by Bridgette Stegman and Delaney Malloy
While society continues to endure the challenges of a global pandemic, the University of Cincinnati still wants its students to engage in academics and extracurricular activities, even if we can’t yet meet face to face. That is why UC Sustainability has put together a calendar chock-full of awesome virtual events that you can attend from the comfort of your couch! Even while we are social distancing, it is so important to continue to learn about how to be sustainable citizens of the Earth and do our part to take care of our community. Read the rest of this article to learn about the highlights of this semester’s events that you can participate in.
One thing to note about this semester is that each month, we will be basing our events around different sustainability themes! The events for that month will cover an aspect of this theme so that we can learn about a diverse array of environmental issues throughout the semester. We are excited to explore this new setup with you! The themes this semester are:
January: Regenerative Agriculture
February: Social/Environmental Justice
March: Sustainable Fashion
April: Renewable Energy
Types of Events:
Films - This semester, we are hosting our films a bit differently than in years past. Instead of watching a sustainability-themed film together, we are asking participants to watch the film on their own time before we meet for an hour-long discussion where we can delve into an engaging discussion about the film. We will often also ask experts in the topic of the film to come and be part of the conversation. These discussions will be held over virtual webex meetings. Our films typically consist of documentaries from blockbusters like Before the Flood to much smaller independent films and always have something unique to offer.
Lectures - Lectures are led by experts in certain fields with some speakers from all over the country sharing their expertise. These lectures will go along with the theme of the month and will be held over virtual webex meetings. This is a great way to learn about topics from experts and get a chance to ask them your burning questions!
Environmental Literacy Sessions - Environmental literacy sessions are typically held a few times a semester and involve presentations from our sustainability coordinators, Daniel Hart and Erin Lefever. These sessions are designed to teach participants about different aspects of sustainability, such as community engagement. These sessions count as credits toward the Environmental Literacy Certificate (a great resume booster), but are good to attend if you are simply interested in learning more about sustainability at UC!
PACES Meetings - Finally, the simplest way to connect what you’re already doing sustainably with the greater community here at the university is to attend our PACES Meeting. PACES stands for the President's Advisory Council on the Environment and Sustainability. At these meetings we always offer information about what the office is doing around the university and upcoming events, while allowing for different student organizations like Clean Up Cincy or the Ornithology Club to share their own plans and needs! PACES meetings are on the second-to-last Wednesday’s of the month and will be held over virtual webex meetings.
Monthly Highlights
January:
January’s monthly theme was Regenerative Agriculture. While January’s events have all passed at the time this article was written, we encourage you to consider watching the film “Kiss the Ground” (available on Netflix) about the benefits of regenerative agriculture over modern-day industrial agriculture. We were able to get a great conversation going about this topic during our discussion, and we encourage you to learn more about regenerative agriculture and how to support farms that operate under this nature!
February:
This February, UC Sustainability is hosting a multitude of events centered around the month’s theme; Social/Environmental Justice.
One of these events is a Film Discussion with AACRC, the African American Cultural and Resource Center at UC. These film discussions allow students, staff, and faculty to dive into that month’s sustainability topic, and gives everyone a great excuse to eat popcorn! These will be held via webex.
March:
The monthly theme for this March is Sustainable Fashion! We will be exploring the dangers of fast fashion vs how to engage with sustainable clothing. To go along with the theme, our monthly film will be River Blue which will be accompanied by an hour-long discussion over webex. This film, starring Mark Angelo, follows him on a trip as he visits rivers around the globe, eventually revealing information on the dangers of the fast fashion industry and its negative impacts on ecosystems around the world.
Also this month we will be hosting a lecture called Communication and Climate Change over webex as well as Environmental Literacy Session 3, split up into two parts (one at the beginning and one at the end of the month), so be sure to attend so you can work towards your environmental literacy certificate!
April:
In our last month on campus, UCS is holding many events including film discussions, lectures, and the Sustainability Awards Ceremony.
The lecture this month is focused on the topic of Climate Policy in accompaniment with our April theme of Renewable Energy. Lectures are held by experts and speakers, allowing for participants to widen their view on the topic presented. This will also be held via webex.
Also during April the Sustainability Awards Ceremony will be held, awarding one staff, student, and faculty member for their outstanding efforts contributing to sustainability in their own lives, communities, and on UC’s campus. You can vote for a deserving candidate by clicking this link: campuslink.uc.edu/organization/sustainability