So, It’s Thanksgiving. This time serves as a moment to slow down our busy lives, be with family, and recollect on what we are thankful for. This Thanksgiving especially, Sc3 has not left my mind when thinking about things I am grateful for. I am so fortunate to still be connected to many of my close friends from Sc3 after two years. They never fail to ... more

This episode of Chef’s Table (found on Netflix) discussed the idea of cooking in the world that we live in today through the lens of Dan Barber, the head chef of the Blue Hill Restaurants in Hudson Valley, New York (Stone Hill Farm) and in New York City. Dan is described as the ‘modern chef’ of our day and age and he thinks about not only how to feed his customers, but what experience they have when they come to his restaurant and what impact the food they eat there has on the rest of their life. Dan sees food from not only an artistic culinary view, but also through an ethical and biological view, asking: what is the responsibility we are supposed to have with the food we consume and how are we supposed to use the Earth? more

Living as an environmentalist in a wasteful world can be at worst incredibly frustrating and at best rewarding and full of opportunities for improvement. I am frustrated constantly by the prevalence of single-use plastic and the normalcy of living in a society that creates such excessive waste. Sometimes, this frustration fuels the initiation of a passionate solution-oriented action plan. Other times, the overwhelming wastefulness inspires bitter ranting, long, guilt-filled showers, and binge-eating vegan desserts. On one of the more productive occasions, I turned my rage into a letter to the CEO of Hilton. Due to the fact that my dad is a Hilton Honors member, I realized that Hilton hotels give out two complimentary plastic water bottles to each of their honors guests. Upon noticing this, I pointed the issue out to my dad and began one of my rants about single-use plastic, the horrors of Nestle, etcetera. My dad, as usual, stopped my rant and cleverly redirected my anger toward the idea of writing a letter to Hilton about the issue. Together we brainstormed about alternatives for the plastic water bottles, and after some thought and research, I finished writing this letter to the CEO of Hilton. more

Before walking into Ten Thousand Villages, signs ensured purchases in the store were a communal and moral claim. Quotes such as:  “You’re preserving artistic traditions” “Come check out what they've been working on!” and “For the Mindful” filled their window. Does this store know how to be sustainable? In other words, do they support the needs of the  community -equitably, economically and environmentally- while supporting the needs of the future inhabitants of the system?  I talked to a spunky Junior from the University of Vermont who works at the shop on Church Street part-time. He said the problem is “we live in a bubble,” our minds never think about the effects of being a consumer-which is why he loves to work for Ten Thousand Villages. Products, their makers, and getting a product to the consumer, affect the greater world we live in. In these three areas, I found that Ten Thousand Villages gives its best effort to make this process sustainable. more

At Princeton Day School, there is a plethora of clubs and groups created with the sole intention to nurture and further enhance the passions of the student body. One such organization is EnAct, or Environmental Action club, which is one of the oldest clubs on campus.     more

As the twenty-first century continues on, the effects of climate change drastically alter the planet’s conditions, making it less habitable. Polluting the air with more emissions furthers the greenhouse effect that heats up the planet. While a majority of the greenhouse gases that are released stay in the air to continue the greenhouse effect, a large chunk of these gases, approximately twenty-six percent of emissions each year, are absorbed by the oceans. Ocean life has existed for a much longer period than human life, and roughly seventy-one percent of the earth's surface is covered with water. However, in our world today, scientists are in agreement that we are amidst a sixth mass extinction whose cause is anthropogenic. Meaning that humans are the cause and catalyst for the environmental destruction, extinction of wildlife, and loss of biodiversity that is occurring across the globe.       more

Each fall, Kenyon College’s sole dining hall, Peirce Hall, has a full stock of bowls, dishes, cutlery, and most notably, Peirce cups. The Peirce cups and their tendency to disappear from the dining hall are something of a long-running joke among students. During orientation, upperclassmen beg the freshmen not to thieve the cups during a spirited series of skits, and clubs on campus sell buttons that read “bring our boys home” with a picture of the famous red cup, in the early days of the spring semester. Despite these efforts, at the same point each year-- around mid-April-- there are just not enough cups to go around. more

April 22nd, Earth Day, serves as a time for people everywhere to pay attention to the world around them and take action towards preserving our planet for the future. Schools across New Jersey celebrate Earth Day by educating their students on the importance of being conscious of their impacts on the environment. For example, in elementary school, students are taught about the “3 Rs” (reduce, reuse, recycle) to help them live more sustainably.       As an environmental activist, I sought to take action on a day that is regarded by many as the epitome of environmental protection, Earth Day. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has established the week surrounding Earth Day to be known as the Environmental Education Week in New Jersey. The environmental concepts and ideas introduced in classrooms during this period are designed to go more in depth and to last more than just one day. This year, with the help of many along the way, including Tanya Oznowich at the Department of Environmental Protection, I drafted a proclamation to promote education on environmental sustainability in schools across New Jersey. Once it was brought to the governor's office, this proclamation was signed and put into effect by the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy.      The proclamation served to further advance actions that were being taken to promote Earth Day and sustainability in New Jersey. At the same time, it helped me learn more about myself and my passions in the field of environmental policy. I was able to further my skills as an activist and take action on a larger scale, this time at the governor's office. more

