It´s importante to get to know and share insights on this....ideas and best practices.
carla
HEIs must focus upon on all the leading ecological indicators like any other geographical unit. for instance, SNU has green buildings, solar-roof top, composting of organic waste etc. In the case of HEIs, the concepts of sharing economy could be practiced at a wider scale, for different facilities, such as laundry, reading commons, bicycle pool, etc.
My familiarity with Portugal is limited, except some history. Sustainable activities and management consider both short term and long term. As humans, we tend to be short sighted, not always recognizing details that make a difference later. Am I building my home on the floodplain or next to high power electric lines, geologic fault or unstable slope? How much risk and cost is too much? I am building a house on a budget, intend to move in 5 years, should I consider solar panels, metal roof, etc. These are just examples. Should we allow the forest to be clear cut, or removed in logical units through time, allowing for regeneration. Should we allow mining without an adequate plan to handle wastes and recover site with ample funds when finished. Who fixes things if bankrupcy occurS? Some activities are done without analyzing their sustainability, their cost to community or society. We plow up the earth or dedicate areas of impervious surfaces without much thought - it’s just what we do. To many, the gullies of past severe actions are just landscape features. With proper management and BMPs, they could likely have been prevented. Best management practices have been developed for a variety of reasons such as water quality. Sustainable or green activities have also been developed to manage forests, conserve farmlands, conserve energy, etc. There is some recognition of accomplishment for those that choose to live off the grid in near self sufficiency, but most of us are not so dedicated. There are many ideas, but whether they are reasonable enough to be implemented needs some consideration. What’s sustainable for me, may not necessarily be sustainable for you. But sharing of ideas is always gooD, and some of us more than others need encouragement to think Green.
I understand that context has a role to play in HEIs sustainability but we can always imagine/assume a global campus to benchmark the sustainable practices.
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