by Gary Olson The title is a riff on James Carville’s disingenuous (and stupid) phrase from 1992 when he was Bill Clinton’s campaign director. Carville’s pithy quip, “It’s the economy, stupid,” became the campaign’s de facto slogan. It functioned as a clever ruse to help Clinton beat Bush by pandering to workers and creating the impression that his policies would actually … [Read more...] about “No. It’s Capitalism, Stupid.”
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.
Voices of the Valley
The Voices of the Valley category includes work by members of the Lehigh Valley community.
You can access Voices of the Valley essays that were published in the Alliance’s Sustainable Lehigh Valley booklet (listed by year published) or via the alphabetic list of authors, which also includes items published online and in Left Turn.
You can also search for individual essays (& other content) by category or tag.
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
A Student’s Struggle with Action
by Carter Humola The world is rapidly approaching a tipping point, the likes of which the human race has never experienced before. This breaking point will not come with the tolling of bells nor will it be televised; rather, the day will come as any other. We will start our vehicles, eat processed meat, and plug in our electronic devices. But there will be a catastrophic … [Read more...] about A Student’s Struggle with Action
The Environment, the Beauty Industry, and the Responsibility of Women
by Sakura Shinjo We generally understand today that we need to cut our consumption of fossil fuels: we must end the use of plastics in our foods; we should try to make more responsible decisions in transportation; however, some of these issues are more easily tackled than others. Millions live in food deserts where the question of healthy foods cannot yet be asked. And … [Read more...] about The Environment, the Beauty Industry, and the Responsibility of Women
Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
by Bruce Wilson Climate Change can lead to a feeling of helplessness, but we have all the tools we need to make a difference; we just need to use them! Last year four environmental leaders, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Bill Mckibben of 350.org, Steve Nadal of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and Paul Hawken, editor of … [Read more...] about Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
Solutions—Not More Problems
by Stephen Hoog Many years ago, I began studying the Macrobiotic way of living and eating which was embedded in a comprehensive world view. Fundamental to the philosophy was the idea of life force or chi energy. Every food we ate had not only a nutritional effect but an energetic effect as well. Each type of cooking or preparation had a different effect and each type of fuel … [Read more...] about Solutions—Not More Problems
Regenerative Community Justice
by Nandini Sikand The quality and concept of “regenerativity” is relevant to current debates in the fields of environmental studies and criminal justice,1 and central to understanding the concept of “sustainability” in both. The difference between “sustainability” and “regenerativity” is that sustainability focuses on the maintenance of an existing … [Read more...] about Regenerative Community Justice
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
Cultural Sustainability
by Jenna Ashton Winton "What’s that?” is the most common question I’m asked when I tell people I work in cultural sustainability. My go-to explanation is “It’s supporting communities in maintaining their collective cultural identity during times of crisis or great change.” Cultural sustainability practices retain the social resources of a community’s unique local knowledge … [Read more...] about Cultural Sustainability