| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.00 |
| Liaison | Katie Maynard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2024 |
University of California, Santa Barbara
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Jewel
Persad Sustainability Manager Administration |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Yes
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
The entire campus community (students and employees) directly or by representative sample
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Longitudinally to measure change over time
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
The Communications Subcommittee of the Chancellor's Sustainability Committee developed the survey in 2008 in consultation with several subcommittees and stakeholder groups across campus. The group also worked with Professor Eric Smith and his graduate students on developing question format and testing. Once that process was complete, it was then reviewed and approved by the Chancellor's Sustainability Committee. Each year the survey is updated by the Communications Subcommittee in consultation with sustainability staff across the campus.
A copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture:
A sample of the questions related to sustainability culture or the website URL where the assessment tool is available:
Q. Which of the following terms refers to the idea that humans value goods or resources that will be received in the future at a lesser value than goods or resources that are available today?
Discounting (1)
Pessimism (4)
Rate of return (5)
Interest (6)
Q. One barrier to policy progress on the issue of climate change is that:
The impacts will likely be negligible (1)
This issue occurs only in certain parts of the world (4)
There is a lack of scientific consensus on the issue (5)
Most of the negative effects will occur in the distant future (6)
Q. A cap-and-trade system limits carbon emissions by:
Placing a limit on how much each factory can pollute. (1)
Placing a limit on the total amount of emissions. (4)
Placing a set price on the emission of each unit of carbon. (5)
Placing a limit on the number of new factories that can be built (6)
Q. A group of fishing boat owners share equal access to a common fishing area and are dependent upon it for their livelihoods. For each individual, it is economically rational to:
Limit the number of fish he or she catches to ensure there will be fish to catch in the future. (1)
Catch all the fish he or she can to maximize the profit. (4)
Limit the number of fish he or she catches to ensure there everyone gets an equal share. (5)
Catch all the fish he or she can to eliminate the competition. (6)
Q. A group of fishing boat owners share equal access to a common fishing area and are dependent upon it for their livelihoods. For the group, it is economically rational to:
Limit the number of fish they catch to ensure there will be fish to catch in the future. (1)
Catch all the fish they can to maximize their profit. (4)
Limit the number of fish they catch to ensure there everyone gets an equal share. (5)
Catch all the fish they can to eliminate the competition. (6)
Q. Which uses the most energy in an average American home each year?
Lights (1)
Heating water (4)
Heating and cooling rooms (5)
Refrigeration (6)
Q. What do most scientists believe is the maximum ppm for atmospheric CO2 if we wish to stabilize the Earth’s temperature in the long term?
275 ppm (1)
350 ppm (4)
400 ppm (5)
450 ppm (6)
Q. Current global climate change is:
Caused mostly by human activities. (1)
Caused equally by both human activities and natural changes. (4)
Caused mostly by natural changes in the environment. (5)
None of the above because global climate change isn’t happening. (6)
Q. An ecosystem’s “carrying capacity” refers to:
The amount of land currently in agricultural production. (1)
The number of living things the system can sustain indefinitely. (4)
The minimum number of species an ecosystem needs to survive. (5)
The amount of nutrients that water at a certain temperature can hold. (6)
Q. Climate change disproportionately impacts people earning a low income because:
Infrastructure in developing countries can be less resilient to storms. (1)
People earning a low income have fewer resources to rebuild or relocate after flooding. (4)
People earning a low income are more likely to live in areas threatened by flooding, water scarcity and/or vector-borne disease. (5)
All of the above (6)
Q. Climate change has led to more powerful hurricanes because:
Climate change has not led to more powerful hurricanes. (1)
Warmer air mixing with cooler water produces more extreme hurricanes. (4)
Melting glaciers result in more rain water in hurricanes. (5)
Ocean water temperatures are increasing which increases the strength of hurricanes. (6)
Q. The “greenhouse effect” refers to:
The response of the Earth’s climate to gasses in the atmosphere that trap heat. (1)
The Earth’s protective ozone layer. (4)
Pollution that causes acid rain. (5)
How plants grow. (6)
Q. Which one of the following causes ocean acidification?
Absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean (1)
Chemical spills in the ocean (4)
Warmer ocean temperatures (5)
Natural seepages of oil and other chemicals (6)
