How Diversity Matters: The connection

between Sustainability and Diversity

Green Bag Lunch | March 25, 2015

Dara Sanoubane, dns10@psu.edu

Michael Brahosky, mab39@psu.edu

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OAoz9EF_Ig

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Air & Water quality, Health issues,Infectious Diseases

Instability, Displacements

Pollution, Species Extinction, Deforestation

Diversity is the process of recognizing our differences and similarities and creating an environment that capitalizes on them.

Equity is the fairness in the way people are treated

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Why is it important to address diversity and equity issues in our sustainability efforts?

U.S.Population Projections to 2050

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percentage by Race and Hispanic Origin

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

Hispanic

White non Hispanic

Black including mixed race

Asian including mixed race SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau

Years

64.7 62.4 60.1 57.8 55.5 53.1 50.8 48.5 46.3

16.0 17.7 19.4 21.2 23.0 24.8 26.7 28.5 30.3

5.3 5.8 6.3 6.8 7.3 7.8 8.3 8.8 9.2

13.6 13.8 14 14.2 14.3 14.5 14.7 14.8 15

http://www.census.gov/population/projections/files/analytical-document09.pdf

Human Population Growth

Billion

s

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 21000

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

More Developed Countries

Less Developed Countries

WeAre Here

WorldTotal

U.S. Census Bureau. (2008)

Pig poop fouling North Carolina Streams

The connection of the environment, economy, and society within the last year

Social Impact: Affecting the health of residents who are largely made up of

minorities and the poor who are most impacted. Why, because those affected have the least amount of voice and resources to challenge big industries. As a result, they have little choice but to endure the unbearable smell and watch their property values depreciate.

Source: Environmental Health News

Environmental Impact: High levels of bacterial found in streams and

waterways. North Carolina’s DENR treats large swine farm operations as “non-discharge facilities” exempt from state rules on having to monitor waste found in rivers and streams.Economic Impact:

North Carolina is the second leading pork producing state behind Iowa. These farms generate so much waste it is too expensive to transport via pipeline or truck. Instead, pig feces is held in “cesspools” or dispersed by spraying “slurry” across fields ultimately leading to seepage into underground water sources and run-off into nearby streams.

Mission Statement:

Recognizing its connection to matters of social justice and subsequent impact on the diverse communities we serve, it is the mission of the Educational Equity Green Team to promote the responsible stewardship of fiscal, natural, and human resources through ecologically sustainable practices.

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Educational Equity Green TeamStrategic Sustainability Plan 2014-2015

Social Justice:“Social Justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities.”

-National Association of Social Workers

Social Justice IS Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice:

“Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful

involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”

-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENT

ECONOMIC

Water & AirQuality

Development

Poverty

Human Health

Risk

Security

Development

Environmental and Social Issues Are Related

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Educational Equity Green TeamStrategic Sustainability Plan 2014-2015

ObjectivesWhere do we want to go? What change do we want to see?

Action ItemsHow do we get there? How will we achieve the changes?

Time LineWhen will we achieve this?

Outcomes and EvaluationsDid we get there/ did we make any changes? How do we know?

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Objectives

LIVE

Action Items

Time Line Outcomes and Evaluations

LEARN

LEAD

COMMUNICATION

To provide support for sustainability and diverse-ability efforts. Increase Educational Equity staff participation in Green Team Event

•  Monthly green team meetings.

•  Workshops/events(various sustainability tours).

•  May 2015: (Pre) Survey staff (self-report) re: participation in Green Team events•  May 2016: (Post) Survey staff(self- report) re: participation in Green Team events

•  Outcomes: 20% rate of attendance and

participation among all Ed. Equity staff in

Ed. Equity Green Team meetings, workshops, events, and website usage.

Increase knowledge and awareness of diversity and environmental issues.

Workshops/events with emphasis on diversity and sustainability

•  May 2015: (Pre) Survey staff (self-report) re: level of awareness and/or interest in diversity.

•  May 2016: (Post) Survey

•  Outcomes: 10% Increase staff knowledge and awareness

regarding diversity and environmental issues.

(From pre- to post-program questionnaires)

Engage with other units to promote diversity values for sustainability endeavors.

• Contact the Rock Ethics Institute and

Sustainability Institute to propose an event. Contact at least two

student groups to propose an event. Contact at least

two other Green Teams to propose an event.

• Fall semester: 1 collaborative event

• Spring semester: 1 collaborative event

• Outcomes: 2 collaborative sustainability events per academic year.

