Baseline Sustainability Literacy Survey Results Summary Surveys given during the 2011-2012 academic year at Ohio University indicated that sustainability literacy on campus is in a developing stage. Respondents recognize vague concepts of sustainability but not specific details such as standard definitions or the relationships between various sustainability concepts. Only 39.1% of respondents recognized the standard Brundtland definition1 as the best definition of sustainability; only 17.6% of respondents had calculated their own carbon footprint; and though the majority of respondents recognized many tenets of sustainability, only 23% of respondents recognized either infrastructure or social justice as components of sustainability. Data from these surveys can be used as a baseline to evaluate strategies to increase sustainability literacy on campus. I.
Background Surveys were given in classrooms, at co-curricular activities, and at a mini-farmers market at Ohio University between September 23, 2011 and February 20, 2012 . Shoppers at the mini-market were approached by staff members from the Office of Sustainability at Ohio University and asked if they would take a short survey about sustainability and the farmers market in exchange for a reusable shopping bag. Ninety-six shoppers took the survey. An additional 132 staff, faculty and students (mainly students, though status was not tracked) took the survey in classroom or co-curricular settings, for a total of 228 respondents.
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The Brundtland definitionof sustainable development is: "..development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" from The Report of the Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987.
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II.
Survey Questions The survey consisted of the following three questions: 1. What do you believe is the best definition of ‘sustainability’? A) A movement to promote concern for the environment primarily through recycling, reducing waste, and selecting "green" products. B) A way of life that demands personal responsibility in being a steward for the environment. C) Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. D) The maintenance of ecological balance. E) Other
2. Have you calculated your own carbon footprint? A) Yes B) No C) What’s a carbon footprint? 3. What does “sustainability” mean to you? Please circle the terms that apply. Put a question mark beside the letter if you do not know the term. (adapted from: Fieselman, L. (2010). Meredith College Sustainability Literacy Assessment Survey) A) Reducing, reusing, recycling B) Thinking global, acting local C) Social justice D) Conserving resources E) Personal wellness F) Living simply G) Supporting the local economy H) Infrastructure development I) Behavior change J) Cutting my carbon footprint K) Innovation/education L) Being efficient M) Taking responsibility for my actions N) Other_________________________________
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III.
Results I.
Data Data from the 228 surveys were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed. The percentage of respondents choosing each answer was calculated. Some respondents chose more than one answer for question 1, so the total number of responses is greater than 228 for question 1. One respondent did not answer question 2, so the total number of responses is less than 228 for question 2. Raw data is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Data from the Ohio University Sustainability Literacy Baseline Survey, 2011-2012 Question 1 answers Percent of total (238)
A
B
C
D
E
25.6
22.7
39.1
8.8
3.8
Question 2 answers
Yes
No
What’s a carbon footprint?
Percent of total (227)
17.6
74.4
7.9
Question 3 answers Percent of tot (228)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
89. 3
72. 1
22. 8
78. 6
40. 5
47. 9
65. 1
23. 3
44. 7
57. 2
49. 8
73. 5
60. 9
0.9
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II. Charts
All Responses for Best Definition of Sustainability, through April, 2012 3.8% 8.8% 25.6%
Movement Way of life Meeting the needs
39.1%
22.7%
Maintenance Other
Figure 1: Answers to survey question #1.
All Responses for Carbon Footprint Calculation, through April, 2012 7.9%
17.6%
Yes No
74.4%
What's a carbon footprint?
Figure 2: Answers to survey question #2
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Percentage of Respondents
All Responses for Sustainability Topics, through April, 2012 100.00 90.00 80.00 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00
Figure 3: Answers to survey question #3
IV.
Analysis Only 39.1% of respondents chose the standard Brundtland definition as the best definition of sustainability. The rest chose definitions which captured only some of the concepts of sustainability (environmental concerns, definition A: 25.6%; personal responsibility and environmental concerns, definition B: 22.7%; ecological balance, definition D: 8.8%; or other (respondent-written definitions covering various aspects of sustainability), no answer: 3.8%). Although respondents could have been aware of the Brundtland definition but not felt it was the best definition, the responses seem to indicate that a majority of respondents are not familiar with the standard sustainability definition. The majority of respondents at Ohio University have not taken a carbon footprint quiz, which is a method of measuring individual sustainability. Only 17.7% of respondents had taken a carbon footprint quiz. Since carbon footprint quizzes are easy to administer, easy to take, and cover many concepts of sustainability, requiring carbon footprint quizzes in some Ohio University courses could be a simple strategy for increasing sustainability literacy on campus. Answers to the third question, “what does sustainability mean to you?�, indicate that the majority of respondents have at least a vague understanding of sustainability concepts, but are not aware of the details of the relationship between sustainability and many aspects of campus life. For example, energy 5
usage and corresponding costs could be cut drastically if the infrastructure on campus was more energy efficient, but only 23% of respondents saw infrastructure as an aspect of sustainability. Social justice, a basic tenet of Ohio University’s Sustainability Plan, was also only considered a component of sustainability by 23% of respondents. Other categories that received lower scores were personal wellness, living simply, and behavior change. These categories could be targeted in a campus-wide sustainability awareness campaign.
V. Conclusions There is work to be done to increase sustainability literacy at Ohio University. The data from these surveys can be used as a benchmark to evaluate the effectiveness of any strategies used to raise sustainability literacy on campus. Some simple strategies could be: requiring carbon footprint quizzes in certain courses; highlighting concepts such as social justice and living simply as sustainability-related in campus marketing and information services; creating an Ohio University definition of sustainability that is used in all publications.
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