Handprinter Presentation and Discussion: A Tool to Improve Sustainability Literacy at Ohio State

<p>The Ohio State University is committed to reducing its energy use, minimizing materials sent to the landfill, and improving the hydrological and ecological function of campus. These sustainability initiatives will be reached through a variety of strategies that are currently being developed in the Integrated Energy and Environment Implementation Strategy document.</p>
<p>Ohio State has developed a website, the Buckeye Footprint (footprint.osu.edu), which seeks to educate the campus community about the carbon footprint of campus. This website features live energy data in campus buildings, a carbon footprint calculator (housed on an external site), and information about sustainability initiatives and programs on campus.</p>
<p>However, Greg Norris, Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard School of Public Health and Visiting Professor, Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas would argue that the carbon footprint is only half the story. The other half can be called &ldquo;handprints&rdquo;, and refers to the positive impacts which we can have via conscious innovation and diffusion of innovations around the world. Norris founded New Earth, a non-profit institute developing and deploying technologies that enable people around the world to drive sustainable development &ldquo;from the bottom up.&rdquo; One project he developed, Handprinter, helps people understand their footprints and then to collaboratively generate handprints, and track their progress and influence over time.</p>
<p>Is the footprint half the story? What is the value of teaching the &ldquo;handprint&rdquo;? How does the idea of &ldquo;handprint&rdquo; fit in at Ohio State? Could this idea be used to teach and progress the university forward in sustainability and sustainability literacy?</p>
<p>Please join students, faculty, and staff for a presentation and discussion!</p>