Blog Posts by Subject: Environmentalism

If you'd like to understand why more wild animals are venturing into urban environments; to discover how the great impressionist Monet ate; to examine the Polaroid-Kodak patent war; to celebrate the music and poetry of Leonard Cohen; to learn how to beat fatigue; to explore the economic consequences of climate change; to relive a harrowing but heroic moment in Armenian history; to argue against suicide; or learn how to cope with the narcissists in your life, please join us this month!

When you reminisce about your childhood, is it filled with summertime freedom to traverse the neighborhood without your parents always watching? Here are resources to support children learning how to commune with nature and express their independent spirit.

It seems like a good time to write about fostering our connection with the natural world, and one wonderful way to do this is through the arts. So to celebrate Earth Week, here is a short list of some of my favorite nature music.

Cheap stuff wreaks havoc on the environment.

In response to rising concerns about the environment, a tremendous outpouring of fiction, nonfiction, movies, and music that tackle the issue both directly and indirectly have infiltrated our daily rosters of cultural consumption.

From rising sea levels worsening the storm surge during Superstorm Sandy to the increase in extreme weather events, effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change are being deeply felt around the world with every passing day. But far from feeling helpless about a global situation, there are positive actions you can take, from the political to the personal, to point us in a better direction. In light of two New York City events, the U.N. Climate Summit this September 23 and the People’s Climate March on September 21, here is a consolidation of some resources on the topic.

Guest post by Elin Øyen Vister.

The Epiphany Library is offering two workshops in April on making beauty products at home. While in the class we are specifically only making two items, lip balm and body scrub (both of which are surprisingly easy), there is also a section in which we discuss why someone would want to do this. Below is the presentation, some handy recipes and also books and websites for the budding beauty alchemist.

"The only reason for being a bee that I know of is to make honey ...  And the only reason for making honey, is so as I can eat it." —Winnie the Pooh

I have found myself enthralled in the world of honeybees and their plight. I don't know how much people know about colony collapse disorder, but it's a real thing!

I love tea and I love honey... but there is a major problem in our world right now that I think either people are ignoring or just simply have no 

Photo credit - Dattner ArchitectsI remember it vividly. It was the morning of January 17, 2006, I was on my way to work—when an MTA bus zoomed pass me. It was then I noticed it, on the side of the bus, a poster size picture of the building with the caption "A library as beautiful as the Bronx." I looked in astonishment, then with pride and joy as I recognised the building—it was where I was headed!

Such was the start of the day which 

"I think it's a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression and to use any way to extend this power." Ai Weiwei, "Ai Weiwei 'Does Not Feel Powerful'"BBC, October 13, 2011.

Ai Weiwei was commenting on being named the most powerful person in the art world in 2011 by ArtReview magazine after 

Ever wonder what you could do to help the environment? This book provides a plethora of suggestions. Following are just a few of the ideas you can read about in this work.

Watch your water consumption. Use natural light, such as sunshine. Recycle materials such as paper and aluminum cans. Reduce your consumption; use 

Are you 24 or over and are looking for a career in the green advanced manufacturing industry?

Green Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (GAMC), a partnership between New York City College of Technology's Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology and Industrial Design and the Business and Industry Training Center, is responsive to workforce education needs of NYC's revitalized manufacturing sector. The program rallies resources and stakeholders from the public and private sectors, economic and workforce development 

People may not be aware of how much they eat, wear, buy and throw out in their lifetimes. This book brings in the numbers.

In your lifetime, you will drive 627,000 miles in a car, eat enough bread to equal your body weight every three years, take 28,433 showers, and eat 12,888 oranges. You will spend $52,972 on clothes, and you will likely own 12 

This coming Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day and so this weekend is a great time to participate in Earth Day volunteer projects.

Need some ideas? The New York Public Library has many books on Earth Day including some interesting ones like Earth Day Crafts by Carol Gnojewski and True Green Kids: 100 

Green Medicine of the Year: Healing Plants

Going outside for a spring stroll? Watch where you step! That dandelion you're walking on has a distinguished medicinal history dating back centuries. Why not increase your appreciation of nature by learning about the amazing healing properties of plants and how many of our medicines, such as aspirin, originated from plants.

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places

Ever since I was young, spurred on by my Recycling Queen aunt, my brother and I become very conscious of recycling and our global footprints. I started recycling papers, cans, bottles and reusing anything that could possibly be reused. I bought natural cotton clothing and started shopping at the Goodwill. I do not buy overpackaged products or waste water or electricity. Below are some earth-friendly libraries and museums that I found.

Special Libraries

from the