The entire world is an ecosystem, nothing is in isolation, and therefore our education does not exist in a vacuum. In the new design, the historical context of the development of the university and climate change will be visible. This can come in many different forms: a permanent installation on Indigenous claims to the land or climate change, teaching about native environmental methods and habitats, photo essays on climate change around the building, constantly screening documentaries on climate change, and guest speakers on the history of climate change. We will have a renewed understanding of how humans have gotten to the point where they are affecting the climate and causing the issues that we are redesigning our school to combat. There must be environmental understanding and information woven into all education. Comprehension of climate change and the environment around us will not be relegated to environmental studies and science students; instead it will be incorporated into all education. Gallatin is full of creative students that are deeply involved in arts and humanities and will therefore have to find ways to incorporate environmental awareness into all aspects of education, not just the obvious choices. Possible ideas include green murals, climate-awareness performance art pieces, and other humanities-based understandings of climate change. Gallatin is an interdisciplinary school and we should make climate and environmental awareness an active part of that interdisciplinary education.
Stopping Environmental Racism
Environmental racism is a historical and ongoing problem. Therefore, in our environmentally-minded university we will make sure that our environmental spaces are 100% inclusive to all types of people and that everyone has equal access and control over the spaces. The university will be dedicated to bringing learning outside and offering more opportunities in the natural environment. This should include conducting field-based research and learning, utilizing the (natural) resources of New York City in learning and teaching, and having a broader understanding of what education at NYU can entail. The university should work to actively close the gap between nature and city, by providing outdoor classroom spaces, green roofs, more diverse parks/forest space, and increasing students’ understanding of their relationship to the environment around them. Education needs to be place based, with the students learning about their surrounding environment and how to conserve and protect it. A key aspect in creating a dialogue between the students, city and nature is making the building itself a message of sustainability. Any structure, system or addition in the School of the Earth must have at its core, an environmentally sound reason for being present. The point of the School of the Earth is to make not only the students but the public aware of the current state of our planet and how humans are impacting it.
Adaptive and Innovative Environment
The School of the Earth transcends multiple disciplines and we recognize that working in sustainability requires the effort of minds from across many specialities, tackling challenges from multiple perspectives. We reject the notion that sacrifices made for the sake of future generations will hinder the experiences of the present. Every addition will be made with longer-term indicators in assessment and decisions to ensure the greatest benefit and impact for the entire current and future NYU community. The School of the Earth is adaptive and innovative, and will continuously improve and challenge our business ethos wherever and however is necessary.
Sustainability and Environmental Health
Sustainability is fundamental to society and the university will push staff and student body to think about their impact on personal and social dimensions. Human health and environmental health should be and are inherently linked. The School of Earth will reduce waste and consumption across all areas while generating 100% of its own renewable energy. Educators will actively and explicitly incorporate sustainable principles into their respective disciplines and professional practice. Installations will regulate water and energy consumption to ensure that there is no excessive or wasteful use of resources. There will be greater utilization of technology so as to diminish the need for travel, decrease paper waste, and cut the university’s carbon footprint. The building will utilize wind, solar, and geothermal energy to ensure a sufficient supply of energy year round. Although throughout history human impacts on our Earth have been overarchingly negative, the School of the Earth is being created to demonstrate that humans have an opportunity to turn our impact into something positive. Our world is on the brink, on an environmental precipice that we have the power to change for the better, and that is exactly what the School of the Earth strives for.