CSSC Blog
Interview with Carolyn Finney Ph.D. Professor at UC Berkeley
Investment, Innovation, and Inspiration With the next CSSC Convergence, at UC Berkeley, only a few short weeks away, we have another exclusive and thought provoking CSSC interview. Dr. Carolyn Finney is a professor at UC Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Her research focuses on identity representation difference and place, race and natural…Read more »
Confessions of a 21st century environmentalist studying abroad in Chile
I was born and raised into a generation of friction, a generation of young people with the world at their fingertips but also on their shoulders.
CSSC Spring Convergence at UC Berkeley- April 26-28
Inspire, Invest, & Innovate UC Berkeley, April 26-28 You’re invited to this years California Student Sustainability Coalition’s Spring 2013 Convergence at UC Berkeley! The event will play host to a series of inspirational keynote speakers, dynamic panels and engaging workshops. Come join hundreds of student leaders from across the state to network, learn, and have…Read more »
Interview with Mike Roselle Co-Founder of Earth First!
Sustainability from a Radical Perspective Portrait of a Life-Long Activist Long before the California Student Sustainability Coalition was even a thought in the eyes of young university students, there was an organization which decided to bring non-violent direct action into the forests and wild places of the United States. This organization was and still is…Read more »
What Happened on February 17th?
I’ll tell you! It was a great rally on Sunday Feb 17th! Attending the San Francisco solidarity march was a powerful event, which brought folks from many different movements together to demonstrate in the streets of America. While the block we marched around was packed with protesters, some 40,000 people showed up to protest in…Read more »
How Gamification can make the world a more sustainable place
Gamification for a better world We are living in a world where what we “should” do is often times different from things we “want to” do. This holds true for Sustainability – often times the things you need to do to be sustainable is not necessarily what is the most convenient or comfortable to do….Read more »
2013 Winter Leadership Retreat
The CSSC leadership retreats are a space for leaders working on sustainability initiatives on their campuses to come together with other leaders working on similar projects throughout the state During breakout sessions and workshops retreat attendees have the ability to shape the CSSC by setting goals for the organization and policies to help…Read more »
Forward on Climate–National Call and Rally Roundup!
FEBRUARY 7 – Lots of amazing things happening around the nation, as young people are jumping into the new year in a really big way! Join us for national calls, and make a stand for bold climate action at solidarity rallies in LA, SF, and SD! More details after the jump. FORWARD ON CLIMATE VIDEO…Read more »
Co-Sign The Open Letter To Obama Calling For Bold Climate Action!- 350.org
Help Encourage the President to take action on Climate Change. 350.org is calling for everyone to Co-Sign a letter to President Obama to urge ”him to take bold action to confront climate change now.” With the President’s promise to challenge Climate Change during the inauguration it is now the time to hold him to his promise. Help do this…Read more »
Save the Date! Strengthening the Roots Seed and Justice Convergence
February 22-24 2013, UC Santa Cruz
Students Move to Divest at the Claremont “7C’s”
Across the United States, students from various colleges and universities are saying “Yes!” to ask their presidents, deans, and boards of trustees to divest. Recently, this movement spread to the Claremont Consortium.
Happy New Year from the CSSC!
As we move into 2013, it’s important to reflect on how we can truly be the change we wish to see in the world. All activism and organizing starts within. Here are some New Year’s resolutions from some members of the CSSC:
Reading, writing and realizing nature: explore your local place this holiday season
Here are eleven activities you can use to strengthen your personal relationship with place – and maybe even share your experience with family, friends, or community members.
Should Chiapas Farmers Suffer for California’s Carbon?
“We are not responsible for climate change—it’s the big industries that are,” said Abelardo, a young man from the Tseltal Mayan village of Amador Hernández in the Lacandon jungle ofChiapas. “So why should we be held responsible, and even punished for it?”