Q. Which one of the following is not an example of an externality?
A fine a company has to pay for pollution (1)
Harm to a worker's health (4)
The cost of waste disposal of a commercial by-product (5)
Harm to community members' health due to air pollution (6)
Q. "Sustainability" with regard to natural resources means:
Using natural resources as slowly as possible. (1)
Only using as much as is replaced by natural processes. (4)
Not introducing new technology too quickly. (5)
Discovering new resources to allow maximum economic growth. (6)
Discounting (1)
Pessimism (4)
Rate of return (5)
Interest (6)
Q. One barrier to policy progress on the issue of climate change is that:
The impacts will likely be negligible (1)
This issue occurs only in certain parts of the world (4)
There is a lack of scientific consensus on the issue (5)
Most of the negative effects will occur in the distant future (6)
Q. A cap-and-trade system limits carbon emissions by:
Placing a limit on how much each factory can pollute. (1)
Placing a limit on the total amount of emissions. (4)
Placing a set price on the emission of each unit of carbon. (5)
Placing a limit on the number of new factories that can be built (6)
Q. A group of fishing boat owners share equal access to a common fishing area and are dependent upon it for their livelihoods. For each individual, it is economically rational to:
Limit the number of fish he or she catches to ensure there will be fish to catch in the future. (1)
Catch all the fish he or she can to maximize the profit. (4)
Limit the number of fish he or she catches to ensure there everyone gets an equal share. (5)
Catch all the fish he or she can to eliminate the competition. (6)
Q. A group of fishing boat owners share equal access to a common fishing area and are dependent upon it for their livelihoods. For the group, it is economically rational to:
Limit the number of fish they catch to ensure there will be fish to catch in the future. (1)
Catch all the fish they can to maximize their profit. (4)
Limit the number of fish they catch to ensure there everyone gets an equal share. (5)
Catch all the fish they can to eliminate the competition. (6)
Q. Which uses the most energy in an average American home each year?
Lights (1)
Heating water (4)
Heating and cooling rooms (5)
Refrigeration (6)
Q. What do most scientists believe is the maximum ppm for atmospheric CO2 if we wish to stabilize the Earth’s temperature in the long term?
275 ppm (1)
350 ppm (4)
400 ppm (5)
450 ppm (6)
Q. Current global climate change is:
Caused mostly by human activities. (1)
Caused equally by both human activities and natural changes. (4)
Caused mostly by natural changes in the environment. (5)
None of the above because global climate change isn’t happening. (6)
Q. An ecosystem’s “carrying capacity” refers to:
The amount of land currently in agricultural production. (1)
The number of living things the system can sustain indefinitely. (4)
The minimum number of species an ecosystem needs to survive. (5)
The amount of nutrients that water at a certain temperature can hold. (6)
Q. Climate change disproportionately impacts people earning a low income because:
Infrastructure in developing countries can be less resilient to storms. (1)
People earning a low income have fewer resources to rebuild or relocate after flooding. (4)
People earning a low income are more likely to live in areas threatened by flooding, water scarcity and/or vector-borne disease. (5)
All of the above (6)
Q. Climate change has led to more powerful hurricanes because:
Climate change has not led to more powerful hurricanes. (1)
Warmer air mixing with cooler water produces more extreme hurricanes. (4)
Melting glaciers result in more rain water in hurricanes. (5)
Ocean water temperatures are increasing which increases the strength of hurricanes. (6)
Q. The “greenhouse effect” refers to:
The response of the Earth’s climate to gasses in the atmosphere that trap heat. (1)
The Earth’s protective ozone layer. (4)
Pollution that causes acid rain. (5)
How plants grow. (6)
Q. Which one of the following causes ocean acidification?
Absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean (1)
Chemical spills in the ocean (4)
Warmer ocean temperatures (5)
Natural seepages of oil and other chemicals (6)
Q. Which one of the following is not an example of an externality?
A fine a company has to pay for pollution (1)
Harm to a worker's health (4)
The cost of waste disposal of a commercial by-product (5)
Harm to community members' health due to air pollution (6)
Q. "Sustainability" with regard to natural resources means:
Using natural resources as slowly as possible. (1)
Only using as much as is replaced by natural processes. (4)
Not introducing new technology too quickly. (5)
Discovering new resources to allow maximum economic growth. (6)
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey is sent our through our Institutional Research, Planning, & Assessment Office who generates a representative sample of students for us to survey. The representative sample they generate matches the demographics of the population on campus.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Of the 331 participants in the 2023 survey, many are using reusable items (shopping bags, coffee cups, etc., buying recycled materials, buying cleaning solutions that are environmentally preferable, composting, and participating in other sustainability related actions regularly. Almost all participants also felt that it was very or somewhat important for members of our society and students to be knowledgeable about environmental issues.
Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
A representative sample of undergraduate students are surveyed on odd years and a representative sample of faculty, staff, and graduate students are surveyed on even years.
A representative sample of undergraduate students are surveyed on odd years and a representative sample of faculty, staff, and graduate students are surveyed on even years.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.