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Sustainability 101

Sustainability 101

Sustainability 101 (SUS101) is the curriculum and research program of SSV. SUS101 provides a two tier lecture series for sustainability to Managers, Green Team Members, Community Members and Individuals who want to make a difference and develop knowledge in specific areas of sustainability. These lectures are interdisciplinary for private, public, and government sectors. Lectures are held at Santa Clara University.
The research component investigates timely topics and trends, case study analysis, and develops white papers on sustainability themes and practices. The SUS101 team lead Jeannice Fairrer Samani, Ph.D. has over twenty years in research design development and evaluation of concepts, practices and theories, in the areas of economic analysis, building community, business development, ecology cities, city and regional planning, and transportation.

Mission Statement

This series is an introduction in the systems approach, principals of sustainability, and business drivers for corporations. The objective is to discover new processes, strategies for successful business and gain long-term competitive advantage.

Summer Seminar Series

Session One:  Systems Thinking, Fundamentals of Sustainability and Climate Change

The Sustainability 101 set the stage for SSV’s lecture series on sustainability on June 23, 2011. The Context for Sustainability: Systems Thinking, Climate Change and Earth's Life Support Systems Part I, was hosted by Santa Clara University and held in the Law School Bannan Hall. Marianna Grossman, SSV's Executive Director facilitated a dynamic interactive lecture that was well received by sustainability professionals and students.

Systems Thinking

  1. Human Systems
  2. Climate change

Three Stocks - Changes in Sea Surface Temperature

  1. Green House Gas Emissions
  2. Heat
  3. Consequences of Heat

Leverage Points for Effectiveness:  D. Meadows: In increasing order of effectiveness

Paradigms Shift Community -government and international institutions

  1. Commerce -business
  2. Natural Resources-forestry, farming, fisheries, etc.
  3. Ecological Design-architecture, technology
  4. Biosphere-conservation, biodiversity, etc.

Carbon Cycle

  1. CO2, climate change and the oceans
  2. C02 Results: Climate Warming

Read more details here.

Session II, Evolution of Sustainability: Corporate and Community Programs for Sustainability

The second session on July 21, 2011, 9 to 11 am, on Evolution of Sustainability: Corporate and Community Programs for Sustainability facilitated by Marianna Grossman, explored possible answers to What makes a sustainable enterprise, How to get top management in for “greening” and Sustainable Programs for Communities. Marianna also provided some excellent examples of customer & employee engagement. The presentation was followed by a very active discussion where everyone shared their inputs on what has worked for them in being more sustainable and the difficulties they faced on the way, and their favorite resources on sustainability. Read more on EcoCloud.

Roadmap for the Evolution of Sustainability: Levels of sustainability—Reduction in Toxics to sustainable production
Understand framework for building a sustainability program for a company, governmental agency, community or other institution

  1. Corporation Responsibility—Case Analysis DHL and eBay
  2. Government— services,  programs , and policies
  3. Community Engagement—Initiatives that drive involvement e.g. recycle programs

Leading sustainable enterprises on their programs, successes and challenges
SSV Programs:

  1. EcoCouncil Salon - Speaker Leadership Forum Peer to Peer, CEO, Senior Managers
  2. Sustainability 101 (SUS101) - Green Teams, Middle Managers, Community
  3. Focus Groups - Open Forum to discuss timely topics

Resources for Sustainability Leaders

  1. Effective Modeling Tools
  2. Financial, Educational, Technical, and Cultural
  3. Sustainability programs - organizations, universities and colleges offer continuing education
  4. Tools and Resources - Leed Certification , best practices, finance integration in reporting, ISO 14000 standards, Corporation senior level management are public speaking about experiences.
  5. EcoCloud - water, energy, sustainability, and Industrial Ecology
  6. Green Tech - SSV material book list - sustainable literacy. Get the reference list here.

Session III, Regenerative Capitalism and Regional Resiliency

The third and final session of SSV's Sustainability 101 Series met August 11, 2011 at Lucas Hall on the Santa Clara University campus.  "Regenerative Capitalism and Regional Resiliency: Creating Solutions at the Scale of the Challenge" took participants further into systems thinking to consider the concepts of our traditional capitalism (what Marianna Grossman defined as "exploitative") against a type that would give value to externalities like waste and consider the whole product life cycle, providing needed products and services without the depletion and over-consumption we are so familiar with (the "regenerative" type referred to in the class title). Read more about the session from SSV's Sustainability Lead, Ursula Syrova, on EcoCloud.