Fall 2012 Convergence: When People Become a Snowflake
This fall, Butte College became the first community college to ever host a CSSC convergence. While some may have doubted how many people would haul up to the far north corner of our state, the magnetic power of convergence brought hundreds of students and the young at heart to the Butte College campus.
Fall 2012 Convergence: The Three Pillars of Sustainability
The Fall 2012 Convergence is just around the corner! This weekend we will be making CSSC history: this is the first time a convergence has ever been hosted at a community college. The team at Butte has cooked up an incredible, jam-packed, inspiring weekend for you all, so if you haven’t registered yet – get on it!
Election Day TUESDAY: Do you have a vote plan?
One of the biggest regrets I have is not voting in my first presidential election, the 2008 election.
Project We Own It
Why YOU should make a pledge to support the Isla Vista Food Co-op in Santa Barbara
GMOs: Too Big to Fail
We all fail. Our attempts, for example, at crafting an esteemed piece of literature or painting a revered portrait or impressing our friends with a delicious gourmet meal often end in disastrous disarray. But, most of us accept and learn from our failures.
Invitation: The Future of Higher Education Endowments
November 9, 2012, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA
Announcing the Fall 2012 Convergence
The CSSC Fall Convergence will be held November 9th to 11th at Butte Community College. Join hundreds of students from across CA to build community, share resources, plan action, attend workshops, and celebrate.
The Three E’s of Sustainability
The CSSC is committed to recognizing and working toward the “Three E’s” of sustainability: economy, ecology, and equity.
Sustainability, Here at Home with the Winnemem Wintu
I recently returned from a four day Coming of Age Ceremony with the Winnemem Wintu on the banksof the McCloud River in Shasta County. This experience has had me thinking a lot about the connections between culture, environment and sustainability.
Spirituality and Sustainability
A question that has been lingering on my mind this semester: is spirituality a necessary component of sustainability?
The Lexicon of Sustainability
“Words are the building blocks for new ideas. They have the power to activate change and transform societies.”
LA Approves Plastic Bag Ban
Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Wednesday to approve a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines, handing a major victory to clean-water advocates who sought to reduce the amount of trash clogging landfills, the region’s waterways and the ocean.
An Odious Investment: Moving Beyond Coal at UC Berkeley
Why is a world-renowned public university that prides itself on being a leader for social change, civil rights and progressive education investing without transparency in one of the most significant environmental problems of our time?
Voices from the Spring 2012 Convergence
From April 27th – April 29th, over 400 students from across the state of California gathered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a weekend of workshops, speakers, live music, and camping. The theme of this convergence was building a resoNATION – inspiring students to join together to make a positive, resounding impact in the world.
Occupy Comes Down to Earth
Occupy the Farm began on April 22 in Albany, just north of Berkeley, when 200 community activists cut through a chain-link fence surrounding a vacant patch of land owned by the University of California.
Everything You Need to Know About The Convergence!
Greetings, Earthlings! I hope you are as excited as we are for the CSSC’s Spring Student Sustainability Convergence beginning this Friday, April 27th! This post contains quite a bit of important information that will help you get prepared for one of the best weekends of your life! Just keep reading, just keep reading…
Connect the Dots
Across the planet now we see ever more flood, ever more drought, ever more storms. People are dying, communities are being wrecked — the impacts we’re already witnessing from climate change are unlike anything we have seen before.
The Spring Convergence is Less Than One Month Away!
Have you registered for our Spring Convergence at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo yet? It’s happening in less than a month – April 27th-29th!
University of California Holds $234 Million in Filthy 15 Coal Corporations
Data in a new report authored by California Student Sustainability Coalition alumni Sarah Siedschlag and published by the University of California reveals that the University of California Regents have something on the order of $234 million dollars worth of holdings in 15 of the largest coal companies. Titled “Reducing California Higher Education’s Support of and…Read more »
Can the University of California make campus food sustainable?
