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Nye Makes Surprise Appearance

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For almost a week, Prof. Bruce Lewenstein, communication, tantalized his class, Communication 2850: Communication in the Life Sciences, with only the vaguest of details about a “super secret mystery guest.” Lewenstein would only say that the “mystery guest” was tall, thin and a Cornell alumnus.
“While I heard the gossip about his potential appearance, when he actually walked into the room I was so surprised,” Josh Helfgott ’11 stated in an e-mail. “He walked in wearing his trademark bow tie and smiled at the class. All I could do was smile. He looked just like he does on TV.” [img_assist|nid=37164|title=The Science Guy|desc=Bill Nye ’77 speaks to Communication 2850: Communication in the Life Sciences yesterday in Warren Hall.|link=node|align=left|width=|height=0]

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Environmental Rights Priority

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I’m sure that everyone has some mention of environmental rights in recent years. With growing concern for environmental protection, many have begun to adapt their lifestyles to limit damage to the earth. From hybrid vehicles to wind power, there is an ever-increasing focus on protecting the environment and limiting the pollution emitted by humankind. Our own Cornell University Sustainability Coordinator is in the process of developing initiatives to make the campus environmentally friendly.

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Obama Names Sutley '84 Chair of White House Environmental Council

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Nancy Sutley ’84 has a passion for the environment honed far above Cayuga’s waters. Now, the current deputy mayor of Los Angeles for energy and the environment is bringing her political acumen and progressive mindset to the executive office as President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

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Students, Alum Discuss Future Of Sustainability Under Obama

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Last night, over 20 Cornell students gathered around a dinner table to participate in a conversation that extended beyond typical dining hall chatter. Art Purcell Ph.D ’66, an environmental policy and sustainability expert, hosted the dialogue “What an Obama Administration Might Mean for Environmental Policy and Sustainability,” provoking many students to think about the importance of the integration of environmental and economic policy.
“We’re in an era where there’s hope again,” Purcell began. He continued to say that it is a matter of “timing and an efficient use of resources” to push the country towards a more sustainable and green future.

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Symposium Highlights Trailblazing Eco-Artists

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It was the summer of ’69. In the midst of free love, hits of LSD and political activism across the U.S., Cornell University hosted a historic exhibit that transformed the perception of art. Curated by Willoughby Sharp at the A.D. White House, Earth Art broke out of museums and galleries and into the rough-and-tumble of the wilderness. The show was the introduction to the Land Art movement, including works like Walter de Maria’s “Lightning Farm,” which harnessed the power of nature for aesthetic pleasure.

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Ares's Eco-Gym: A Lesson in Making the World a Better Place

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In the midst of the distressing news this past week, Good Magazine recently published an inspiring video article about someone who has made the world a better place.

The story concerns Manuel de Arriba Ares, a retired gym teacher in the village of Valdespino de Somoza in the city of Leon, Spain. Ares has built an “ecological gym” for the village–an outdoor gym that uses no electricity and that is made entirely from recycled materials!

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Al Gore May Not Be My Biggest Fan

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I am not the eco-friendliest person. I don’t know if me and the environment are friends; I’d say we’re more acquaintances who drunkenly bump into each other at the bars and make plans for lunch — “Like, not this week, because I’m really busy, but maybe next week?” — and then we both forget about it.
But if the biological system I just anthropomorphized as a literary device didn’t like me then, it sure isn’t going to like me after this one. But that’s OK, because while I like the eco-friendly movement — I really do — I just like people more.
Before every socially conscious person gets up in arms, I’m actually only talking about one aspect of our “Go Green!” society: reusable bags.

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A Realistic Approach to Saving The Earth

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As Cornell students we are expected to meet certain standards. Among these are high SAT scores, a high GPA, an intellectual curiosity and…recycling? The other day I went to Trillium for lunch. As I was throwing my garbage away I saw a Cornell employee came to stop me from throwing my water bottle into the trash. Apparently there was a special blue bin just for water bottles. I find this forced recycling not only to be a nuisance, but ineffective and inefficient. Recycling costs more than simply the disposing of trash and is based on the false premise that landfills are overflowing with garbage. Furthermore, the whole pro-environmental movement is taking the wrong approach to fixing the environment.