David Orr, Campus Sustainability, STEPS and the Library
I thought today might be a good day, as spring is in the air and people are wearing green for St. Patty’s day, to talk about some environmental programs at the library. In the fall, Linderman hosted the exhibit “Environmental STEPS: Environmental Action and Education at Lehigh.” I noticed students really looking at the walls outside of Lucy’s cafe, which had photos of Lehigh students holding up a white board with an environmental message. The photos were from our student environmental group, Green Action, who took the pictures as part of a photo-petition to send to our U.S. senators. They graciously loaned the images for the exhibit, and Lehigh students had a good time seeing their friends up on our library walls. We also displayed images from the Environmental Photo competition sponsored by Environmental Initiative. There were some really gorgeous shots, with winners selected during the Earth Day celebration in April 2010. We showcased materials from Sharon Friedman in journalism, who worked on the media coverage of Three Mile Island; Earth and Environmental Sciences objects and articles; rare and unique items from our Special Collections; and materials from the Wildlands Conservancy, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, and other local environmental groups. Check out our online exhibit to get a taste of the environmental action here at Lehigh.
On March 31st, David Orr, a nationally recognized environmental educator and advocate for sustainability, will be speaking at Lehigh in celebration of the official dedication of the STEPS building. David is well known among those in the campus sustainability movement and environmental activism. His talk, “Black Swans and the Challenge of Resilience,” is on the role of national security and sustainability on the domestic front. Join us at 4:10 at the Scheler Humanities Forum (Linderman 200) on March 31st. David will also be signing 2 of his books, sold at a discounted price. David’s talk is sponsored by the Friends of the Lehigh Libraries; Department of Political Science; Environmental Initiative; The Visiting Lecturers Committee; Science, Technology, and Society Program; and the Office of Facilities Services and Campus Planning-Sustainability Coordinator.
Finally, for Lehigh students who want to talk informally with David on campus sustainability, the Science, Technology, and Society Program is sponsoring a FREE lunch at 12 at the Scheler Humanities Forum (Linderman 200) on March 31st. Register here. Space is limited!
Want to see a snippet of David Orr in action? Watch his “This I Believe”: