What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is a broad term that can sometimes be confusing, so we explain it here as we see it. It is a movement and is also a way of living. It is the push to
become more efficient and less wasteful, with not only the environment in mind, but with the good of our economy, our community, and society in mind. The department
aims to not only have practices that are good for the environment, but also are sustainable and plausible for the University and Charlottesville community. Part of
the movement is the education and outreach of sustainable practices like energy, water, and other resource efficiency, along with resource recovery through material
reclamation, re-use, and recycling. Through our practices and our outreach, we wish to make sustainability a standard part of life here at UVA.
Sustainability is striving to provide better services with a less stressful impact on nature and on people than we previously had. For example, using “green”
cleaning products: they are less harmful for the environment, where they eventually end up. This means less contamination of the groundwater and other parts of nature,
which means a healthier world that we live in.
For the individual, it is also a push to become more efficient and less wasteful, because each individual is part of a local,
nationwide, and global community. We can no longer pretend that we have unlimited resources and unlimited land – we must become more intelligent in our resource
use to secure a better world for our communities and for the future of our communities. Conserving resources benefits the community while also benefiting the individual
in cost-effectiveness and health, creating a better quality of life.
UVA has been a leader in academic and institutional excellence for almost two centuries now, and becoming leaders of sustainable practices, from faculty, students,
and staff to curricula, policies and practices, is the next goal on our horizon.
Sustainability resources:
If you have any questions call Sustainability Outreach Coordinator •
• (434) 243-5231
