What is Sustainability?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 committed the United States to sustainability, declaring it a national policy to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations .
What is BCTC's sustainability policy?
The vision and mission statements of Bluegrass Community and Technical College reinforce the College s commitment to proactive leadership and responsible stewardship of our natural, human, and material resources as applied to energy management and environmental education. Our goal is to transform our College into a sustainable campus that meets its educational and community goals without degrading the ecological, social, and economic systems on which our region and all of our futures depend. The College is committed to a policy of sustainability that addresses these areas:
- Reducing our dependence upon fossil fuels by promoting responsible energy use and conservation;
- Reducing our ecological footprint through sourcing locally produced foods, green purchasing, reduced waste generation, water conservation and other actions;
- Educating faculty, staff, and students about responsible ecological and community stewardship;
- Promoting healthy and comfortable workplaces.