by Sheila Gallagher It’s 2015. Have we reached the point of “Now or Nothing”? Climate chaos is reigning. We know we cannot survive on a dead planet, yet we forge forward, fracking for that ever elusive, pre-historic fossil fuel locked deep within our native rocks, literally under our feet. It will give some untold wealth! Others, jobs! Heat for our homes and businesses! … [Read more...] about Let’s Shoot for the Moon! Again!
Focus on Pages
The "Focus On" section provides in-depth information and opinion on many facets of sustainability. (Although these topics may appear quite distinct and separate, it’s important to remember that they are interconnected and interdependent in multiple ways — in general, the 4 basic principles of ecology apply to all complex systems.)
When you select a Focus On… topic, the system will select all the articles and posts in that category with the most recent pages at the top, just under a brief introduction to the topic. (Many articles appear in multiple categories.)
Background & detail information is organized into the main categories listed in the left sidebar.
Climate & Energy
The categories of Climate & Energy are linked because it’s almost impossible to consider energy issues without considering their impact on the Climate.
Also see: Environment & Ecosystems, Food, Transportation
Climate Action Planning –Acknowledgments
About the Alliance and the 2019 Summer Internship Project on Climate Action Planning The Alliance for Sustainable Communities–Lehigh Valley is a nonprofit organization that focuses on a wide variety of environmental and social justice issues that contribute to more-sustainable communities. Based in Bethlehem, PA, the Alliance has been active since 2003 and offers summer, … [Read more...] about Climate Action Planning –Acknowledgments
Climate Action Planning for the Lehigh Valley
→ Executive Summary Introduction Across the nation, cities are responding to climate change by implementing local policies and initiatives. In particular, municipalities have created climate action plans as a way to assess and plan for the issues that they face, and will face. These plans contain mitigation strategies to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and … [Read more...] about Climate Action Planning for the Lehigh Valley
Public Participation in Climate Action Planning
Public Participation in Municipal Climate Action Planning: Exploring Deliberative Methods by Lauren Fosbenner Download as PDF Local Climate Planning Local climate planning refers to efforts at the city or municipality, county, or regional level to identify methods of climate mitigation — reducing the severity of future climate change through reducing … [Read more...] about Public Participation in Climate Action Planning
Climate Action Planning
[See link at bottom to download the full report] Executive Summary Developing a climate action plan is an important step that municipalities can take toward climate change mitigation and adaptation. Climate change is a daunting issue. Humanity’s actions have caused the Earth’s climate to dramatically shift with temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions rapidly … [Read more...] about Climate Action Planning
Make Capitalism History
by Faramarz Farbod To perish or to radically transform the way we relate to one another and to nature, that is the question humanity has never had to face until now. The evidence backing the above assertion is strong and accumulating. Nevertheless, there remains a stubborn problem of awareness as many who understand the perils facing humanity fail to connect them to its … [Read more...] about Make Capitalism History
Sustainable Food
[Notes from 2017 discussions with students] A sustainable food system: Supports ecosystems with regenerative organic growingreduces GHG by sequestering carbon into the soilbuilds soil health & reduces erosionpromotes biodiversity & resilience / preserves plants & animals (including people) that are poisoned by synthetic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, … [Read more...] about Sustainable Food
‘You did not act in time!’
'(Greta Thunberg's full speech to MPs, London, 23 April 2019) by Greta Thunberg My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 16 years old. I come from Sweden. And I speak on behalf of future generations. I know many of you don’t want to listen to us — you say we are just children. But we’re only repeating the message of the united climate science. Many of you appear concerned … [Read more...] about ‘You did not act in time!’
Climate Action, Structure, Power
by Martin Boksenbaum Two lines from T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” meant little to me until thinking about how to talk about what needs to be done, what we need to do, to address the climate crisis. Although certainly not what T.S. had mind, those lines have considerable relevance for thinking about the character of current protest movements in the United States, no … [Read more...] about Climate Action, Structure, Power
Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association
by Bill Hennessey The pace of climate change is increasing faster than predictions, while U.S. action to slow it down has crept to a crawl.The economy, the economy! That’s all that matters. Economic stimulus and tax breaks have been selected to bring our spending and lifestyles back to the fifties. And yet, over time, unless we change our economic premise and … [Read more...] about Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association