Pitt Green Spotlight: Rob de Cortie (December 2024)

Can you tell us more about yourself?

“For most of my professional life, I have had a wonderful and rewarding career in the translation and localization industry that took me across continents, cultures and languages. Then Covid proved to be –like it was for so many people– a catalyst for change. As part of this transition towards a role that will help to create public value, I entered into higher education, first at one of Chicago’s community colleges, then here at the University of Pittsburgh. Another part of my late-career journey is pursuing a Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) degree at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. The combination of being a Pitt employee and a graduate student has exposed me to people and organizations not only in higher education and in state and local government, but also in the diverse and proliferating culture of nonprofits in southwestern Pennsylvania.”

What got you interested in sustainability and acting on climate change?

“There is no one single event or experience that got me interested. Raised by parents and grandparents that survived World War II, the values of thrift and sharing were instilled in me from the beginning. As I got older, I could never wrap my head around unlimited growth or around the unequal distribution of global wealth. It always seemed like a myth on a massive scale, perpetuated by a system of greed and ignorance. As we have become more and more aware, resources are not endless. Just like you may find you still have days left at the end of your monthly budget, at the end of your life there still are an infinite number of lives to be lived by humankind. We have a forward responsibility as caretakers of our home, our planet.”

How would you recommend those just getting started with sustainability on campus get involved?

“I think it is important to meet people where they are. People have jobs, careers, personal lives, obligations, and responsibilities. In the world we live in today, the demands for attention and participation are both pervasive and relentless. Sustainability is just one more push for attention and action. And though goals and context are necessary, I think we should start talking more about sustainability in terms of lifestyle. We should encourage our similarities, incentivize behavior that is in the interest of the pack, not just an individual or a small number of people. What is the best thing for us as a group, a community, a school, a citizen of the world? Sustainability without a climate crisis is just as beneficial. It is not just about counting carbons or washing your Ziploc bags. We should approach sustainability more as a way of living with respect for each other and our surroundings, living within our planetary means. Such conversations would include topics like multigenerational housing, active transportation and sharing daily resources.”

What sustainability challenge would you like to tackle next, and what would you like to see the university address?

“Here on our campus, and on a local and regional level, we really need to make major headway in an area like active transportation. The main campus is still a design made for motorized traffic, despite tens of thousands of walkers, cyclists and rollers using the streets every day. There needs to be a plan where motorized and non-motorized users each have their own unrestricted paths around the campus and around Oakland. Pedestrians and bicyclists should be able to cross roads like Forbes and Fifth Avenue at multiple locations without having to wait for a cross-walk to turn green. There should be ramps over or under these major roadways. In addition, Pitt’s downtown campus should have car-free zones. The redesign of Bigelow Boulevard was a great opportunity, but it turned out to be an upgraded version of the status quo, with neither motorized nor non-motorized users served.”

Thanks to Rob for all your efforts to support sustainability at Pitt!