Director’s Corner: The Essence of Leadership
“Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind that is the society. They can serve as symbols of the moral unity of the society. They can express the values that hold the society together. Most important, they can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of…
Mike KenslerJanuary 10, 2019
Director’s Corner: December 24, 1968: The Gift
“Oh, my God!” Bill Anders December 24, 2018, will be the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest, yet most neglected, gifts humanity has ever received. It was witnessed directly by three American men, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders, and a photograph of that event was shared with…
Mike KenslerDecember 4, 2018
Director’s Corner: Consumerism Drives Consumption that is Consuming the Planet
“People say they want to have it all. But where would they put it?” Steven Wright The word “consumption” was used in ancient Greece almost 2,500 years ago to describe the disease pulmonary tuberculosis because the disease appeared to consume the body it had infected. This form of consumption has…
Mike KenslerOctober 31, 2018
Director’s Corner: Using Your Voice to Make a Difference
“The human voice: It's the instrument we all play. It's the most powerful sound in the world, probably.” Julian Treasure Our words matter. They carry power and have an impact. The question is, how do we use our voices and what kind of a difference, positive or negative, do our…
Mike KenslerSeptember 27, 2018
Director’s Corner: Enjoyable & Sustainable Eating on Campus
“Auburn Foods products are locally-grown and sustainably produced – many of these items are grown right on our campus.” ~ Gwen Ward, Auburn University Tiger Dining Food is one of the most important sustainability issues. What, where, and how food is grown, processed, transported, delivered, consumed, and disposed of, as…
Mike KenslerAugust 29, 2018
Director’s Corner: Education and Action: In, About, and FOR Sustainability
In graduate school at the School of Natural Resources and Environment (now the School for Environment and Sustainability) at the University of Michigan, I had the privilege of learning environmental education concepts from one of the truly great environmental educators, Dr. Bill Stapp. One of our class exercises was to…
Mike KenslerApril 4, 2018
Director’s Corner: Plant a Garden & Help Reverse Global Warming
In the November 2017, Sustainability Digest I wrote about attending a conference in Atlanta and hearing Paul Hawken talk about Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Project Drawdown, for the first time, defines specifically what we need to do, and what we can do, to…
Mike KenslerFebruary 28, 2018
Director’s Corner: The Power of Community Awaits Us
“The essential challenge is to transform the isolation and self-interest within our communities into connectedness and caring for the whole…. We begin by shifting our attention from the problems of community to the possibility of community.” Peter Block Here we are in early 2018, and the fabric of our national…
Mike KenslerJanuary 31, 2018
Director’s Corner: The Future Rides on Our Willingness to Think Differently
“…a new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.” Albert Einstein Former Unity College President Mitch Thomashow explains the emergence of the sustainability movement this way: “Sustainability is a response to a planetary emergency.” Investigate any point around the Sustainability Compass –…
Mike KenslerJanuary 10, 2018
