The University of Memphis: a leading partner in sustainability.(college buildings designed with use of green technology)

For many, the concept of sustainability is shaped by the knowledge and understanding of environmental and ecological issues such as global warming, conservation of natural resources, limited availability of resources, and a wide array of recommended actions that one can take to help address these issues. Some of these actions include recycling used materials, reducing automobile use by combining trips, car-pooling or taking public transportation, or adjusting the heating and cooling to use less energy. While the environmental issues related to sustainability are well known (thanks in great part to the strong history of environmental movement in the United States), the economic and social equity issues related to sustainability are addressed less often.

Sustainability is generally broadly defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?' A 2005 white paper published by the Society for College and University Planning notes that "sustainability principles and perspectives create socially and environmentally …