the city into the county, leading to a declining domino effect. Being an industrial city, the loss of an affluent population within the city limits has played a major role in the deterioration of neighborhoods and school districts, a fact no more obvi-ous than in the Old North neighbor-hood of St. Louis.

Located just northwest of down-town St. Louis, Old North is one of the many neighborhoods in the city still reeling from this phenomenon. Driving through the neighborhood is an experience in itself, as everything you could imagine in a city that is

suffering is visible along Old North’s barren streets. Amid a row of brown lawns and boarded up windows sits what one can only assume was once a thriving home. There is just one wall, the middle wall, stand-ing alone with slightly burnt floral wallpaper; on either side sits rubble. Almost beautiful in its desolation, this house isn’t even a rarity. In every direction broken windows, caved roofs, and “No Trespassing” signs mark the carcasses of once-noble homes, many of these struc-tures baring the ironic graffiti tag: “Legacy.”

Yet despite the deterioration, symbols of hope still manage to exist. The architecture of these tall, skinny, red-bricked Victorian houses is beautiful. The small details carved into the woodwork of these narrow buildings are awe-inspiring, recall-ing the neighborhood’s past splen-dor. While many existing homes are slowly being renovated, new condo-miniums are also being constructed.

Beyond its physical appearance, the neighborhood itself inspires con-fidence. In Old North it is all about bettering the community. There is

Right: A sign hanging outside the cafe welcomes neighborhood patrons. Bottom: Patrons enjoy coffee while supporting the

Old North community. Photos by Claire Wolff, Urban Studio Cafe.

urbanstudiocafe

REfreshing aCommunityby Maria Sennet

@

Across the street from the revital-ization project sits Crown Candy Kitchen, a traditional 1920s ice cream parlor with delectable malts—a must-go-to in St. Louis. Further down the street, but still an ice-cream throw away, lays the newest asset to the neighbor-hood, Urban Studio Café. Having just opened in September 2009, the Café is still looking for more resources and funding. Started by Claire Wolff, a graduate of Wash-ington University’s Brown School of Social Work, the Café is not ones typical coffeehouse, but rather a community-gathering place that hopes to be a catalyst for youth development and community improvement along with a source of strength not only in the neigh-borhood, but also as a model social venture for other emerging com-munity cafes. Wolff’s initial interest in the Old North area began when she started a summer photography program for St. Louis teens in 2007. When recruiting teens to partake in it, she had a hard time finding any who wanted to get involved. Many asked if they would be paid

a community garden, a Saturday morning farmer’s market providing healthy fresh locally grown foods, and a grocery co-op to open this year. The Old North St. Louis Resto-ration Group (ONSLRG), a commu-nity-based nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by neighborhood residents, has organized tours and clean-up days to raise awareness for the plight of the neighborhood all the while working as a community to rebuild itself from within. Cur-rently, the group is working on a $35 million revitalization of a mall strip on 14th Street called Crown Square. It is a project that has gained the neighborhood both national and international reputation as a model for effective community-based revitalization. Since 2007 when the construction began, the area has undergone a dramatic transforma-tion; the buildings are now at the point that businesses have begun leasing and ONSLRG is anticipating that having them there will spark interest and draw more people into the neighborhood. All of this points to one simple truth, the community of Old North cares about its neigh-borhood.

for participation, and it was at this point that Claire realized that the community lacked opportunities, both commercial and academic, for teens. Not only did Old North have limited positive outlets for teens, but it also lacked community gath-ering spaces, local businesses, and job opportunities. Wolff wanted to be a part of Old North’s revitaliza-tion, and thus in 2008 the idea for Urban Studio Café was launched.

The planning and development for Urban Studio Café began then, but realistically, the café could not open until sufficient funds were raised. The $30,000 award, received in April 2009 from the competi-tive Skandalaris Center’s Social Entrepreneurship and Innova-tion Competition, allowed for the realization of this vision. Like any small enterprise in its first year of business, Urban Studio Café is still seeking more financial support; unlike many, it is already bringing in a growing stream of business. As a non-profit and a project of Grace Hill Settlement House, Urban Studio Café is a bit different from typical small businesses in that the profit generated provides for social services including funding for The Urban Studio art programs for youth in the area. The café offers events and programs for the com-munity promoting an atmosphere of creativity and sustainability.

Whether interested or not in the coffeehouse experience, Urban Studio Café is a place to check out. With its homey feel, hard wood floors, eclectic furniture and com-fortable window seating complete with pillows, you cannot go wrong. The coffee is great, the music is good, and the menu, created specifically with the neighborhood in mind, has a variety of delicious foods that are “accessible” to the adventurous and the not-so-adven-

urbanstudiocafe

REfreshing aCommunityby Maria Sennet

@

Urban Studio Cafe provides spport for the Old North com-munity in its charismatic cafe through a wide variety of

means. Photo by Claire Wolff, Urban Studio Cafe.

turous eater alike. A wide array of games and books en-sures that no patron will ever get bored, and with only four employees, if you stop in more than once or twice, they will probably know your name. If you are a regular, there is even a spot for your mug on a shelf.

