LIBRARY (EM)POWERED: Earth Month 2011 at Alden Library

The Alden Library Sustainability Group will host Library (Em)powered on Friday, April 15th, 2011 at Alden Library. Library staff and guests will host events throughout the day on (em)powering themes and DIY projects in support of the Ohio University Office of Sustainability’s Earth Month 2011 activities.

Beyond Origami: Repurposing Bookcovers into Beautiful, Useful Objects

10-11 AM    

Alden Library Rm. 319

Fine Arts Library staff will demonstrate how to make decorative and useful envelopes from beautiful art bookcovers

Window Farming: Indoor Vertical Gardening in a Window

10–4:30 (on display)  Alden Library 4^th fl.

View a window farm display with demonstration video of how a vertical garden can be created in any window from recycled plastic bottles  see related website

Dirt! The Movie

12:00-1:30 PM  &  3:00-4:30 PM (2 screenings)   

Alden Library Rm. 319

Soil is the “living skin of the Earth” – find out how humans can act to preserve this vital resource  see film website

DIY Bookbinding

1-2 PM   

Alden Library 4^th fl

Learn the Japanese stab-binding technique for making beautiful handmade notebooks from found materials

Green Computing Q&A

2-3 PM   

Alden Library 3^rd fl

Ask questions & learn about energy efficient computer use

 

Alden Library is also co-sponsoring a FREE screening of the film, Carbon Nation on Wednesday, April 13 from 7-9 PM at the Athena Cinema, 20 Court St. (co-sponsored with ArtsforOhio and the OU Office of Sustainability)

Fractured Environments Film Series

Have you seen any films from the Fractured Environments film series at the Athena Cinema this week?  You have one day left!  There are still three more films to catch, and best of all the admission is FREE!

4 pm  Rivers and Tides  profiles artist Andy Goldsworthy, who creates extraordinary art from nature

7 pm  On Coal River  a former coal miner fights to move an elementary school away from a toxic strip mine

9 pm  Gasland  explores natural gas "fracking," a practice that exploits large amounts of natural gas lying beneath us

Hope to see you there!

Heart & Soil Film Screening Next Wednesday w/ Guest Art Trese

The film Heart & Soil, a documentary on sustainable agriculture, will be shown at Alden Library's next Earth Month event.  Please join us!
Wed. April 21
12 - 1 pm
Alden Library Rm 319

We are also very much looking forward to our guest for the session, Prof of Plant Biology Art Trese, who will lead a discussion about his work with community gardening & sustainable agriculture. Here's a video of Prof Trese and OU students at work in the gardens:

Short Films on Food

As promised, here are links to the free online short films we showed on food  -- check out these sources for many more short films on environmental topics:

Media that Matters Film Festival
Good Food: A Collection of Short Films on Food & Sustainability
featuring
"The Meatrix"
Louis Fox / Sustainable Table, Free Range Graphics

Prelinger Archives -- historic ephemeral films produced from 1927-1987. Many topics are represented, but here are some on food:
Miracles in Agriculture (12:49) / Seed for Tomorrow (19:55) / It Takes Everybody to Build This Land (20:00)

Live Earth Film Festival
Award-winning filmmakers were commissioned to create awareness-raising short films.

See FRESH tonight at Baker Center!

The new documentary film FRESH will be shown tonight at Baker Center Theater at 7pm. This is a late addition to the Office of Sustainability's Earth Month Calendar so spread the word!

Celebrate Earth Month at Alden Library

Ohio University Libraries will continue its Sustainability Film/Workshop Series by sponsoring four events in conjunction with the OU Office of Sustainability's Earth Month 2010 activities.  

We have planned a great lineup of workshops, films and speakers on food-related issues each Wednesday in April from 12-1pm at Alden Library. Come join us!

Wed April 7 --   Grain Food: we will kick off our Earth Month series with some film shorts about food, and speakers Michelle Ajamian & Brandon Jaeger of the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative will share about their experiences with growing staple grains in Athens.

Wed April 14 -- Worms & Dirt : learn about producing food and managing food waste in a very small space! Guest Will Dewees will demonstrate how easy it is to construct a worm composting box. Participants  will also learn about growing a garden in a container. There will be free giveaways & prizes!

Wed April 21 -- Heart & Soil: a short documentary film about community gardening with a post-film discussion led by Art Trese, Associate Professor, OU Department of Environmental and Plant Biology.

Wed April 28 -- Food & Community: guests from Community Food Initiatives will talk about CFI's programs & ways the community can become involved. With refreshments from local sources.

For questions or information, contact:

Alden Library Sustainability Group

  

This series is part of Earth Month 2010: Roots of Sustainability, sponsored by the OU Office of Sustainability  http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability/EarthMonth2010.htm

Film about Fair Trade

What is fair trade?  Why is it important?  How do I know if products are fair trade?

If you've ever asked these questions, come to our last sustainability series film this week and get some answers!

Film:  Buyer Be Fair
Wed. February 24th at Noon & 5:30
Alden Library Rm. 319

See the Buyer Be Fair website

Watch Today's Film Online!

Weather kept you home today? Luckily you didn't miss a minute of today's short film, The Story of Stuff because its available online.Watch it here at the Story of Stuff Project website.

Also check out The Story of Stuff Project website for more information and other videos such as The Story of Bottled Water and The Story of Electronics.

The Story of Stuff - Resources

First off you can watch or download the film from the story of stuff website.

The website also contains a factsheet and links to more information if you'd like to dig deeper.

Here is a New York Times article on teachers showing the film in their classes.

Upcoming Film: The Story of Stuff

Next Wednesday we will be showing the short film, The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard.  This film will really make you think about the roots of American consumerism and how it has escalated to unsustainable levels.

