Cornell University: Sustainable Cornell book club launches this Spring

The Campus Sustainability Office is launching a campus sustainability book club this Spring, in partnership with faculty on North and West Campus. The Sustainable Cornell Book Club will allow participants to explore the interconnectivity of climate change, environmental justice,and consumerism, and meet collaborators interested in creating a more sustainable campus and community.

The book club begins March 7th and is open to all members of the campus community. The first book is for participants is Consumed: The Need for Collective Change by author and fashion-industry guru Aja Barber.

The book club will coincide with the campus Beyond Waste campaign, a 2 month initiative with events and activities at Cornell to engage the campus in a dialogue about our relationship to purchasing, products, and waste.

Sustainable Cornell Book Club Details

Each week participants will read one section of the selected book

Weekly emails will encourage reflection using a virtual journal, with at least two campus discussions for book club readers hosted for in-person or remote reflection

Campus residential communities will be hosting 1-2 small chats for community residents to connect and talk in-person. See the Cornell Events calendar for details.

Towards the end of the book, a group discussion will explore how participants can apply what they have learned to begin living and working on campus in more sustainable and climate justice-oriented ways