Second Nature, working with topic experts, has developed Viewpoints on Sustainability — a series of concise briefing papers focused on key issues related to higher education’s role in sustainability. They provide information, ideas, and practical steps to help institutions achieve their sustainability goals.
Fast Forward: Latest Climate Science Shows Human Society Facing Greater Risks from Global Warming Sooner Than Predicted in 2007 IPCC Report
The steady stream of new evidence about the dramatic physical changes across the Earth makes it harder to avoid urgent questions about what lies ahead for today’s college students. The odds are increasingly slim that their future will be some improved — but largely familiar — version of life as we know it. (June 2012)
The Ultimate Stakes: Climate Change and the Fate of Civilization
Even for scientists, the challenge of global warming can be mind-boggling and complex, but the bottom line is both simple and clear. The change is already under way and hitting harder and faster than expected. And what is ultimately at stake is the human way of life we call civilization. (June 2011)
Why Public Reporting Matters
Setting goals, tracking progress and reporting results are standard business practices for any organization, business or initiative — and sustainability efforts in higher education are no exception. Public reporting on progress towards sustainability is a key driver for long-term success, and provides several benefits. (May 2011)
Institutionalizing Sustainability
Creating a healthy, just, and sustainable society must be central to the core purpose of any organization in the 21st century. In the case of colleges and universities that means educating students and creating new knowledge through research, as well as modeling sustainability in operations and promoting sustainability through community engagement. (April 2011)