For the 2019 Sustainable Lehigh Valley publication, we gathered information from a few of the many restaurants in the Lehigh Valley that incorporate some aspects of sustainability into their business operations. During June and July 2019, we worked with other interested restaurants using sustainable practices in their businesses. We invite other restaurants and cafés to … [Read more...] about Restaurants with Sustainable Practices
‘Because Capitalism Degrades Nature’
by Faramarz Farbod That is what I say when friends ask me why I founded the Beyond Capitalism Working Group (BCWG) in 2015. But this is not all. They also ask why pick on capitalism? Have not people from time immemorial wrestled with environmental degradation such as soil erosion and depletion, over-hunting, and widespread logging? Did not the Maya, a sophisticated … [Read more...] about ‘Because Capitalism Degrades Nature’
Protecting the Clean Water Rule
by Rachel Rosenfeld According to the Pennsylvania state constitution, Article I, Section 27, the Environmental Rights Amendment: "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including … [Read more...] about Protecting the Clean Water Rule
Festival UnBound
by Bill George Bethlehem was born from a utopian, communal Moravian experiment in 1740 that dissolved in the face of the philosophy of progress, the industrial revolution and the domination of Bethlehem Steel. Then, in 1998, after an almost 150-year history building our nation, Bethlehem Steel shut down. To help our community work through that trauma, Touchstone Theatre … [Read more...] about Festival UnBound
The Inequalities of Climate Change
by Gwladys Boukpessi As human beings, we all share the responsibility of taking care of one another. Regardless of the differences that separate us, the cultural barriers that define us, or the walls we build amongst ourselves, we all possess the subconscious obligation to ensure the successful continuation of our species, and provide a better future for generations to … [Read more...] about The Inequalities of Climate Change
Is Peace an Environmental Issue?
by Nancy Tate Should those of us working for a sustainable Lehigh Valley and a sustainable world make peace and anti-war work a priority? LEPOCO, of course, answers this question in the affirmative. One of our earliest flyers hints at this by quoting then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the … [Read more...] about Is Peace an Environmental Issue?
The Importance of Restaurant Sustainability
by Kayla Harper Climate change is a looming reality, and with approximately twelve years to make significant changes in our way of life before permanent damage is caused, it is important for restaurants to become responsible climate activists and change their business practices. My short-term focus is on educating local businesses in the Lehigh Valley about ways to become … [Read more...] about The Importance of Restaurant Sustainability
Gleaning for the Future
by Cathy Snyder By 2030, the world's population will exceed 8.6 billion people, all of whom will need access to healthy food. Much needs to change if we are to meet the challenge. Americans waste as much as 40% of all food grown. Considering all the resources that go into producing that food, water, fertilizers, labor and fuel, this is clearly not a sustainable path for our … [Read more...] about Gleaning for the Future
Art as a Pathway to Sustainability
by Keri Maxfield Art has the power to transform our culture, our way of thinking and acting. I have seen it. In the 30+ years I have worked in art and informal environmental education, I have witnessed individuals and communities connect, discover and understand themselves and their environment in new and meaningful ways through experiencing the arts. In a creative mapping … [Read more...] about Art as a Pathway to Sustainability
A Sustainability Narrative
by Brian Hillard When I had first planted my roots in Bethlehem thirteen-and-a-half years ago, it wasn't long before I had experienced my first taste of the community within. With a backyard full of yard debris and no truck to haul it to the compost center, my next-door neighbor offered to help me run it over with his truck then, unbeknownst to me, he took it over himself … [Read more...] about A Sustainability Narrative