Sure, few would argue that remedial classes for Congress is the job of higher education, but far too many Americans graduate without understanding the basic science of climate change. In a New York Times op-ed, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, celebrating the political achievement of passing the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill, put it bluntly, "But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn't help thinking that I was watching a form of treason- treason against the planet. To fully appreciate the irresponsibility and immorality of climate-change denial, you need to know about the grim turn taken in the latest climate research. The fact is that the planet is changing faster than even pessimists expected. Ice caps are shrinking, arid zones spreading, at a terrifying rate.

And according to a number of recent studies, catastrophe-a rise in temperature so large as to be almost unthinkable can no longer be considered a mere possibility. It is, instead, the most likely outcome if we continue along our present course."

If climate deniers are guilty of treason, so are universities who fail to ensure that all graduates grasp the definitive scientific consensus that if we fail to act immediately to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, we are risking the survival of the human race.[1]

No More Business as Usual

Worse, the global climate crisis is only one of many drivers of change now confronting the planet. Every major ecosystem on Earth is in peril. In 2005, the United Nations released the Millennium Ecological Assessment (MEA) describing how the rising human population has polluted or over-exploited two-thirds of the ecological systems on which life depends. Authored by 1,360 experts in ninety-five nations, the study drew on twenty-two national science academies around the world. How many college graduates even know of it?

"At the heart of this assessment is a stark warning," states the MEA. "Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted." United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan commented that the study shows how "the very basis for life on Earth is declining at an alarming rate."[2]

In 1998, a survey of professional biologists concluded that 69 percent believe that the "sixth extinction" we are now living through is happening more rapidly and affecting a wider range of biodiversity than any of the previous five. It is possible, the report stated, that we will lose between 30 percent and 70 percent of the planet's biodiversity within a time span of only twenty to thirty years. The difference from all previous extinctions is that this one is due to the actions of one species, humanity, which claims to be the only one endowed with intelligence and consciousness.[3] We're playing for keeps and the stakes include survival for millions of species, perhaps our very own.

The worldwide loss of environmental stability drives poverty, inequity, and social injustices, making them further drivers of change. The UN now admits that the conflict in Darfur is caused by climate change, and is the future for life in much of Africa if global warming is not mitigated. The UN projects billions of deaths in the decades to come if we are not successful in mitigation. This is not some future scenario. Nine out of ten disasters now recorded are climate-related, and the number of disasters has doubled to more than 400 annually over the past two decades. John Holmes, the under-secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief coordinator, states, "Climate change is not some futuristic scenario. It's happening today, and millions of people are already suffering the consequences."[4]

There are other formidable drivers of change facing the future: the well-recognized F's of finances, food, and fuel; water scarcity; vulnerable infrastructure; shifting demographics; the impact of globalization; and what is now known as "the sustainability imperative." Collectively, these forces will change everything about how we live and how business is conducted. Transformation of how students learn, what they learn and what they then do with that knowledge is not only the route to increased prosperity, but is also an imperative for the world's nations and businesses, and academic institutions.

Compounding Crises

Even the global economic collapse of 2008–09 stems from the fundamental unsustainability of the global system. A deeper look into this latest meltdown, in which $50 trillion evaporated worldwide, shows that the breakdown of ecological systems played a significant role.

Worldwide, the economic system digs up, puts through various resource-crunching processes, and then turns into waste more than a half trillion tons of raw material, water, and emissions. Of all this stuff, less than 1 percent is ever embodied in a product and is still there six month after sale. All the rest is waste. Pervasive resource inefficiency, exorbitant waste in production, and the continued devaluation of natural and human capital have put the global economic system in peril.[5]
 
Jonathan Porritt, advisor to the Prince of Wales, warns, "People seem blind to the fact that the causes of the economic collapse are exactly the same as those behind today's ecological crisis- and behind accelerating climate change." The UK government's chief scientific adviser, John Beddington, predicts, "A ‘perfect storm' of food shortages, scarce water and high-cost energy will hit the global economy before 2030. Factor in accelerating climate change, and this lethal cocktail leads to public unrest, cross-border conflict, and mass migration-in other words, an economic and political collapse that will make today's economic recession seem very tame indeed." Porritt agrees, but predicts that the storm would hit by 2020.[6]

Proper Training Required

To avoid catastrophe within these time frames, it's too late for K–12 education. Our present leaders-in-training must be equipped with the tools to articulate the challenges at hand, and to propose and implement solutions.
 
In an increasingly perilous social, economic, and environmental climate, "proper training"-the presumptive role of higher education-means equipping students with not only this core literacy, but also with the skill sets necessary to tackle these drivers. One of these is the ability to stare such devastation in the face and keep working. Paul Hawken, delivering a commencement address in spring 2009, stated, "My answer is always the same. If you look at the science about what is happening on Earth and aren't pessimistic, you don't understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this Earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren't optimistic, you haven't got a pulse."[7]

The response has been unprecedented. Universities are creating new programs, departments, and positions. They are setting new priorities to meet the sustainability literacy imperative and move the needle. Beginning with starry-eyed freshmen. Since early 2008, more than one in four of the top 300 U.S. schools have incorporated a sustain- ability awareness/educational component into orientation programs for incoming students.[8]

In 2005, three “sustainability-focused programs” existed across all U.S. higher education. Now the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability
in Higher Education (AASHE)[9] lists more than 66 programs. The AASHE Digest also lists at least forty institutions (up from sixteen in 2007) that hired sustainability officers, supporting staff, and professors.

Schools that acted early on the sustainability and literacy imperative are gaining first-mover advantages, including increased funding; the ability to secure the best and brightest faculty, staff, and students; and financial gains generated by investments in energy efficiency, just to name a few. Sustainability leaders are reducing costs, attracting students, delivering a higher quality
educational experience, and bringing in money.

Biofuels research at Oklahoma State University garnered $20 million; $15million went to Nevada schools for climate change research; $5 million for renewable energy technologies at the University of Texas, Austin; $4 million in funding for solar research at Binghamton University. The list of mult-million-dollar projects, grants, and initiatives goes on. An additional thirteen sustainability-themed research centers opened in 2008 alone and plans for thirty-three more were announced.[10]

Schools that long ago prioritized energy-and resource-efficiency measures are better placed to battle budget constraints as their investments return substantial paybacks that enhance bottom lines. The University of Michigan, for example, now enjoys $9.7 million in annual savings. Over a six year period, Michigan’s in-house energy management department completed efficiency projects in more than 120 campus buildings, including lighting upgrades, efficient appliance procurement, adjustments to mechanical systems, and environmental control systems. The EPA named the school its 2004 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year.[11]

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