[The following is taken from the Introduction to the interns’ report.] — Scroll to bottom of page for PDF files — Rethinking the Food System The current food system is one of the largest contribu- tors to global climate change and environmental destruction. Agriculture emits one third of global greenhouse emissions and consumes 70% of our freshwater … [Read more...] about Rethinking the Food System – Keys to a Strong School Wellness Policy
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.
Food
Go to our main page on Sustainable Food Systems to find resources for impacts on soil, the environment, and health, campus food, and more.
Also see: Healthy Food for Healthy Communities
Renewing our Relationship With Food — Healing Ourselves, the Earth, and the Climate
Allison Ludlow Editors’ Note: This essay is taken from Allison’s internship report on rethinking the food system. As I sit at the dining-room table with my extended family for a celebratory gathering, I take a moment to observe the scene. What I immediately notice is that we rarely consider the meaning of eating together, and we do not reflect upon the hands that … [Read more...] about Renewing our Relationship With Food — Healing Ourselves, the Earth, and the Climate
SLV 2023 Notes from the Editors
Notes from the Editors As we publish our 25th issue of this booklet, we’d like to pause and note a few changes along the way. In 2004, we started out with the first directory of organizations in the Lehigh Valley that promote sustainable communities. That first issue included a handful of opinion pieces, and we soon realized that a platform for others’ voices was an … [Read more...] about SLV 2023 Notes from the Editors
We Need to Switch to Regenerative Organic Agriculture Now
Max Fern From water quality to climate change, how we treat our farmland affects so much of the environment around us. Agricultural chemicals run off into waterways, creating dead zones that strip marine ecosystems of life and poison the water that we drink – these same chemicals also destroy beneficial insect communities and weaken the food chains of the pollinators … [Read more...] about We Need to Switch to Regenerative Organic Agriculture Now
Soil Carbon Sequestration
Rodale Institute has done amazing work with development of organic growing not only for health but as a solution to the climate emergency. Regenerative Organic Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution [PDF, 21 pages] Regenerative Organic Agriculture and the Soil CarbonSolution Fact Sheet [PDF, 2 pages] … [Read more...] about Soil Carbon Sequestration
20/20 Vision: Eyes On Hunger
To make the slides larger, try having your browser zoom in (Ctrl+ on Windows, ⌘+ on a Mac). Alternatively, download the PDF version of Sustainable Lehigh Valley so you can view with complete control. A collaboration of Easton Hunger Coalition, Nurture Nature Center, and nine high-school artists. … [Read more...] about 20/20 Vision: Eyes On Hunger
Education for Sustainability
Kermit O A question I’ve always disliked when meeting people in professional or even casual spaces is: “What do you do?” Because where should I start? Like all of us, I wear many hats: I’m a graduate student, an orchard intern, an aspiring community educator, a writer, a life partner, a brother, son, and uncle, among other things. But the subtext of that question, of course, … [Read more...] about Education for Sustainability
Regenerative Agriculture Is a Win-Win-Win Climate Solution
An excerpt from the Executive Summary: The way we manage agricultural land matters. It matters to people, it matters to our society, and it matters to the climate.… This paper is not merely a revisiting of the problem or yet another dire report on the state of our planetary health. It is not another “wake up call” asking the reader to pay attention to the science or the … [Read more...] about Regenerative Agriculture Is a Win-Win-Win Climate Solution
Food for Thought
by Hannah Provost & Jessica Levy Many people and organizations in the Lehigh Valley are chipping away at the unsustainable industrialized food system that undermines our health, the climate, and a sustainable future. Their efforts are improving food education, expanding access, supporting local farmers, and more. Fresh, sustainably-grown local food means food … [Read more...] about Food for Thought
Food Waste in Bethlehem
by Elijah Zemsky Food waste in our country has devastating and lasting effects on the environment and our communities. The food supply chain pumps unneeded food into homes and businesses, then completely mismanages the waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 40 million tons of food are produced in America every year, and 40% of that — 16 million … [Read more...] about Food Waste in Bethlehem