About this blog:

"A Sustainable UW-Eau Claire" was created to promote sustainability initiatives happening on our campus and in cooperation with the community of Eau Claire. Contributors from various parts of the University that are advancing sustainability initiatives post to the blog. Its goals: nurture community and create connections to coordinate the important work that improves our place on the planet--here on the banks of the Chippewa River.


October 27, 2011

Vanishing of the Bees

When you think of a bee, what comes to mind? Honey? Spelling? Winnie the Pooh? Bees are an important part of our livelihood. Each day, one hive can pollinate over a hundred thousand flowers. Approximately one third of the food we eat today is pollinated by bees. So where would exactly would we be without them?

Vanishing of the Bees focuses on this problem—more specifically—a hive death disorder called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). All over the world, bees have begun to vanish from their hives, resulting in a hive death. They leave no corpses or trails, only the queen and a few young. Quite simply, they vanish. Recent studies have pointed to "systemic" pesticides as the possible cause of CCD. Systemic pesticides are applied in a few different ways and are designed to be long-lasting. Crops are dusted and some seeds are treated to grow with the pesticide embedded. Over time, the soil harbors more and more of the chemical, adding to the sub-lethal dose of the pesticides. Bees gather the pesticide and take it back to the hive by way of the pollen and nectar they gather, where it is made into honey and wax. The effects of the pesticides are not immediate. It may take six months for the hive to experience a hive death. This time gap has led to problems in determining the exact and immediate causes.

Fifteen years ago in France, similar hive deaths were occurring. Because of protests by bee-keepers, the government banned the systemic pesticide Gaucho, manufactured by Bayer. Recently in the United States, the National Resources Defense Council sued the Environmental Protection Agency (the group responsible for determining the effects of pesticides) for information regarding the Bayer data on Gaucho. (The FDA does not conduct the studies themselves; rather, the manufacturer provides all the required data.) For the most part, bees had only been tested for immediate effects (1-3 days after exposure). As a result, Gaucho was banned by the federal court.

Without bees, we cannot hope to produce the types of food we do now. Already, 75% of the food we consume is imported, and 95% is treated with pesticides. With no pollination to aid the growth of edible plants, we would have to rely completely on imported goods. Not only would this raise the price, it would also lower the available amount of food. The bees have a major indirect effect on our livelihood and health. Without them, we have little hope of a sustainable living.

October 19, 2011

Forks Over Knives- A palatable solution


Forks Over Knives was a very inspirational film and this film series Food For Thought is great opportunity to network with like-minded folks from the community. If you were unable to attend, here are some photos. Enjoy!









Our menu was diverse and delicious including zucchini boats, watermelon, cinnamon baked apples, fresh apples from Hillview Farm Orchard, a pesto bar, local bread, tasty cheese from Castle Rock Organic Farms, corn on the cob, apple cider and much more. Other local donations were from Just Local Food, Foodlums, Haas Brothers and Blugold Dining by Sedexo.






Many more opportunities to enjoy films, food and new friends are ahead. Here is the poster for the Food For Thought Film Series.





October 16, 2011

Forks Over Knives

Get your sporks and chopsticks ready because we’ve just kicked off an eight week film series that’s all about, you guessed it, food! The first film was shown in the Davies Center at UW—Eau Claire on Tuesday evening and was followed by a community member discussion. Forks Over Knives is the first of eight free showings alternating between Menomonie and Eau Claire. Each will feature a community speaker, specializing in the topic of the film.

Forks Over Knives focuses on the subject of replacing the animal-protein rich American diet with a whole foods plant-based diet in order to prevent, and often times reverse, the effects of heart disease, diabetes, and various types of cancer. The film features research and practices from Dr. Esselstyn, a heart surgery specialist, and Dr. Colin Campbell, primary researcher and author of The China Study. Based on individual and nation-wide studies, these two researchers have found that food is the best medicine for the now common diseases and cancers plaguing societies whose diet is based largely on animal protein. Many of the eighteen patients given to Dr. Esselstyn were told that they should prepare for death. After being placed on a strict, whole foods plant-based diet, all eighteen patients survived the first twelve years of the study. At the time of the documentary release, fourteen were still alive and reported more energy than they even had at a young age.

After watching the film, I’m truly amazed and convinced that nutrition should be the basis for my own well-being. I remain slightly skeptical and I’m determined to try the vegan diet for myself. In the mean time, if you missed out on the film I defiantly recommend you watch it for yourself.

October 12, 2011

"Food For Thought" Success!

