Chemical Education Today
Editorial
Sustainability One trillion dollars. That’s a lot of money. It’s what the U.S. allowing for much better alignment of production with demand. government is likely to spend to shore up (bail out) financial It has been clear for some time that burning large quantities of institutions that got into trouble through their own excesses. fossil fuel is a major contributor to global warming and cannot European governments are likely to spend a similar amount in a be sustained, but we have collectively ignored this and made a similar cause. It is also what we owe to China in the form of U.S. bad situation much worse. If the price of gasoline continues to Treasury Bonds. In this emergency, both Europe and America drop as it has in the past few weeks, we may go back to driving as are going to spend a great deal of money quickly, and perhaps usual, but right now there is a great opportunity for us teachers for the wrong purposes. As one economist to point out why that is not sustainable. put it, “I don’t think we can treat the cause. One of the reasons that I am It is also important that we teachI think we have to treat the symptom” (1). ers emphasize ethical behavior not only Unfortunately, our society is treating a lot a teacher is that I hope to help in science but in everything a student of symptoms and failing to address the might do. A broadcast in Public Radio fundamental causes of problems. Can such students develop into “inquiring, International’s This American Life series a society be sustainable over the long term? in which participants in the sub-prime Sustainability is a theme in this issue. ethical, and productive” people. mortgage bubble were interviewed demOn p 1604 Iyere describes a program onstrates that many of them knew that designed to prepare students to live, “inquiring, ethical, and what they were doing was not appropriate (3). One recipient productive lives”, a goal in Chapman University’s mission stateof a loan stated that neither he himself, nor anybody he knew, ment. On p 1608 Laura Pence describes sustainability education nor even a loan shark would have loaned him money. Both this activities of the ACS Committee on Environmental Improveperson and whoever provided the loan must have known that ment. On p 1609 members of the Graduate Student Symposium what they were doing was neither ethical nor sustainable, but Planning Committee describe how they organized a symposium they did it anyway, presumably because it benefitted both at the focused on sustainability and interdisciplinary collaborations time. The negative consequences of many such decisions have at the recent ACS meeting in Philadelphia. And p 1620 connow spread to all of us. tains an announcement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Finally, we need to continually advocate for strong support Agency’s student design competition for sustainability: People, of science and education at all levels of government. Scientific Prosperity and the Planet. Clearly there are important efforts research pays tremendous dividends, but mainly in the future. underway to promote sustainable practices and to call on the Our current society overvalues the present at the expense of the idealism and energy of young people. Will these be enough? future and therefore is less supportive of research than it might The League of Women Voters of the United States has idenbe. Education pays dividends even farther in the future than tified four crucial problems that our nation has not addressed research by enhancing students’ skills, intellect, and ethics. One appropriately (2). The League calls on the next President of the of the reasons that I am a teacher is that I hope to help students United States to take immediate action to deal with climate develop into “inquiring, ethical, and productive” people. I don’t change, health care, immigration, and growing inequality in expect to see how most students develop, but I can imagine that wealth and incomes. Given what is being spent on the economic in the long term many of them will sustain my city, state, and crisis and the large deficits the U.S. already has, it is not clear nation, making society better for everyone. That’s an important whether a new President will have much financial wherewithal goal that I hope all readers of this Journal aspire to. to address these problems. Even if all the President has is the “bully pulpit” from which to call on the public, action is needed. Literature Cited As teachers we ought to contribute to addressing these problems. We who teach science should provide students with background 1. Jared Bernstein, Senior Economist, Economic Policy Institute, they need to understand climate change and adequate supplies quoted in The New York Times, September 30, 2008, p C11; of energy resources. And better education is needed at all levels http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/business/30alternatives. so that all of these issues can be discussed and decided more html?_r=1&oref=slogin (accessed Oct 2008). productively by everyone. 2. Wilson, M. G. The National Voter October, 2008, p 4; Woodwell, It is even more important that we encourage students W. H., Jr. The National Voter, October, 2008, pp 4–11. and the public to take a longer view and a broader view than 3. The Giant Pool of Money. This American Life, Episode 355, May just what will benefit each individual tomorrow. Our society 9, 2008. Available as audio or transcript at http://www.thislife.org/ has developed incredibly rapid and effective communication Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1242 (accessed Oct 2008). resources that allow most of us to know immediately what is happening that may affect us. The rapid drop in sales of vehicles Supporting JCE Online Material that get poor gas mileage is one example—information spread http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2008/Dec/abs1595.html much more rapidly than the automobile manufacturers could Full text (HTML and PDF) with links to cited URLs and JCE articles react. Had people taken a longer, more altruistic view, however, what was a sudden change could have taken place over years, Blogged at http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/chemeddl/ © Division of Chemical Education • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 85 No. 12 December 2008 • Journal of Chemical Education
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