SLIDE 1 A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Bemidji State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator.
SLIDE 2 A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Bemidji State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator.
By Erika Bailey-Johnson
Advancing Climate Adaptation in Minnesota’s Colleges and Universities
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y D I R E C T O R A N D P E O P L E A N D T H E E N V I R O N M E N T C O O R D I N A T O R
Climate Adaptation: The Bemidji State University Sustainability Model
SLIDE 3 Bemidji, MN
- Population: 13,431
- Area: 14.14 sq. miles
- Bemidji State University, Northwest
Technical College, and Oak Hills Christian College
- Median income: $36,681
- Red Lake, Leech Lake, White Earth
- Mayor’s Climate Protection
Agreement signatory (2007)
- Bemidji Sustainability Committee
(2009)
- Minnesota GreenStep Cities (2011)
SLIDE 4 Bemi emidji dji St State ate University iversity
- Member of the Minnesota State College and
University System (54 campuses; 430,000 students)
- Public liberal arts institution
- ~5000 students
- ~1200 students living on campus
- Environmental Advisory Committee (1992)
- Talloires Declaration signatory (2005)
- ACUPCC signatory (2008, 2050 target date)
- Green Fee ($5 per semester, started Fall of
2008; increased to $7.50 Fall of 2015)
- Sustainability Office (started in the Fall of
2008)
- Students for the Environment Club
SLIDE 5
Integrated sustainability model
SLIDE 6
Nested sustainability model
SLIDE 7
Why would you bike to work/ school?
SLIDE 8
Sustainability, our definition
SLIDE 9
The elders say that Gichi Manidoo (the Creator) created the world in a certain order; first, the physical world of sun, moon, earth, and stars; second, the plant-beings, then animal beings (two-legged, four- legged, winged, and swimmers). Last of all, Gichi-Manidoo made human beings. Last in the order of dependence, humans cannot exist without the other three.
Ojibwe influence
SLIDE 10 We are part of the world. Everything has its special purpose in the grand ecosystem, and all are to be respected.
“The Great Forgetting”
Cooperation (rather than competition) Mutual respect (rather than domination) Long-term renewable care for resources (rather than exploitation for a quick buck) Equality (between people, between the sexes, between humans and the rest of nature)
SLIDE 11
The Seventh Fire
SLIDE 12 The pieces
- Economy: our system of exchanging goods
and services
- Society: humans interacting with each
- ther
- Wellness: individual mental and physical
health
- Mother Earth as all-encompassing
SLIDE 13 The advantages
- More folks engaged
- Art community, health and sports sciences, indigenous
culture, everyone!
- Can more easily justify supporting certain
projects
- tobacco-free campus policy, suicide prevention activities,
concert performances, Ojibwe pipe ceremonies
- We want to create a campus that encourages
healthy eating habits, physical activity, mentally enriching activities, psychological health, and RESILIENCE!
SLIDE 14 Recap
- Ideally, choices an individual makes would
be based on the answers to the following questions:
- Does this decision impact our use of resources in an
unsustainable way or produce waste that the Earth cannot recycle?
- Will other people be impacted by this decision?
- How will this decision financially impact me and
society?
- How does this decision impact my physical and
mental wellbeing?
SLIDE 15 Thank you! Miigwech!
- Erika Bailey-Johnson, Sustainability
Director
- ebaileyjohnson@bemidjistate.edu
- 218-755-2560
I realized that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.
