1. Sustainability - a Win-Win-Win for
NASA’s Mission, the American People, and the
Economy
Olga Dominguez - Associate Administrator
NASA Headquarters
Office of Strategic Infrastructure

2. Overview
• NASA’s Sustainability Policy
• Existing Communities Of Practice (Cop)
• Sustainability Requires A Systems Approach
• Principles Used For Developing NASA’s Strategic Sustainability
Program Plan (SSPP)
• Communication, Communication, Communication
• NASA Has Major Challenges When It Comes To Supporting
Mission
• NASA Has Been Doing Sustainability For Many Years As Risk
Management
• Vision For A Sustainable NASA
• A Path Forward For Integrating Sustainability Within NASA

3. NASA’s Sustainability Policy
NASA's sustainability policy is to execute NASA’s mission without
compromising our planet’s resources so that future generations
can meet their needs.
Sustainability also involves taking action now to provide a future
where the environment and living conditions are protected and
enhanced and in that future NASA will have the resources it needs
to perform its Mission.
NASA is committed to the intent of Executive Order 13514.
NASA is integrating sustainability principles and methods into
existing systems, processes and decision-making, influencing both
long-term planning and short-term actions.
Sustainability will gradually become part of NASA culture.

4. NASA Communities of Practice (CoPs)
Fleet Sustainable
Procurement Management Acquisition
Materials and
Processes
Natural
Master Resources
Planning Environmental
Assurance
Information
Maintenance Recycling
Technology / Regulatory
and Operations
Data Centers Communication
Facility Design
Energy Water
and
Management Management
Construction
CoPs formed and grew up to meet internal and external goals, objectives, requirements.
Many CoPs have been around for many years. Some are relatively new.

5. NASA Center and Facility Personnel
Comprise CoP Membership
CoPs are dispersed geographically throughout NASA.

6. Sustainability Requires a
Systems Approach
Sustainability
Regulatory Maintenance and Environmental
Master Planning
Communication Operations Assurance
Energy Facility Design Water Materials and
Management and Construction Management Processes
Information Recycling
Supply Chain Fleet
Technology / Data and Sustainable
Management Management
Centers Acquisition
Climate Change
Greenhouse Gas
Impacts and Procurement Natural Resources
Management
Adaptation
Because of the multi-disciplinary nature, a sustainability initiative/program
needs the coordinated efforts from many communities.

7. Responsible NASA SSPP Goal
Agency Team or CoP Organization for Team
or CoP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Strategic Sustainability OSI 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Working Group
Greenhouse Gas Management * EMD 1 2 3
Fleet Management Logistics Management 1 2 3
Energy Management EMD and FED 1 2 3 4
Design and Construction FED 1 2 4
Maintenance and Operations FED 1 2 4
Master Planning TCRPM and EMD 3 4 5
Natural Resources EMD 5
Climate Change Impacts and FCRPM and EMD 5
Adaptation *
Water Management EMD 6
Procurement Office of Procurement 1 2 3 7 8 9
Recycling and Sustainable EMD 7 8 9
Acquisition (RSA)
Supply Chain Management * Logistics Management 2 3 8
Center Chief Information Chief Information Officer 9
Officers
Environmental Assurance and EMD 10
Green System Design
Materials and Processes EMD 10
For most SSPP goals, several CoPs are needed to achieve objectives and targets

8. Principles Used for Developing
NASA’s SSPP
Whenever possible…
Utilize established teams, working groups, and communities of practice
NO NEW TEAMS! familiar with the functional area to get work done
Advise existing management, boards, panels, working groups, etc. to
NO NEW ensure that sustainability principles are incorporated into decisions for
MANAGEMENT! functional areas
Revise existing reports and planning documents generated for the different
NO NEW functional areas to reflect the larger sustainability objectives
REPORTING!
WORK WITHIN Define and frame NASA's sustainability approach in a way that blends with
NASA CULTURE! NASA culture
ALIGN WITH Link all sustainability goals, requirements, targets, and activities to the
STRATEGY! NASA Strategy
MINIMIZE Create opportunities within NASA's existing activities and projects to meet
ADDITIONAL existing and emerging sustainability goals, requirements, and targets by
RESOURCES! supplementing with additional funding…

9. Communication, Communication,
Communication
• Ongoing meetings
of key CoP leads
within the
Headquarters
Sustainability
Working Group
• HQ CoP leads communicate updates to Center personnel through
existing meetings, video teleconferences, etc.
• CoP members at Centers communicate upward to HQ CoP Leads
• Communication tools - SSPP as wiki

10. 2010 Efforts to Improve Internal
Collaboration and Integration
Senior • Identify Center Sustainability Officers (CSOs) from
Leadership Center senior leadership
• NASA’s Senior Sustainability Officer will meet with
CSOs at agency-level workshop to discuss new role
• Describe CSO responsibilities in agency policy -
drafts developed now, finalized in 2011
• Make Headquarters Sustainability Working Group
activities transparent in internal social networking
tools such as NASA Spacebook
• Enhance communication within Centers and
between Centers (e.g., post CoP membership to
internal sites)
• Develop collaborative tools for inter-Center
communication
Center
Personnel

11. NASA has major challenges when it
comes to supporting mission
aging infrastructure
1 increasing energy cost
2 greenhouse gas management
3 climate change impacts and adaptation
4 changing laws and requirements
5 mandates without added resources
6 environmental cleanup – Apollo Era
7 encroachment – neighbors need
water, energy, safety, resources…
8
material availability and
9 obsolescence

12. major challenge 1 aging infrastructure
Share of NASA facilities assets under 40 years old
100%
80%
60%
40%
20% As asset ages rise and requirements evolve, we
must renew assets upon which our missions
depend
0%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

13. increasing energy cost
major challenge 2
In Since FY 1995, NASA’s energy use is down 12% and unit costs are
up 73%.
Unit Cost Consumption
15 15
$/Million Btu
Trillion Btu
10 10
5 5
0 0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009
We are buying less energy yet still spending more.