Fast food joints offer a quick and easy fix for hungry, busy students on college campuses. But at the University of California, they’ve also become a target for student activists intent on shifting their schools’ large dining budgets away from less healthy, industrially produced food…
Recharge! Retreat
Call for applicants! The Focus the Nation Recharge! Retreat is a week-long, expenses-paid retreat for young clean energy leaders.
March in March: Reclaiming California Education
On Monday, March 5th, I had the privilege of attending the March and Rally in Support of Higher Education at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
Early Bird Registration Now Open for the Spring Convergence
Read the top reasons why YOU should attend this spring’s convergence!
NEWS RELEASE: Palo Alto Leading the Charge on CLEAN Programs
Silicon Valley leaders approve CLEAN Program to increase local production of cost-effective renewable energy.
California Considers a Cottage Food Law
Since the homemade food renaissance has taken root in California, there’s been no shortage of home picklers, jammers, and bakers. But under current state laws, it’s a misdemeanor for those home artisans to sell their goodies in the open marketplace.
Wonders of Cookin’ with Cashews: Creamy Cashew-Pepper Penne
For my very first Green Grub post, I decided my grand debut recipe must be vegan, of course, and this thought naturally led to the decision to make one of the main ingredients this, a staple of vegan cuisine – cashews.
Applications Open for Summer of Solutions 2012
Applications are now open to join Summer of Solutions (SOS) programs across the country, including Oakland and Los Angeles. Summer of Solutions is a people-powered program for youth (ages 14-30) to develop their leadership and build just, sustainable economies in their communities.
Submit a Workshop Proposal for the Spring 2012 Convergence!
We invite you to help us build a resoNATION! We each come to this convergence finding our individual places within the movement and how they connect and resonate together. We want to put this cohesion into action to build and create social, political, economic and personal change.
Spotlight on the CSSC End Coal Campaign
If you’re part of CSSC, you probably already save energy at your house: you turn off the lights when you leave the room, you don’t use unnecessary electricity guzzlers like hair dryers, and maybe you’ve even switched to energy efficient appliances or compact fluorescent light bulbs.
11 important clean energy provisions in Obama’s budget proposal
President Obama’s proposed 2013 budget invests in clean energy to help power the engine of economic growth. The budget would direct funds to efficiency and renewable electricity technologies to create jobs and boost domestic manufacturing, and would also make manufacturing more efficient.
Fermented Foods Part Two: The Best Way in the Entire World to Eat Kale
It used to be that kale was the bottom of the barrel item in our CSA. I had to sneak it into soups and blend it with spinach in Indian and Middle Eastern food. Now, it is the first item to go and usually gets eaten on veggie basket day.
2012 Winter Leadership Retreat
The CSSC 2012 Winter Leadership Retreat took place January 12th-16th in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs. Natural beauty and enough space for all of us under one roof made it the perfect setting to delve deep into the nuts and bolts, or rather, the roots and shoots, of the CSSC.
Get Your Ferment On
As we pull into the darkness and cold of winter, our immune systems can take a real hit. Not only does dry air ruin our first defenses like gooey mucus to catch all those flying bits of bacteria, but the lack of physical activity and proper nutrition generally associated with the season can be detrimental to your well-being. Enter fermented food.
Soy Milk and Cookies
What does svelte, vegan Santa want? An ice-cold glass of homemade soymilk and tasty vegan cookies made with care.
Holiday Homemade Gift Guide
Since it seems to be the season of excess, let’s try not to add to the pile of hyper processed foods and unwanted, meaningless gifts from a big box store. Not only should good presents be useful and from the heart, they should be economical and ecological.
Tim Galarneau receives 2011 UC Sustainability Champion Award
Tim Galarneau, UCSC’s Food Systems working group coordinator, is known for his far-ranging vision and his ability to advance the sustainable foods movement on campus and beyond. Now, Galarneau – described in a 2009 Mother Jones magazine profile as “the Alice Waters of a burgeoning movement of campus foodies”, is getting systemwide recognition.
