Sustainable Holiday Gift Idea

I came across a new small business we thought we’d bring to your attention: bittle D, a t-shirt company that designs and sells original slim-fit t-shirts, sources only 100% organic cotton (which is actually really rare!), certified by the Organic Exchange. Cotton accounts for 2.4% of the world’s croplands, yet cotton farming is responsible for 24% of global insecticide sales (WWF Global). Because cotton is such a water-intensive crop, the input of insecticides and pesticides poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of communities and ecosystems depending on freshwater ecosystems (and clean air), that become polluted with the excessive chemicals applied to cotton crops. Bittle-d is also a local business, run in New York City, and produced in New Jersey. Check out bittle-d.com for cute women’s t-shirts!

And, if you have any crafty ideas for gifts, please let us know in the comments, or in an email to barnardecoreps@gmail.com (we’ll make it an EcoRep event!). In the meantime, I’ll be trying to make some jewelry out of hardware…

Happy Holidays!

Emily

Tomorrow: EcoReps SUPER Potluck: The City Dark!

Join the Barnard EcoReps for some noshing and a viewing of the amazing new documentary THE CITY DARK, followed by discussion. Just bring a plate and spork and the EcoReps will bring the food! The event will be held tomorrow, Monday, December 12 in Sulzberger South Tower (the 17th Floor of Sulzberger) at 5:30PM. Afterwards, join us with Summer Ash of the Columbia Astronomy Department, as she shows us the night sky from the telescopes and observatory on the roof of Pupin Hall!

THE CITY DARK is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky. It premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music. After moving to light-polluted New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks: “Do we need the dark?” Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawai’i, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, philosophers, lighting designers, and historians, including Barnard’s own Professor William Sharpe, THE CITY DARK is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars.

We look forward to seeing you there!

STAR-GAZING!

After the screening, join us at Pupin Hall for an amazing glimpse of the stars above! We will be heading over to Pupin directly after our movie discussion tomorrow, but if you can’t make it to the sceening, feel free to join us on the 13th floor of Pupin Hall at 7:30PM.  Summer Ash, of the Columbia Astonomy Department, will take us on a special tour of the rooftop observatory!

A special thanks to Summer and Columbia Astronomy Outreach for making this event possible!

Intellectual Ecology

Toted as “a step to open the conversation” on how Columbia handles the discourse and actions of environmental relations, the Concerned Columbian achieves just that. Packed with information as well as eloquent critique, Volume 1 of the student-run publication is worth a peruse. (available online and to download as PDF)

Dear Prospective Ecos,

Thank you for applying to be an EcoRep! We are currently processing your applications and look forward to meeting you all within the next few weeks.
Keep an eye on your email for more information from us. Until then hope you enjoy this beautiful fall!

Thanks and EcoLoves,
The EcoReps

Hiring Deadline Extended!

The deadline to apply to be a Barnard EcoRep has been extended!  You now have until November 9th at noon to submit your app.  Find it HERE.

The Buzz about Bees!

Imagine a world without honeybees. Honeybees do much more than just make honey. One third of the U.S. diet depends on honeybee pollination. Honeybees provide 80% of pollination for vegetable, fruit, seed and flower crops. They also pollinate the forage crops fed to dairy and meat animals. A world without honeybees would be a world without food!

Last year, New York City’s Board of health unanimously voted to amend the health code to allow residents to keep hives of Apis mellifera, the common, nonaggressive honeybee.

Want to learn more? Come join us for our second EcoRep Potluck of the semester.
- Taste test different types of honey
- Eat honey-based foods
- Talk about everything honeybee!

As always, bring a plate and fork and the EcoReps will bring the food!

Monday, October 17 at 7:00 PM in The Hive (formerly Altschul Atrium).

BEE there or BEE square!

We’re Hiring!

Do you love the environment?  Have a knack for education?  Work well in groups?  If you answered yes to these questions, you might just be a great addition to the EcoReps!  We are currently looking for three lovely Barnard ladies to apply for a Spring 2012 position, and we’d love to read YOUR application.  You can access it HERE.  Please fill out the document digitally and submit it to ecoreps@barnard.edu by October 31st at 11:59 p.m.     

First EcoRep POTLUCK of the Year!!!

The first EcoRep potluck will take place on Monday, September 26 from 7PM to 8PM in Room 327 in Milbank Hall.

Want to discuss interesting environmental issues? Or maybe just eat a really great home-cooked meal (that’s also local and seasonal… and FREE)? Come to monthly EcoRep potlucks for some snack and chat!

This month, in the spirit of moving in with our giant Bed Bath and Beyond bags, we will be examining the life cycle of plastic. We are also happy to host Columbia/Barnard EarthCo to enlighten us about NYC’s Bag the Bag campaign.

Please bring your open mind and own silverware, plate, and your plastic bags!!!

MOVING PLANET

On Saturday, September 24th, something big is happening in Manhattan.

MOVING PLANET: rally to move beyond fossil fuels

 

 

 

 

The goal is to get moving beyond fossil fuels—both symbolically by pouring into the streets in the thousands on foot, bicycle and other means of sustainable movement, and politically by bringing powerful demands to our leaders that day to move beyond fossil fuels to a 350ppm world. Mobilizing for individual and community solutions will continue to be important—but one of the main goals for Moving Planet is to demand government action, especially in places where governments are stalling on climate action despite the overwhelming urgency of the science.

In this great opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our movement to both US and world leaders we will rally at United Nations’ Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in Manhattan. We’ll be joined by Vice President Hassan of the Maldives, top climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, a delegation of indigenous leaders from around the world, and local climate leaders like Colin Beavan (“No Impact Man”).

The rally will be held on September 24 at 2:00PM at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, on 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.

Hope to see you there!

For more information, go to: http://www.moving-planet.org/

 

For those of you who are feeling adventurous….

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

The Visitor Center at Newtown Creek and the Poop Project are hosting a Fall Speaker Series tonight on Urban Farming as part of their Fall Speaker Series. Guest speakers will include “Annie Novak, who feeds Greenpoint from the Eagle Street Rooftop Farms and teaches urbanites where their food comes from. Dr. Dickson Despommier whose vision, The Vertical Farms, would enable cities to feed themselves from skyscrapers. Inger Staggs Yancey from Brooklyn Greenroof, using thirsty plants to transform city roofs into ecological mega-machines.”

The event is from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Visitor Center at Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. For directions and more information click here!