sustainability


Environmental Soc students visit Covanta facility

IMG_1866As part of our focus on waste and environmental pollution, my environmental sociology class toured Covanta’s Babylon facility. This is a waste-to-energy facility that produces enough energy to light one in three houses in Babylon. The site is located on an old landfill that polluted the groundwater. As part of their contract with the city, Covanta cleans the contaminated water and uses the clean water to operate their equipment. After a technical lecture about their operations, our guide took us around the facility and we even braved the room where the trash is sorted.

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Campus event: Film screening of “Food Chains”

food chains campus posterWith support from Sustainable Post and the Sociology department, Sarah Pomerenke and I showed the film “Food Chains” at LIU Post. This event is part of a semester long campus focus on food and waste issues. As a graduate intern with Aramark, Sarah has worked on sustainable campus food issues. I was inspired to show this film on campus after viewing it at a community event hosted by Rural Migrant Ministries. This organization loaned us photography from the movie. We displayed these photos at the film screening and at other events on campus.

 

Food Chains flyer

 


Campus event: Sustainability & Food

sustainable food flyerOn November 17, 2015, we hosted a well attended event with SLOW Food organizer and chef, Bhavani Jaroff, and Aramark Sustainability Director Matthew Thompson. While they were approaching the issue with different solutions, they both spoke about the importance of student involvement and consumer awareness. They identified the importance of eating local and the problems of mass production. Students interested in campus food issues can contact me, Prof. Scott Carlin, or Sarah Pomerenke at LIU Post. We also encourage you to attend the Sustainable Post meetings. And don’t forget about the Sociology of Food course this Spring 2016!