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Sustainability Strategic Plan for the City of University City, Missouri <br />September 12, 2011/ REVISED JANUARY 8, 2012 <br />Page 5 <br /> <br />Introduction <br />There is overwhelming scientific evidence that shows that the manner in which <br />human society is currently living is unsustainable. We are significantly changing <br />our climate; we are exacerbating many human and environmental health <br />issues; we are rapidly depleting non-renewable resources; we are driving <br />species to extinction; and we are jeopardizing the planet for future generations. <br />In response to this, there has been a global paradigm shift underway for more <br />than a decade to respond to and correct the human course to live sustainably. <br />These issues are the most critical facing humans; they directly challenge survival <br />and life on this planet. While these challenges and many of the solutions are <br />global in nature, our success will start with and rely on collective efforts and <br />successes at local, regional, and national levels. Therefore, the motto Think <br />Globally, Act Locally cannot be overstated and is more apropos now than ever. <br />Thus, the University City Green Practices Committee was formed to develop a <br />comprehensive strategic plan to recommend ways the city become sustainable <br />at the municipal, residential and commercial levels. The Committee is led by <br />University City residents whose professional training, expertise, and experience lie <br />in the areas we address. The Committee will draw upon their knowledge; <br />experts in the local and regional community; and current research on new <br />techniques and methods to make us more sustainable in the way we live and <br />operate. <br />The Committee recommends that the City Council vigorously support this effort <br />with a clear mandate regarding municipal operations to serve as an example to <br />citizens, business owners and other local governments. If University City is <br />successful, others will join, thereby collectively making the real impact our region <br />needs in this precarious time. <br /> <br />Mission: <br />The mission of the Green Practices Committee of University City is to encourage <br />sustainable practices and programs that improve the health and quality of life <br />of our community; restore and protect our natural resources; and strengthen our <br />economy. It is widely recognized that there are local and global issues that <br />threaten our ability to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the <br />ability of future generations to meet their own needs”1. Therefore it is imperative <br />that we become sustainable, as individuals, as a community, and as a City. <br /> <br />1 Bruntland Commission Report, Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Vision: