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The Sustainability Website, And There Are Some Positive Things That Could Be Improved Upon

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I have recently reviewed the UMass sustainability website, and there is some positive things that I have seen. There are also some things that could be improved upon. I will be discussing a number of different issues regarding communication of sustainability, and how UMass appears to be approaching those issues, as well as ways to improve our initiative.
To begin with I would like to state that there is a difference between the dominant and ecological paradigm in the context of the sustainability initiative. The dominate paradigm is what values in a society that are most standard and widely held. Dominant paradigms are shaped both by the community 's cultural background. The ecological paradigm sees the current dominant paradigm as …show more content…

If what they say in their first statement is true, this is a good step. Exploring and communicating ways to improve upon our communities practices, ideas, and technologies would fall into the new ecological paradigm. It would be an attempted to shift away from the dominant unsustainable paradigm. The next point mentioned in the mission statement is “We educate the campus community to create a healthier and more responsible environment”. Education of a community is how a paradigm shift will happen. Education about what is unsustainable, why being unsustainable is harmful, and how to become more sustainable is absolutely vital in order to shift a community 's thoughts, ideas, and behaviors. Next the mission statement says that “We develop progressive solutions to reduce negative environmental impacts in ways that are economically beneficial”. Solutions to reduce negative environmental impacts are what is needed in order to change from unsustainable to sustainable. Understanding problems won’t help unless solutions to those problems are known. Lastly, the mission statement says that “We create and consistently advocate for a diverse & inclusive culture of sustainability throughout the campus community and beyond”. By trying to create and advocate a culture of sustainability, they are also trying to shift the paradigms from the dominate to ecological. Based on the information provided by the mission statements, I would have to say

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