ANN ARBOR—The Center for Sustainable Systems, an interdisciplinary research, education and outreach center of the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, has released a collection of 18 fact sheets.

The facts sheet series present more than 1,000 facts and are updated annually by incorporating the most current scientific data. Each one-page document?available as downloads through the CSS Web site?are researched by U-M scientists but written for citizens, consumers, educators and advocates. They present brief but thorough overviews of environmental issues as well as sustainable solutions and alternatives.

“These fact sheets are a wonderful resource when trying to understand such modern and complex issues as wind and photovoltaic energy, carbon footprints and greenhouse gases,” said Greg Keoleian, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Systems and an associate professor at SNRE. “They also offer guidance on how to enhance sustainability related to housing, transportation and water lifecycle systems as well as the production and consumption of food.”

The 2009-10 editions, launched to coincide with Earth Day activities this week, feature three new topics: the U.S. Environmental Footprint, Social Development Indicators and Biofuels. The additions bring the current collection to 18.

The online “Sustainability: Learn It – Live It” tool builds on this most recent edition of the CSS fact sheets. Site visitors can test their understanding of critical issues of waste, shelter, climate, water, energy, food materials and transportation by playing the interactive quiz. http://css.snre.umich.edu/facts/

These materials are disseminated through the Earth Day Network as a key resource featured on the organization’s Web site http://ww2.earthday.net/resources. The mission of the Earth Day Network is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment.

About Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network pursues its mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns. Its campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.

About the Center for Sustainable Systems:

CSS advances concepts of sustainability through interdisciplinary research and education. CSS collaborates with diverse stakeholders to develop and apply lifecycle-based models and sustainability metrics for systems that meet societal needs. CSS promotes tools and knowledge that support the design, evaluation and improvement of complex systems. It has completed more than 50 research projects on topics such as renewable energy, hydrogen infrastructure, transportation, green buildings, consumer products and packaging.

http://css.snre.umich.edu/

About the School of Natural Resources and Environment:

The School of Natural Resources and Environment’s overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the earth’s resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching and outreach, faculty, staff and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.

http://www.snre.umich.edu/