The Food For Thought Film Series kicked off last night with the first film at UWEC, Forks Over Knives. The movie shed light on the remarkable abilities whole foods and a plant-based diet can have on degenerative diseases.

Forks Over Knives follows two doctors on their separate but similar paths to promote and prove that food can be medicine, that eating a whole foods plant-based diet can and should be used as treatment for degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and different types of cancer. The film illuminated the preconceived notion that animal-based foods are essential to the human diet, a message embedded in our society for generations. With careful examination of the research conducted by Dr. T Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Forks Over Knives exposed the harsh realities processed food and an animal-based diet have on the human body.

Before viewing the film, people gathered in the Council Fire Room in Davies to enjoy some delicious free food provided by Hillview Farms, Just Local Food, Foodlums, Haas Brothers, Castle Rock, and Blugold Dining & Sodexo. With full bellies and eager ears, the audience waited and watched as Forks Over Knives challenged our society's beliefs about food. After the film finished and the screen turned black, a variety of Guest Speakers took the stage for a panel discussion. The discussion continues on the film's website ForksOverKnives.com.

The Food For Though Film Series is presented by F.R.E.S.H. in partnership with UWEC- Student Office of Sustainability, Sustainable Stout, and the Ally Center. To join in on the food and fun, check out the Food For Thought Facebook page, where you can find the film schedule and additional information!

Yesterday at AASHE!

Yesterday, I saw a plenary session given by David Orr, and the students saw the President of the United States! What a day. Later on, we all saw a plenary talk by Sandra Steingraber, the author of Living Downstream, a great book and soon to be a movie. A few of us had a chance to talk science with her about hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction, a massive environmental problem... Check out the link (www.livingdownstream.com) for the book/movie!

An exciting day

Yesterday, I saw a plenary session given by David Orr, and the students saw the President of the United States! What a day. Later on, we all saw a plenary talk by Sandra Steingraber, the author of Living Downstream, a great book and soon to be a movie. A few of us had a chance to talk science with her about hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction, a massive environmental problem... Check out the link for the book/movie!

October 10, 2011

Student Presentations at AASHE

Ben and I giving presentations on the S.O.S. and our structure and how it has improved since the days of the EEC has been great. We have been getting some great feedback regarding our structure and people seem to be inspired by the amount of direction that is given to the students in the process. It certainly helps that we have an administration that helps facilitate the projects we want to do, and for that, I am grateful. While we have the right structure in place, executing the ideas we have been gaining from this conference will be crucial to finally making UWEC Sustainable.



Another AASHE 2011 Update

More great ideas and conversations today.  Consider this one for a moment:I agree with my colleague and friend Tony Cortese that this is arguably the greatest civilizational, moral and intellectual challenge that humanity – and therefore higher education – has ever faced.

 

Dr Tim White, Chancellor of UC Riverside; Monday, October 10, 2011

October 9, 2011

A fantastic keynote address by Majora Carter

We heard Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx. Its central tenet is that people shouldn't have to move out of their neighborhoods to live in a better one. She gave a stunningly inspirational keynote address which expounded on themes of nature, dignity, environmental and social justice and healing of society AND the planet. Check out this quote: “If power plants, waste handling, chemical plants and transport systems were located in wealthy areas as quickly and easily as in poor areas, we would have had a clean, green economy decades ago."

AASHE update - Bill McKibben!

In our first day at the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education we got to see Bill McKibben talk. BILL MCKIBBEN! Yes, author of “The End of Nature”, “Eaarth” - check out these great books on climate change. Awesome. Check out this quote from his talk today: "It is the most important fight that any group of humans have engaged in. Ever." He came specifically to meet with the student summit on Sunday, before the full conference begins that evening.

And he invited us to join together to demonstrate when President Obama arrives on Tuesday. It’s hugely important that the Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta Tar Sands not be built. James Hansen of NASA estimates that the Alberta Tar Sands are the second largest repository of carbon on the planet (after Saudi Arabia). If we were to burn all reserves there, we would increase the global CO2 level from 390 to 560 ppm. With just this one project.

October 5, 2011

Campus Sustainability Network ratified


Exciting news: the Campus Master Plan committee has ratified the proposed model for the Campus Sustainability Network. This will consist of three bodies, the Sustainability Attainment Planning Committee (SAPC), the Campus Sustainability Staff Council (CSSC), and various Sustainability Working Groups (SWGs). Enough alphabet soup, anyone? The compelling advance here is that the output of the SWGs will become satellite documents to the Campus Master Plan, lending it more fine details, and becoming the means through which its vision is attained. Watch for more news on this topic...