Mercer University's Proclamation of Environmental Committment

Whereas, the 20th Century has witnessed unprecedented ecological deterioration, including thinning of the ozone layer, global warming, pollution of air, land, and water, daily extinction of plant and animal species, continuing destruction of vast portions of the world's rain forests, loss of vital agricultural land, and unsustainable population growth; and,

Whereas, we live in a world community where limited resources are being used up and abused with widespread insensitivity to the peril of misusing these finite resources, while ignoring the worsening global environment upon which our lives depend; and,

Whereas, the mission of an institution of higher education is to prepare its students to meet the significant contemporary challenges and the future issues of our society and to instill in them a strong personal commitment to social and environmental responsibility and,

Whereas, our Christian heritage places high expectations upon us as individuals and as an institution to be good stewards of God's kingdom and its resources; and,

Whereas, we give hope and build a healthy and productive future by actively taking upon ourselves responsibility for changing our behaviors and embracing new alternatives for living in our environment; and,

Whereas, such obligations require both example and instruction,

Therefore, we call the Mercer University community to these commitments:
  1. That we minimize the negative impact of this institution on its environment through reduced and appropriate use of physical resources, reuse and recycling;
  2. That we involve the entire University community, and particularly our students, in minimizing inappropriate practices and implementing positive contributions to the health of our environment and our community;
  3. That we share our ideas, programs and achievements within the University, with sister institutions, and with the broader community;
  4. That we examine our curriculum to assure that it provides comprehensive instruction in social justice and environmental responsibility, thus insuring that Mercer students are better prepared for their role as socially and environmentally responsible citizens in a world that requires increasing understanding and sensitivity to the environmental issues that face mankind.

Endorsed by the Select Committee on Mercer's Environment and issued by the President of Mercer University this __ day of ___, 1992.

ROBERT HARGROVE, Chairman
Select Committee
R. KIRBY GODSEY, President
Mercer University

Other Background Documents re: the Mercer Environmental Ethic

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This page was last updated on February 14, 1997
by Johnson_s@mercer.edu.