By preaching about anything controversial, you are bound to receive criticism. Often this criticism can be constructive and valid if it is received properly and offered with good intentions. Throughout my growth as an environmental activist, I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by other like-minded leaders. In observing the habits of others, I am always noticing ways that I can improve my own habits to more closely fit the ideals that I am trying to convince others to take on. more

In 2015, my family (wife, three childr en and myself) began the Mother Earth Project, MEP, ( www.MotherEarthProject.org ) a global environment-saving initiative, which creates and activates sustainable communities around the world. There are presently four Mother Earth sculptures in major cities worldwide, with another 30 countries ... more

From August through May, teachers work extra hard to help their students grasp new concepts and develop effective study habits. It’s demanding work and by the end of the school year everyone’s ready for a break. But for many teachers, the need to continue generating income continues. Teaching is a calling, a personally rewarding profession but it ... more

On March 1, the importance of food from field to fork was highlighted during the first annual Food Justice Summit in upstate New York. Here farmers struggled to understand why their work isn’t considered a public service. more

Microfibers may be small, but their effects sure aren’t. In fact, they’re probably the environmental issue you knew nothing about: more

Coal: the main source of energy we humans have been using for hundreds of years. Cavemen used it for warmth, Native Americans used it to cook and make clay pots, and both the union and confederacy used it to make weapons in the American civil war. For almost as long as man has existed, coal has been right there along with him. It has produced many progressive achievements and failures, but also the demise of our green Earth. Coal, when burned, is incredibly harmful to the environment, let's find out why.   more

The third annual Sustainability Through Student Voices conference took place Saturday, April 14th at The Town School in New York City. This conference is unique in that it is the result of a year-long close collaboration between students and teachers. It is designed to empower students, teachers, administrators, and parents to implement systemic ... more

On May 12th, the second annual Student Climate Conference was held at Princeton Day School. The program was complete with presentations by students, a fair with stands from environmental nonprofits, outdoor activities, and the Keynote Speaker: Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya von Rossum. The aim of this program was to inform and motivate youth in the area on environmental sustainability.        more

I want my environmentalist rage and the rage of every environmentalist reading this to be more frequently put to good use. In my most recent blog, I shared a letter that I had written to the CEO of Hilton. This letter was a call to action that highlighted the economic and ecological inefficiency of investing in single-use plastic water bottles. I’ve created a template and tips below that will hopefully aid you in productively utilizing your societal frustrations. Solution-oriented mindsets are all that we need to make a difference. By tactfully proposing sustainable and economically advantageous alternatives to the managers and CEOs of waste-producing businesses, we can voice our desire as consumers to see sustainable practices put in place and spark consideration for environmental conscientiousness by tackling one issue at a time. I hope this letter template provides inspiration, guidance, and a vessel for your righteous environmentalist frustrations. Be creative, be bold, and the next time you see something wasteful, start writing. more

The 2018 Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival marked the 49th year anniversary of Santa Barbara hosting earth day celebrations. Some of the first ever Earth day festivities originated in Santa Barbara after the 1969 oil spill which, at the time, was the largest in the nation’s history. Today, the Santa Barbara Earth Day festival commemorates this devastating spill by reminding people to rethink their habits and their relationship with the planet. For most of the years that the festival has been around, it has been organized by the Community Environmental Council . The CEC formed in 1970 also in response to the oil spill and has been a major force in pushing for environmental regulations and sustainability initiatives in the Santa Barbara community with campaigns such as “Skip the Straw SB for the Sea.” The organization has visited Dos Pueblos High School on numerous occasions and was a driving force in helping install reusable water bottle stations with their program, “Rethink the Drink.” Kathi King, CEC Director of Outreach and Education, proudly discussed Earth Day Festival has grown extremely successful and is now one of the largest and longest-running Earth Day festivals on the west coast. more

Zambia is among the top ten countries in the world facing high levels of deforestation. 70% of the population lives in rural areas where they depend on charcoal and firewood for lighting and cooking. Children walk long distances to search for firewood because forests have diminished, by the time they retrieve the firewood, they are too tired or late to ... more

In the 2018 Green Cup Challenge, students encouraged resource conservation and waste reduction through positive messaging and a little fun competition. The students’ creativity was evident in their incredible videos and innovative education initiatives. Great job everyone! more