14. greenhouse gas
major challenge 3 management
Electricity for
Buildings is 82%
of NASA’s
Scopes 1&2

15. climate change
major challenge 4 impacts and adaptation
Leverage a unique perspective & renowned climate expertise... to quantify real risks…
applying a ground-breaking
partnering process.
Year 2080 from 1971/2000 base
...for an Agency mostly near sea level...
with parts already
being impacted..
15

16. changing laws and
major challenge 5 requirements
90
80 EO 13514
EO 13423
EO 13327 EISA
CUMULATIVE NUMBER OF LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS
EO 13221 EO 13302
EO 13211 EO 13212
70 EO 13148 EO 13186
EO 13089 EO 13112
EO 13101 TEA-21
SDWA EO 13061
MMPA EO 13007
60 EO 12898
SNARTA ISTEA
CZARA OPA
NAGPRA ADA
CAAA
STURRA CWA
50 EWRA
CBRA EPCRA
HSWA
FPPA RRA
ANILCA LAA
ARPA CERCLA
40 CWA CRA
EO 11998
CAA EO 11990
RCRA SWDA
FNWA MSFCMA
AHPA TSCA
30 SDWA
MMPA ESA
CZMA
FAHA CWA
CAA URA
NEPA
20 WSRA
FAHA
FAHA
NHPA FOIA
4(f)
WQA
HUDA HBA
10 LWCF
RSA SWDA
MBTA
HSBAA FAHA Post Shuttle
RHAA AA CAA
FWCA
FIFRA
Apollo Shuttle Programs
0
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
YEAR
Air Chemical Management Endangered Species Energy Land/Waste
Multiple Natural/Cultural Resources Other (White Points) Transportation Water

17. mandates without
major challenge 6 added resources
New Reporting
EPA DOE
State Laws and
New Executive Regulations
Orders
• aging infrastructure
• increasing energy available • environmental
cost cleanup
• greenhouse gas
resources for • encroachment
management mission • climate change

18. environmental
major challenge 7 cleanup Apollo Era

19. major challenge 8 encroachment
Regulatory Issues
Air, Toxics, Wastes
Resources:
Environmental
Energy, water, materials
Liability
Natural Disaster
Damage & Climate Air Quality
Variability
Cultural & Historic
Resources Noise, Hazards
Security
Demands for
Airspace
Radio
Threatened & Spectrum
Workforce Endangered Urban Growth
19 Species Noise & Light

20. major challenge/ material availability and
opportunity 9 obsolescence
Partial List of Materials and Processes of Concern Shuttle elements
• Trichloroethane where HCFC 141b is
• Precision Cleaning and Cleanliness Verification Processes still used
Requiring ODSs (HCFC 225 and HCFC 225g)
RSRM
• TPS and Cryoinsulation Containing ODS (HCFC 141b)
• Chromate Primers External Tank
• Cadmium Plating
• Hexavalent Chromium Conversion Coating
• Paint Strippers Containing Methylene Chloride
• Lead Based Solid Film Lubricants
• Paints Containing Perchloroethylene
Orbiter - Main
• High-Level Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Coatings
Propulsion
• Alkaline Cleaners Containing Hexavalent Chromium System, Power
• Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) Inks Reactant Storage
• Methyl Ethyl Ketone and Distribution
• Materials and Products Containing Perfluoroalkyl System
Sulfonates
• Materials Containing Brominated Flame Retardants
• Materials Requiring Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

21. A path forward for integrating sustainability
within NASA
View external requirements through the lens of
1 intent and create opportunities
Infuse sustainable thinking into existing systems
2 (ops, design, acquisition, suppliers)
Design greener systems & processes for NASA
3 programs & projects & institution
Develop new models, systems and processes that
4 support and enhance NASA’s Missions
Push the envelope of business as usual thru the
5 sustainability lens
Sustainability steers you to different, creative, and
flexible solutions

22. View external requirements through the lens of
1 intent and create opportunities
EO 13514 required NASA to prepare and submit to CEQ and OMB a
multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan.
• Started formal sustainability planning
process within NASA
• In 2011, it will streamline and
consolidate reporting requirements
• Aligned activities, efforts, and projects
outlined in SSPP with NASA budget
submission
• Initiated inclusion of sustainability into
other NASA plans, policies, and
activities
• Move beyond compliance – identifying
opportunities that meet intent
provides long-term benefits

23. Infuse sustainable thinking into existing systems
2 (ops, design, acquisition, suppliers)

24. Design greener systems & processes for NASA
3 programs & projects & institution
Kennedy Space Center
0.95 MW PV System
Restricted or Potentially
Restricted Substances
Source: NASA-MSFC,
MAPTIS-II
Sustainability Base Ames research Center

25. Develop new models, systems & processes that
4 support and enhance NASA’s Missions
Harvard Business Review – September 2009 – Why Sustainability
is Now the Key Driver of Innovation
New territory to explore

26. Push the envelope of business as usual thru the
5 sustainability lens
• Use the opportunity side of risk to design using
Green Engineering, Green Chemistry, Green Energy
Management…
• Design and Plan to requirements, outcomes and
goals desired to drive innovation and use of
sustainable resources
– Design to Outcomes and Goals not metrics
• Measure success & individual performance using
sustainable results

27. Questions?