The Story of Stuff (20 min.)
Alden Library Rm. 319
12:00 Noon 
(2nd showing @ 5:30) 
Audience discussion afterward

The End of Suburbia?

This Wednesday, January 27 Alden Library's Winter Sustainability Film Series will continue with a look at Peak Oil and the changing landscape during The End of Suburbia.

Film: The End of Suburbia
Alden Library Rm. 319
Wed Jan 27th  12:00  and  5:30

Bring something to eat, bring a friend, and bring your questions for our discussion to follow!

see the film's website

New Film Series Lineup for Winter 2010

Consciousness: Films and Workshops to Change the World, a quarterly series about becoming more sustainable is back with a brand new lineup!

The series will run every Wednesday at Noon with a repeat session at 5:30 from January 13th to February 24th in the Friends of the Libraries Room on the third floor of Alden Library. All students, faculty, staff and community are invited. This week's film:

Wed. Jan. 13 at Noon & 5:30 Everything's Cool 
Learn how despite a veritable mountain of evidence, climate change continues to be at the center of controversy.   
see all upcoming films/workshops

Bring something to eat, bring a friend, and bring your questions for our discussion to follow!

Brought to you by the Alden Library Sustainability Group at Ohio University.

Film Series: Let's Talk About Water Jan. 9-14

Arts for Ohio's monthly Film Series at the Athena Cinema is currently running a series of films about water. These films range from long to short, documentaries to experimental. The films run all week and address many issues about water such as the "ownership" of water (does anyone own water?), the beauty of water and conservation. 

Arts for Ohio Cinematheque: Let’s Talk About Water 

Free and open to the public – all OU staff, faculty, students and the community.

Visit the Athena Cinema website for a daily complete list of films and times.

Sustainability Film / Workshop Series for Winter 2010 -- New Time!

Consciousness: Films and Workshops to Change the World, a quarterly series about becoming more sustainable is back with a brand new lineup!

The series will move from Sunday evenings to every Wednesday at Noon with a repeat session at 5:30 from January 13th to February 24th in the Friends of the Libraries Room on the third floor of Alden Library. 

Wed. January 13 at Noon & 5:30 Film
Everything's Cool will show that despite a veritable mountain of evidence Climate Change continues to be at the center of controversy.

Wed. January 20th at Noon & 5:30 Workshop
Learn how to take your impact into your own hands with Ron Young's presentation Reducing Home Energy Use.
   
Wed. January 27th at Noon & 5:30 Film
We will look at Peak Oil and investigate the changing landscape during the End of Suburbia.
   
Wed. February 3rd at Noon & 5:30 Workshop
Learn about Transition Town and how we can use it build locally resilient networks to help fight against Climate Change and Peak Oil in an impacting presentation by Benjamin Shender.
   
Wed. February 10th at Noon & 5:30 Film
The Story of Stuff takes us on a whirlwind tour of where our stuff comes from and where it goes.
   
Wed. February 17th at Noon & 5:30 Workshop
From compost to clothes drying, the Ohio University Office of Sustainability Eco-Reps will show you how to save the planet from the comfort of your room in our final workshop of the quarter Living Green in an OU Dorm.
   
Wed. February 17th at Noon & 5:30 Film
Ending Consciousness for this quarter, Buyer Be Fair will talk about the benefits and opportunities represented by the fair trade movement.

All students, faculty, staff and community are invited.  Bring something to eat, bring a friend, and bring your questions for our discussion to follow! Brought to you by the Alden Library Sustainability Group at Ohio University.

Life Running Out of Control

Alden Library Sustainability Film Series (SustainaFilm)
“Life Running out of Control”
Sunday, November 15 @ 6p
Alden Library Room 319, Friends of the Library Room

A film showing problems with genetic modifications, and unethical uses of genetic studies. Justice and control issues surrounding genetically modified organisms is spotlighted. Genetic modifications replicate themselves, and so over time the contamination becomes greater rather than dissipating.


Bring your DNA, grab a snack and raise your awareness!

Another University Library Film Series

The library at the University of North Carolina Greensboro has been doing a sustainability film series since 2007. (so I guess we didn't invent this idea :) There are some great films on this list, including King Corn, which we have at the library for check-out.

From the documentary King Corn
Ian Cheney (left) and Curt Ellis taste their harvest in Greene, Iowa. Photo by Sam Cullman

Check out other videos at the library
See the King Corn website

The Story of Stuff

Thanks to everyone who attended and helped to organize Alden Library's second film of this quarter's Consciousness Film Series, The Story of Stuff.

We had a lively discussion, shared some snacks and learned more about consumption patterns affecting the planet.  Some further resources related to the film from the SOS website:

• Recommeded reading
• What you can do
• Fact sheet, annotated script & glossary

Want to watch the film again?  Learn about what you can do?  Check out The Story of Stuff website, where you can view the film, learn how to host a Story of Stuff screening of your own and how to become more active in limiting unchecked consumption of the world's resources.

Also check out The Story of Stuff Facebook Group

Film Series Screening Sunday, Nov. 1st

Consciousness: Films to Change the World
Sunday: Nov 1, 6 pm
Alden Library Room 319
Free and open to the public
Refreshments and discussion!

This week's film: The Story of Stuff
"A fast-paced, fact-filled look at the under side of our production and consumption patterns, with a special focus on the United States. All the stuff in our lives, beginning from the extraction of the resources to make it, through its production, sale, use and disposal, affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view."

Come see the latest film in the series! View the film's website here

Participants are encouraged to bring their own drinking vessel, but cups will be provided (the post-consumer recycled ones are just expensive!)