In children's stories, characters live "happily ever after." Sustainability is the art of "ever after," the art of ensuring that people who come after us will have what they need to live fulfilling lives. Sustainable development assures that our pursuit of happiness doesn't compromise the pursuit of happiness of future generations.

Some relate primarily to new ways of thinking. Others relate to new ways of acting. Obviously they're interrelated. They include applying a liberal arts perspective to all of the environmental issues confronting us. The main product of a liberal arts college is thoughtfulness, embodied in people who know how to think carefully and know how to care about other people and places.

Because we're a college of the church, we'll also apply our religious perspectives to these issues. In Genesis, God creates the earth and declares that it is good. Because the earth is good, because it embodies the intentions of God, we are called to be good stewards of this garden. And, at a place like St. Olaf, we can be religious about that calling.

St. Olaf rests on land that was, at one time, sustainable. We will continue our work to "recreate" the woodland that existed in this area before European settlement. We'll continue to restore wetlands and to incorporate them into the water cycle on campus. We'll continue experimentation with sustainable farming practices on our agricultural lands.

We'll cultivate long-term thinking, rely increasingly on sustainable energy flows, think and act locally, and build for the future.

The best way is to show people their intimate connections with the natural world. A century ago, people breathed in air that contained carbon dioxide in concentrations of 280 parts per million. Today we breathe 360 parts per million, and that is causing global climate change. Good books like The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices help us know what we should worry about and how we can change.

Sure. Environmental organizations offer us different stories about what the world is like and what the world is for, and we'll always need them. Slowly but surely, American companies are moving in the direction of environmentalism because it's the only way to stay in business over the long haul. In a recent issue of Time magazine, a multi-page ad from Ford Motor Co. featured new green designs in cars and SUVs and in manufacturing. You used to see ads like this only in environmental magazines.

Green energy is anything that runs on solar power and that includes wind power. Green architecture describes economical, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, sustainable development.

The list is long. As director of facilities, Pete Sandberg has quietly positioned St. Olaf to be a national leader in campus ecology. Over the past 10 years, we've done phenomenal work on energy efficiency and procurement. Xcel Energy, for example, offers a lower rate to customers who agree to reduce electrical load during peak-use periods. Pete installed generators that can supply all our power at any time. As a result, we save about $150,000 a year on our electric bill.

When biology faculty Gene Bakko and Kathy Shea approached Pete about land restoration, he provided funds from the facilities budget to do the first restorations. And now we have more than 70 acres of wetlands, prairie and native hardwoods.

Pete's also been ahead of the curve on green building, making sure architects know that we expect design and materials that will operate efficiently over the long haul. Tom Boldt, a 1974 graduate of St. Olaf and president and CEO of the Boldt Group, which oversees almost all of St. Olaf's construction, told us that his firm began thinking seriously about green architecture after their collaboration with us on Buntrock Commons.

There aren't yet commonly accepted measures of environmental responsibility, but in general we're doing very well. In this past year, St. Olaf has restored seven wetlands and planted 30 acres of prairie and eight acres of native hardwood trees. We've shifted all of our agricultural lands to more sustainable farming practices and applied for an Xcel Energy grant to install a wind turbine, which will generate almost 25 percent of our energy needs. We've hired consultants to help with green designs for the new natural science and mathematics center. And we've approved plans to install a composter this summer to produce fertilizer from all our campus food scraps.

Teaching with Elise has been easy. I've known her for more than three years and she impresses me more every day. She has a self-designed major in St. Olaf's Center for Integrated Studies called "Wild and Precious Life: Educating for an Ethic of Sustainability," and the title fits her life perfectly. I provided a space for her to grow into teaching and she took care of the rest.

She's a wonderful role model of practical idealism, especially for the younger students. "I respect her hopes and dreams for the class and the school," one student said.