PLU Working Groups: Thoughts on Sustainability

“PLU’s aspiration to become an even more diverse, just, and sustainable community in the years ahead flows from our mission and from our Lutheran heritage.” (PLU 2020, p 54)

“Sustainability is a value that emphasizes the inseparable importance of environmental, economic, and ethical principles; it is also a goal that calls us to ensure that our present way of life does not degrade that of future generations, but in fact leaves the world better.” (2011 White Paper)

“Sustainability is also a core principle of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, which asserts that sustainability ‘summons each of us, in every aspect of our lives, to behave in ways that are consistent with the long-term sustainability of our planet.’ The church also affirms the interconnection between people, planet, and prosperity, emphasizing a commitment to ‘the capacity of natural and social systems to survive and thrive together over the long term.’ (2011 White Paper, quoting ELCA “Caring for Creation”)

“Sustainability as generally understood combines attention to immediate needs and long-term goals in ethical, environmental, and economic choices. It incorporates concern for social justice with the inherent value of the natural world and attention to long-term economic viability.” (Sustainable Community Working Group Report, 2010)

“Just as important as the goals of sustainability is the work it inspires, the work of incorporating economic, ethical, and environmental concerns into our lives together. This work can be summarized in three areas: Academics, the Built environment, and Culture.” (Sustainable Community Working Group Report, 2010)