We can look at a broad range of factors that prevent us from building sustainability in todays' modern culture. We can spend a great deal of time discussing and implementing policies that might mitigate those factors to bring us closer to the goal. And this is as it should be. But not everyone is on board and not everyone sees a … [Read more...] about Early Childhood Development
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.
Education & Schools
Learning is a natural process that happens in every imaginable setting. Schools are designed, in theory, to promote and enhance learning. Some schools use highly-structured curriculum, while others use a more experiential, democratic, & student-driven approach. In practice, many schools also function to stifle criticism and to instill the values of state policy, religious dogma, or other value systems.
Also, see:
- teach-climate.net for information on how to integrate global warming & climate change into your school!
- resources for better schools & learning
Other school-related topics: Militarism in schools
Community & Restorative Justice – Summer 2020
What do we mean by community-based & restorative justice? Community and restorative justice is a way in which we look at problem solving. According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), restorative practice is defined by “the study of how to build social capital and achieve social discipline through participatory learning and decision making” … [Read more...] about Community & Restorative Justice – Summer 2020
Martin William Boksenbaum
1939–2019 We bid fond farewell to Martin Boksenbaum, co-founder of the Alliance who was deeply involved in preparing each of the previous 16 issues of this Sustainable Lehigh Valley booklet. It’s hard to think of the Alliance—and especially this publication—without Martin. He was integral to nearly every aspect of it from its inception. Martin died last summer, but we’re … [Read more...] about Martin William Boksenbaum
What professors and Fast Food Workers Have In Common
Elizabeth Oram My father was a tenured professor at a large southern university. His income provided a secure, middle class life for our family of four in the 1960s. But my father was not brilliant or ambitious and I am certain that were he a PhD job seeker in today's academic "marketplace," our family would have known neither security nor abundance. He would have been among … [Read more...] about What professors and Fast Food Workers Have In Common
Renewing Pennsylvania
Over a year ago, the Brookings Report on Pennsylvania, “Back to Prosperity, A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania”, was published. It reported many serious challenges now facing our state: We are losing our young people – the “brain drain”Pennsylvania is barely growing in populationEven with no real growth in population, construction continues at an alarming pace. … [Read more...] about Renewing Pennsylvania
Teaching About Food, Climate, and Sustainability
by Alyssa Fama Growing up, I always admired the beauty of nature and the world around me; blossoming flowers in the spring, the buzzing of insects during the summer, changing leaf colors in the fall and the silent snowfall in the winter. My childhood eyes were never opened to what we were doing to our planet, and it wasn’t until recently I began to understand. We go … [Read more...] about Teaching About Food, Climate, and Sustainability
Colleges Lead the Way
by Samantha Keenan The Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (‘LVAIC’) held its third valley-wide Campus Sustainability Conference in February. Keynote speaker Shana S. Weber, who directs the Office of Sustainability at Princeton University, kicked off the day with a talk on the importance of developing an ethos of sustainability on college campuses. … [Read more...] about Colleges Lead the Way
The Cycle of Discarding
by Briana VanBuskirk We’re stuck in a cycle that fosters the creation, use, and discarding of materials without any consideration for the environment, animal rights, or human rights. Why is this? It’s no secret that financial gain is the core problem. At some point in our lives, we’ve felt guilty for giving into the consumer lifestyles that provide us with easy, cheap access … [Read more...] about The Cycle of Discarding
Education: The Key to a Sustainable Future
by Courtney Cohen Society has made great strides to improve modern medicine, communication, and technology, but in the process, we have lost our innate connection with the natural world. Early environmentalists like Thoreau and Pinchot warned society that they were falling prey to capitalism and industrialization, and that we must preserve the fragile bond between humankind … [Read more...] about Education: The Key to a Sustainable Future
Decolonizing America for a Sustainable Future
by Maison Allen What if Europeans never settled in North America? Would the land in this country have remained unharmed? Would the environment be in better condition than it is today? Unlike colonists, the Native people did not treat the Earth as a consumable good. While there is no way to answer these questions, taking a look at the way Indigenous people lived … [Read more...] about Decolonizing America for a Sustainable Future