References Introduction Making a difference in the world today begins with a sense of empowerment. Believing that the environmental crisis that we are now facing is indeed real, and potentially disastrous, may be the first step to dealing with it effectively and creatively. We must take issues of overpopulation, resource depletion and waste seriously if we are to awaken in ourselves a call to action. Knowledge is power, and power stems from the belief that we can indeed activate change.
Individuals together form community.
Naropa is the community that is the focus of our desire and belief that we can initiate an honest, a challenging and groundbreaking shift in our commitment to pass smoothly into a time of sustainability and respect for the earth and her limits. As members of the Sustainable Studio, our most sincere hope is that throughout each phase of the process of the new building and the subsequent master plan, there will be an eye, and heart, that looks to the future. Our focus is ultimately the bigger picture of where we as humans are heading. We wish to embrace the paradigm shift towards sustainability that we are most certainly entering while holding to the precious notion of seven generations beyond ourselves. The sustainable studio has given students the opportunity to explore the options available in creating a green structure, with systems theory in mind, that works to the benefit of Mother Earth as well as the beings that rely on her.