by Eli Zemsky Food waste in our country has devastating lasting effects on the environment and on American communities. Our food supply chain pumps an extreme amount of unneeded food into homes and businesses, then completely mismanages the waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that up to 40% of the 40 million tons of food produced in America each year … [Read more...] about Food Waste in Bethlehem
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
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
Sustainable Food for Thought
by Eirlys Chui As times are changing, so are the trends we see in today’s food system. People are growing interested in natural, organic, locally sourced, and sustainable food. They are exploring dietary selections such as vegetarian and vegan options that benefit personal health and that of the environment. Yet there are also arising obstacles—environmental degradation, … [Read more...] about Sustainable Food for Thought
Go Organic and Bring the Farm to You
by Margaret Wilson Have you ever wondered what it really means to go organic? Regenerative organic agriculture is more than just a trend — it’s a method of farming that respects and works with nature. Organic farming relies on natural principles and techniques, as opposed to synthetic chemicals and pesticides, to produce healthy and abundant food. Organic farms go … [Read more...] about Go Organic and Bring the Farm to You
Solutions Lie in Soil
by Rebecca Canright Farmers often hold the most intimate knowledge of what’s good for the land. At the same time, farming has historically had a less-than-lovely impact upon wild ecosystems. How can we farm in ways that partner with Earth’s natural systems and reverse climate change? Well, we can look to our indigenous brothers and sisters who have practiced small-scale … [Read more...] about Solutions Lie in Soil
Dollar Meals and Diabetes
Elizabeth Oram Logan County, West Virginia was the epicenter of the final battle of the “mine wars” of the 20th century: the Battle of Blair Mountain. In 1921, thousands of miners—white, black and immigrant—stood together and took up arms against the forces of state and corporate terror that held them hostage in coal country. They were proud workers and they knew they … [Read more...] about Dollar Meals and Diabetes
Save the Bees (& all pollinators)
The 5 best steps Lehigh Valley homeowners can take to increase pollinator populations. Our reliance on pollinators as a human race should not be understated—one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of them. In the United States, honey bees and wild bees contribute $20 billion each to agriculture and industries that depend on agriculture. But pollinators are … [Read more...] about Save the Bees (& all pollinators)
Sustainability Practices for Cafés & Restaurants
→ Executive Summary Introduction We live in a world filled with concerns about climate change, food and health, pollution and degradation of the environment, and other aspects of sustainability. Unfortunately, the problems are growing at exponential rates. When we look at the causes, it becomes clear that many of our current practices cause or contribute to the problems. … [Read more...] about Sustainability Practices for Cafés & Restaurants
Sustainability Practices for Cafés and Restaurants
[See link at bottom to download the full report] Executive Summary We live in a world filled with concerns about climate change, food and health, and other factors critical for sustainability, and these problems are growing at exponential rates. We all need to take action to prevent these problems from spiraling out of control, including taking a close look at our … [Read more...] about Sustainability Practices for Cafés and Restaurants
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