Dear Reader,
To start, thank you for engaging with the Kogod Sustainability Review. This volume is the result of KSR’s incredible staff and contributors, as well as Kogod’s stellar marketing and design department. It’s with excitement and pride that we share Volume 7 of the KSR with our readers.
Our theme for this edition, Centering People in the Planet’s Future, is simply another way of saying that environmentalism without environmental justice helps no one. We have a tendency to separate ourselves from the concept of nature; the untamed wilderness contrasted with our civilized existence, the harsh elements versus our many creature comforts. But what happens when we realize, collectively, that this “othering” has done nothing but distance us from the very resources we rely on to live, to survive, and to thrive? Do we understand that by extracting, polluting, and emitting without regulation, we sacrifice the health and safety of our most vulnerable communities? Operating in a “business-as-usual” mindset reinforces the vast inequities that exist when it comes to who bears the brunt of negative environmental consequences. This manner of thinking directly jeopardizes the bodily autonomy of those who have had little to do with the anthropocentric climate crisis. When we let these realities settle, we see that prioritizing the needs and dignity of our people is directly linked to our goal of preserving our wetlands, our oceans, and our “wilderness”.
As I wrap up my time at AU, I’ve started to think about the space I take up in the world. While my measurable carbon footprint has always been a part of this thought process, I’ve recently been more focused on the ways in which I show up in my spaces and find strength in my communities. Being a small part of a greater collective is the mindset I have as I move forward, and, in many ways, is also the ethos of KSR. To understand and apply a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences, to consistently use reliable, research-driven information in our work, and to use our voices for productive, equity-centered conversations around sustainability challenges are all themes that lie at the heart of our publication and that have shaped my own personal drive to pursue a climate-centered career.
Our theme attracted passionate contributors; those who understand the interconnectedness of people and planet and who have taken the time to truly understand topics that impact us all. Dr. Malini Ranganathan, an experienced political ecologist and phenomenal AU professor, describes the link between labor, justice, and “environmental unfreedoms”. Heather Grotzinger, a Sustainability Management (MSSM) student here at Kogod, provides a thoroughly researched and deeply personal article on how wildfires have overburdened insurance systems and families in her home state of California. Maxwell Brothers (MSSM) writes about the circular economy of skateboarding from a problem-solution lens; waste and planned obsolescence as the problem, repurposing and empowering as the solution. These contributors, along with all of our authors, have taken their backgrounds and experiences and transformed them into an educational tool. By providing them a platform to share their knowledge, we take another step towards centering people in the future of our planet.
It was a pleasure to work with every member of the KSR team, all of whom put their passion, time, and enthusiasm into Volume 7. This intersection of business, environment, and justice is often fraught, and we hope that our work proportionally highlights just how complex this issue can be. I’d like to end this letter with a call to action: take what you learn here, use it to inform your own ecological perspectives, and do your very best to educate your communities, your third spaces, and your own corners of the world. As Dr. Ranganathan said in our interview, “staying positive is a Herculean task” for those of us who are working to help our planet thrive; optimism, curiosity, and perspective are powerful tools that get the job done.
Sincerely,
Maeve Davis
Editor-in-Chief, Kogod Sustainability Review