Envronmental Health and Sustainability Expert to Speak at UB

Keynote Speaker: Annie Leonard

Moving Towards Zero Waste 

and 'The Story of Stuff'

• When: Tuesday, March 11th, 7:00 pm

• Where: Drama Theater, Center for the Arts, UB North Campus, Amherst

• Free and Open to the public

Annie Leonard is the founder of the Story of Stuff film series, several 20-minute videos that explain some of the world’s most significant environmental dilemmas using easy, down-to-earth language that gets the message across to people of all ages, backgrounds and education levels. She was named one of the “Five Most Important Environmental Movement Leaders” by the Washington Examiner in 2010.

Since her initial film’s launch in 2007 — which to date has generated more than 13 million online viewers — Leonard has leveraged it into an even more widely-viewed project (www.storyofstuff.com) and a 2010 book of the same title (made from 100 percent recycled and compostable materials, of course). She has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the topic of consumer behavior and its impact on the environment, appearing in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, Wired and Fast Company magazines, and on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” among other major media outlets.

Check out Annie Leonard and her Story of Stuff on the Colbert Report.

Earlier videos from Annie Leonard posted at Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo:

• The Story of Solutions

• Sustainability and the Story of Stuff 

• E-Waste: The Story of Electronic Stuff 

• Green Solutions to Fix a Broken Economy 

Towards a Sustainable and Just Economy

By Annie Leonard .

The Story of Solutions explores how we can move our economy in a more sustainable and just direction, starting with orienting ourselves toward a new goal.

In the current 'Game of More', we're told to cheer a growing economy -- more roads, more malls, more Stuff ! -- even though our health indicators are worsening, income inequality is growing and polar icecaps are melting.

But what if we changed the point of the game? What if the goal of our economy wasn't more, but better -- better health, better jobs and a better chance to survive on the planet?

Shouldn't that be what winning means?

Earlier videos from Annie Leonard posted at Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo:

• Sustainability and the Story of Stuff
• E-Waste: The Story of Electronic Stuff
• Green Solutions to Fix a Broken Economy
  

  
  

Green Solutions to Fix a Broken Economy

Video: "The Story of Broke" with Annie Leonard

The United States isn't broke. But the truth is, our economy is broken, producing more pollution, greenhouse gasses and garbage than any other country. But rather than invest in something better, we continue to keep this 'dinosaur economy' on life support with hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax money.  

"The Story of Broke" calls for a shift in government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions—renewable energy, safer chemicals, zero waste and more—that can deliver jobs AND a healthier environment. 

It's time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let's build it better. Watch this Video:
 

Annie Leonard to Speak at SUNY Fredonia

2011 Sustainability Series at SUNY Fredonia

Keynote Speaker: Annie Leonard

The Story of Stuff - How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing Our Planet, Our Communities and Our Health - and A Vision for Change

• When: March 8th @ 7:00 pm

• Where: SUNY Fredonia, King Concert Hall (Map )

• Cost: $5 with student ID, $15 general admissions (tickets can be purchased Online Here - enter the codeword EDUCATE and pay only $10, not $15)

Annie Leonard is the founder of the Story of Stuff film series, several 20-minute videos that explain some of the world’s most significant environmental dilemmas using easy, down-to-earth language that gets the message across to people of all ages, backgrounds and education levels. She was named one of the “Five Most Important Environmental Movement Leaders” by the Washington Examiner in 2010.

Since her initial film’s launch in 2007 — which to date has generated more than 12 million online viewers — Leonard has leveraged it into a project (www.storyofstuff.com) and a 2010 book of the same title (made from 100 percent recycled and compostable materials, of course). She has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the topic of consumer behavior and its impact on the environment, appearing in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, Wired and Fast Company magazines, and on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” among other major media outlets.

Check out Annie Leonard and her Story of Stuff on the Colbert Report:

***

An earlier blog post about Sustainability and the Story of Stuff is here.

E-Waste: The Story of Electronic Stuff

The Story of Electronics explores the high-tech revolution's collateral damage—25 million tons of electronic-gadget waste (e-waste) and counting, poisoned workers and a public left holding the bill.

Host Annie Leonard (The Story of Stuff) takes viewers from the mines and factories where our electronic gadgets begin to the horrific backyard recycling shops in China where many end up. The film concludes with a call for a green 'race to the top' where designers compete to make long-lasting, toxic-free products that are fully and easily recyclable.

Check out the video, and, if your electronic gadgets can not be donated and reused, see links below for information on where to recycle them locally.



Erie County holds several computer and electronics recycling events every year.

The EPA has a handy chart listing local retail stores that take back used TVs, computers, cell phones, rechargeable batteries and other e-waste.

Remember Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff ? To view the The Story of Stuff and read an earlier post on Sustainability, click here.

Sustainabilty and the Story of STUFF

Annie Leonard, an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, made an informative and humorous video-cartoon called "The Story of Stuff". It explores the costs and consequences of our consumer culture and its impact on the environment, third-world nations, working class Americans, personal health and our general state of happiness. To learn more about sustainability, and how our consumer culture works against it, Click Here to watch Annie Leonard's video.
Sustainability is defined as "a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. The term, in its environmental usage, refers to the potential longevity of vital human ecological support systems, such as the planet's climatic system, systems of agriculture, industry, forestry, and fisheries, and human communities in general and the various systems on which they depend."
Since sustainability has to do with the environment, ecology and people, I went to the Environmental Protection Agency web site to see if they knew about the concept. They cite it, but they define it a little differently. According to the EPA, sustainability is "the ability to achieve economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet."* Hmmmm, economic prosperity wasn't mentioned in the previous definition. And why does economic prosperity come first, before the more important part about protecting the planet?
A major problem for us and for future generations is that our dirty energy economy can't prosper without polluting the planet and increasing global warming. Simply put, our current system is not sustainable! We need to transition to a clean energy economy that will create new jobs in support of renewable energy sources that don't pollute the planet. And oh yes, contrary to Bush's advice to "go shopping", we could all do the planet a big favor by purchasing LESS STUFF!

[*UPDATE, September 2008: the EPA has now adopted a more reasonable definition of sustainability: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”]

Cross-Post from Clean Energy NOW !