To promote events and opportunities to participate/ contribute, highlight accomplishments of Ed. Equity members and others in the GT community.

• Monthly Meetings. • Meeting Agendas/Minutes

provided and madeaccessible via share drive.

• Green Team Website. • Green Team pulse surveys.

• Monthly updates of meeting minutes, website information

and timely email notifications.

• Outcomes: Provide easy accessibility and use of

tools and resources (website, email notifications, meeting minutes).

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

How does this apply to you? You@PSU

Example Teamwork and Leadership Goals Level I - Participate as a team member in a collaborative environment within a

diverse workforce Level II - Seek out diverse opinions and ideas before making decision Level III - Value opinions and ideas from a diverse population and recognize

the impact of actions on different groups and the environment Level IV - Mentor other staff with an emphasis of Level V - Evaluate and enhance current practices and outreach efforts to

ensure optimal support of diversity and the environment

http://ohr.psu.edu/recruitment-and-compensation/job-responsibilities-worksheet/core-competencies-non-management/

Core Competencies & Behavior

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

You@PSUCore Competencies & Behavior

GoalLevel III – Demonstrate a value for opinions and ideas from a diverse population and recognize the impact of actions on different groups and the environment

Action Steps1) Actively seek

diverse partners in collaborative projects and events on (…insert the work that you do…)

Metrics1) One

collaborative event per semester

2) Use and referral of partner websites, handbooks and services

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Poverty (The business of) http://www.povertyinc.org/

The Story of Stuff http://storyofstuff.org/

Shelter in Place http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/shelter-place/

Poison Fire http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/poison-fire/

A River of Waste http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/river-waste/

Tapped http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/tapped/

Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/money-talks-profits-before-patient-safety/

Videos

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Social justice and Environmental justice:

Make 3 dice and on each surface, write social justice issues and environmental issues (e.g., Food Security, Poverty, Industrial Agriculture, Race, Risk Society, Deforestation, waste pollution, Infectious Diseases

So, say a student rolled: Poverty, Race, and Food Security, they would explain the connection between all of those topics and how social justice and sustainability are interrelated

Racism, Consumption and the environment:

Bring in different kinds of chocolate bars (Hershey, Fair Trade, Endangered Species. etc...) and discuss how people would make a decision on what to buy (cost, flavor, convenience, social and environmental costs)

Watch “The Story of Stuff” and/or part of “The Dark Side of Chocolate”

Discuss the impacts of labor, manufacturing and waste disposal laws

Objective: similar lessons with any product that we buy and many other factors could go into consuming that we may have to make visible for ourselves.

Activities

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Ciocirlan, C. & Pettersson, C. (2012). Does workforce diversity matter in the fight against climate change? An analysis of Fortune 500 companies. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 19(1), 47-62.

Friedman, T. L. (2008). Hot, flat, and crowded: Why we need a green revolution--and how it can renew America. Macmillan.

Mann, M. E. (2013). The hockey stick and the climate wars: Dispatches from the front lines. Columbia University Press.

Pearson, A.R. & Schuldt, J.P. (Dec. 2014). Facing the diversity crisis in climate science. Nature Climate Change, 4, 1039-1042.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). US population projections. US Census Bureau: Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/29429/title/The-Coming-Health-Crisis/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. (n.d.). Environmental Justice. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/basics/ejbackground.html

Jarvis, D. (2013). Environmental Justice and Social Work: A Call to Expand the Social Work Profession to Include Environmental Justice. Columbia Social Work Review, 4(1), 26-45.

Dorceta, E.T. (Jul. 2014).The State of Diversity in Environmental Organizations Report.University of Michgan,

Literature, Papers & Reports

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Penn State electrical engineering alumnus’ kiosks bring clean water to India

Advait Kumar, a Penn State electrical engineering alumnus, saw something that changed his life.

"One day I went to the backyard and I saw all these house workers queuing up to get their turn to fill water from our home," Kumar said. "I didn't understand why they were there."

Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Thank You!Any Questions?

Questions?Please type your questions into the chat box.

sustainability.psu.edu/greenteams

Resources

• Videos• Presentations• Guides

Thank you for attending!

Discussion Questions

Feel free to use any of these questions, or ones that your Green Team creates.

• Did your understanding of “sustainability” and “diversity” change after hearing the presentation and if so how?

• What goals and action items does your unit plan to include in your strategic plan?

• Does your unit Green Team have a strategic plan and if so, are you meeting progress goals?

• What outcomes and evaluations do you employ to measure the success of your goals?