The World Commission of Environment and Development defined sustainable development in a report titled Our Common Future as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition implies that there are limits to the amount of available resources and the ability of the earth to absorb human activity. Such confines require the restructuring of our consumption habits to ensure a healthy life and earth for future generations.
Around the global there are signs that our current way of life is unsustainable: smog, disappearing wildlife habitats, melting icebergs, over flowing landfills, eroded soil, starving people, and more. There is no better time than now to begin adjusting our behavior.
Sustainability at Boston College
Students, faculty and staff at Boston College take sustainability seriously, and have taken active steps to ensure prosperity for future generations. To illustrate this support, the university recently joined the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in High Education (AASHE) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in High Education (AASHE) 
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development. Businesses, NGO's, and government agencies can participate as AASHE partner members.
AASHE aims to advance the efforts of the entire campus sustainability community by uniting diverse initiatives and connecting practitioners to resources and professional development opportunities. The association also provides a professional home for campus sustainability coordinators and directors.
AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.
The US Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC is composed of more than 13,500 organizations from across the building industry that are working to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Members includes building owners and end-users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building system manufacturers, government agencies, and nonprofits.
The USGBC’s mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
Global Warming
Global warming is a serious issue confronting the world today. To help deal with this problem, Boston College supports the 350 movement. 350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth. See the YouTube video.
Sustainability Sites
If you’re looking for more information on sustainability, the following sites serve as great starting points for your research.
United Nations – Division for Sustainable Development
The Division for Sustainable Development provides leadership and is an authoritative source of expertise within the United Nations system on sustainable development. It promotes sustainable development as the substantive secretariat to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and through technical cooperation and capacity building at international, regional and national levels.
World Changing
WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together.
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. "The Story of Stuff" is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. "The Story of Stuff" exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. This website also includes recommendations for changing your daily life in order to have a positive effect on the world.
SLF seeks to help foster the rapid adoption of ways of living that will make it possible to sustain the community of life locally and globally. SLF aims to make its contribution especially through the creation of 'platforms' that enable large numbers of people and organizations to cooperate in the pursuit of social and ecological sustainability.
My Ecological Footprint
Find out how you impact the earth! Or calculate your Personal Emissions on the EPA’s Website.
Related Sustainability Organizations
US Environmental Protection Agency
EPA for New England
EPA on Sustainability
US Department of Energy
The Green Building Institute
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs
Japan for Sustainability
Sustainability in Europe
Australia’s Department of Sustainability & Environment
International Institute for Sustainable Development
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earth Portal
Readings on Sustainability
Kyoto Protocol
The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
The Rio Declaration on Environmental Development
Agenda 21
Earth Summit 2002 – Johannesburg Summit
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy (SSPP)
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (IJSHE)
Amazon’s Listing of Books on Sustainability