Pascal's Wager: Betting on the Future.

What motivated you to suggest the theme of sustainability for the annual conference? There are two answers to this question. The first is much more mundane than the second. From the perspective of conference pragmatics, sustainability fit the bill. Portland, the site of the 2012 conference, is regularly lauded as one of the most sustainable cities in the world; the issues of sustainability and related challenges like global warming have gotten a lot of press; and a number of universities had expressed interest in sustainability initiatives and programs. In brief, sustainability seemed to be the perfect thematic fit for the venue and times. My second answer is both more personal and more universal. I have been interested in the human-environment interface for many years. When I had time to teach, I taught environmental ethics and environmental policy. As I moved through the administrative ranks, I led various campus sustainability efforts, raised funds to increase the use of clean energies, and developed academic degree programs to help students better understand what sustainability is and how they could become leaders in the drive for greater global sustainability.