Urban Studio Café is different from other places. It cares about the neighborhood, and its business plan was specifically crafted to promote a sustainable Old North community. It aims to involve the community in every aspect of its work, whether through employment, the display of artwork or photography on its walls, or as a customer or through the display of artwork or photog-raphy on its walls. There is no doubt that the compas-sion and energy floating around the café is contagious.

In the six months it has been open, the Café has hosted

a plethora of events, including art shows, live music, job-skills training, parties, and arts and crafts days, in an attempt to engage the community at as many levels as possible. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed; the neighborhood has responded with positive feedback. Join the many who already drop in from time to time and support a bigger cause in doing so. See Old North St. Louis rebuild itself up to the vibrant urban center it once was. Support a social enterprise that is seeking to foster hope, pride, creativity, possibility, and confidence in the community. Be a part of a positive, sustainable change. Check it out for yourself, grab a cup of joe, and support the mission of Urban Studio Café.

Urban Studio Café is located at 2815 N. 14th St, St. Louis, MO 63107 or online at urbanstudiocafe.org.

28 | live OneWorld

The Sandbox Universe at Saint Louis University: A Case Study

To demonstrate how this con-struct can help your organization, I thought it would be helpful to show you how we use it at St. Louis University. First, we have an office dedicated to innovation. We call it the Office of Innovation and Intellectual Property. We see our role as a service to the uni-versity that inspires, protects, and facilitates our faculty, students,

and staff to innovate in order to provide the world with better solutions. We have a small staff of three people and we utilize outside legal counsel in mat-ters of patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

We have various sandboxes (intellectual property projects) in our innovation portfolio, ranging from medicines to medical in-struments to aviation technolo-gies to the arts. In simple terms, if a member of the university community submits a patentable idea, the university funds that patent expense, commercializes the patent, and shares the roy-alty revenue stream with the in-ventor. The inventor’s share is 40 percent of the royal- ties collect-ed. In simple terms, the innova-tors are owners and have a very attractive incentive to discover the next idea. Your organization may use a different incentive program — ours is by no means the only way —but it is critical that the innovators share as an equity partner in their ideas. The following is an example of how our system works and how you can utilize the sandbox universe for your organization.

We have a rather exciting sand-box, or project portfolio, that we call the sustainable sandbox. These are projects that address creating or enhancing energy ef-ficiencies. Currently, our sustain-able sandbox contains several very exciting projects, and I share one here to demonstrate how the sandbox universe construct is used to facilitate the growth of innovation. The project is called Quantum Weather.

sustainability | 29

Inspiration

A light bulb went off in my head!Usually, it’s the other way around when it comes to innovation, but for two researchers at St. Louis University, it was the loss of elec-tricity that inspired them to solve a problem.

Dr. Robert Paskin and Dr. William Dannevik, members of the Depart-ment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, were both victims of severe power outages in the St. Louis area in 2006. The loss of elec-tricity was due to two devastating storms that left in their wake the largest power outages in the his-tory of St. Louis.

Dannevik had previously done research at the University of California’s Lawrence Liverpool laboratory and had explored the possibility of developing a “virtual valley” of weather prediction mod-els for California’s rapidly devel-oping Central Valley. Paskin was watching both storms on radar and realized that with advanced fore- casting models, computer-aided information, and a network of weather reporting, he could develop a system that predicted atmospheric conditions much more precisely.

Imagination

Paskin and Dannevick refer to their innovation as “neighborhood weather” because they imagined predicting weather down to the street level. I remember as a kid being amazed at how on a hot summer day, one side of my street could have rain falling and the other side was bone dry. Now, I

had met the scientists who could tell when that was going to hap-pen.

What this meant from an electric-ity perspective was that if “neigh-borhood weather” was indeed possible, then the electric com-pany would have a very specific advanced warning system to pro-tect or repair electrical lines when a storm was passing through the area. Sounds good in theory, but will anybody believe this? How many times does the TV weather person get the weather wrong? And now these two scientists think they can predict weather down to the street level 12 hours before the storms arrive?

Dannevick and Paskin was now faced with the business of selling Imagination — a job thought to be reserved for the likes of Walt Disney or Steve Jobs. But throwing fear to wind (so to speak), they ar-ranged a meeting with AmerenUE, the supplier of the area’s electric-ity.To their pleasant surprise, Dave Wakeman, AmerenUE’s vice president responsible for power distribution and repairing the power lines damaged by storms, was more than intrigued. In fact, he was willing to invest in time and equipment for Dannevick and Paskin to achieve their neighbor-hood weather goal.

Innovation Development

Over the next two years, Dannev-ick and Paskin, in partnership with Dave Wakeman and AmerenUE, developed an intricate process and system that would receive, evaluate, and forecast with amaz-

ing accuracy from perpetual infor-mation retrieved from strategically placed weather-reporting units high atop the AmerenUE electrical poles.Now, as the patent process cures and continued refinement is being done to broaden the use of the technology, SLU and AmerenUE continue to develop a local model that has already saved AmerenUE substantial financial and human resources, but more importantly has drastically improved the pre-paredness and repair times, which has kept the lights on in St. Louis.This partnership is a modern-day example of how in the in-novation generation, universities and industry will collaborate to bring cutting-edge innovation to market. This university-industry model is an underutilized asset in the United States and can be the ultimate competitive edge in the universal marketplace of ideas.

Industrialization

As this sustainable sandbox emerges onto the marketplace, it is now ready to begin its ascent into the universe. With lofty goals and objectives, the project once known as “neighborhood weather” has been given a new trademark, Quantum WeatherTM, to better communicate the size and scope of the potential impact of the proj-ect. In 2010, the expansion of the program will begin to provide a patented national weather system that can be used for commercial, homeland security, and sustain-ability projects and will redefine the forecasting of weather.An imaginary idea, an investment partner, a patented process, anda purpose with integrity make for great innovation. Stay tuned . . .

30 | live OneWorld By Kathleen Carson

Developing NationsEnvironmental Sustainability in

by Kathleen Carson

sustainability | 31

Environmental sustainability is much easier to define than to identify, practice, or

construct in a modern, industrial-ized world. The abstract defini-tion adopted by the UN from the World Commission on the Environment and Development is meeting present needs with-out compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Briefly, it means limiting and eventually eliminating the use of nonrenewable resources and using renewable resources at or below replacement rate. Furthermore, it is only produc-ing waste that the environment is capable of assimilating by not producing either too much waste or toxic waste that the environ-ment cannot absorb.

The popular construction of sus-tainability in the U.S. and much of the developed world centers on “future generations.” However, much of the world struggles to meet present needs and, as Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen reminds us, “in our anxiety to protect the future gen-erations, we must not overlook the pressing claims of the less privileged today… [we] cannot ignore the deprived people today in trying to prevent deprivation in the future.” This is where the difficult work of determining what is “sustainable” begins — efforts to preserve the ability of future generations to meet their

By Kathleen Carson

Developing NationsEnvironmental Sustainability in

by Kathleen Carson

needs may be coming at the ex-pense of the 1.4 billion people who live in extreme poverty today.

The world economic crisis is a prime example of this. When the recession began in 2007, people drove and flew less, used less electricity, and bought fewer consumer goods; as a result, companies slowed pro-duction. This reduced the release of greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals into the environment and slowed mining of metals and miner-als and the harvesting of renewable resources. Though not approach-ing the level needed for long-term sustainability, the rate of worldwide consumption did shift slightly in that direction. But at what cost? The World Bank reports that 90 million more people will fall under the poverty level because factories in Vietnam were shut down, remit-tances to India dropped, tourism to the Dominican Republic slowed, and direct investment all over the world came to a halt.

The ideal of a sustainable world economy evokes promises of a pollution-free existence, clean and untroubled by greenhouse gases and resource shortages; but sus-tainability is a process, not an end state, that will be difficult for many. However, there are still many op-portunities that will help encourage this necessary process.

Recycling e-waste is an auspicious way to promote sustainability. Despite the global economic crisis, the demand for consumer elec-tronic goods is growing and the speed of replacement climbs. The result: piles of discarded computers,

cell phones, televisions, and other gadgets full of toxic substances and valuable materials – like the gold used to make the Vancouver Olympic medals. Currently, many electronics—4.5 million tons in the United States, according to the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency—are being dumped in landfills, inciner-ated, or incompletely and danger-ously recycled by people, including children, in developing countries. This disposal is creating a huge public health problem and is also resulting in the loss of a great deal of resources. The UN is responding by pushing countries and manufac-turers to increase recycling, invest in Designed for the Environment (DFE) products that use less toxic materials and are made for easy upgrades, repairs, and disassembly, and implement take-back and lease programs to keep products in the recycling loop. These moves could dramatically improve the prospects of people doing the recycling while also limiting the negative social and environmental impact our little conveniences have.

Even if the UN’s proposal were implemented, there may still be an e-waste problem. Discarded U.S. and European electronics are still dumped in places like Hong Kong and Nigeria despite national and international law. Some will argue the economics are not right or companies would be capitalizing on the opportunity. This is the quan-dary of sustainability: the process is complex and not resolved through single-shot solutions, and there are no silver bullets. Right: Small girl sits surrounded by

electronic waste in the Guiyu, China. The e-waste capital of the world. Photo by Anna (anna_es _arte flickr)

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“Life’s most persistent and

urgent question is: What are you doing for

others?”Martin Luther King, Jr.

call action.to

Photo by the Bitten Word