Bill Vitek, former Williams visiting professor and current professor at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, gave a Log Lunch talk on Friday about the intersections of philosophy and the earth. He introduced a concept called the “New Perennials” which sounds similar to the word “millennial.” This is rather intentional, as… Continue reading »
Tom VanWinkle calls Dr. Jim Carlton, the director of Williams-Mystic, the “world’s most renowned marine ecologist.” Dr. Carlton certainly knows a lot about tropical storms and climate change. Specifically, his Log Lunch talk was about the greatest Japanese earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, in which 1,000 ocean vessels… Continue reading »
Laura Marx of the Nature Conservancy gave a talk at the last Log Lunch on how climate change has implications for forests. Severe weather, increased droughts, storms, and altered temperatures are changes in the environment that trees are used to. “Climate change means more energy is entering the atmosphere on… Continue reading »
Jessica Leibler of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University’s School of Public Health gave a talk at Log Lunch about her research on animals, humans, and the diseases they carry. She is currently researching three things: zoonotic–animal to human, that is–disease transmission, infectious diseases associated with urban… Continue reading »
Molly Case, deputy development director of Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL), gave a log lunch talk on this NGO’s work in Haiti tackling the sanitation crisis triggered by the 2010 earthquake. The worst cholera outbreak in recent history bolstered a need for better sanitation–few have flush toilets, if any toilet at… Continue reading »
At the first Log Lunch of the spring semester, Katy Hall, associate professor at Williams-Mystic, and Natalie DiNenno ’18 presented “America’s Vanishing Coastline: Climate Adaptation and Decision-Making in Southern Louisiana.” The presentation was adapted from research DiNenno conducted for Hall’s marine policy class when she attended Williams-Mystic in spring 2017. Continue reading »
David McGowan, director of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, gave a Log Lunch talk about how he got into land conservation and why it’s important that lands continue to be conserved. The Michigan native talked about some of his favorite, most beautiful places in Massachusetts, including Race Point Beach in… Continue reading »
The last Log Lunch of Winter Study featured Tom Tyning— Professor of Environmental Science at Berkshire Community College—who discussed New England’s most endangered vertebrate: the Timber Rattlesnake. This rare reptile is found in the eastern portion of North America, though it has now been extirpated completely from many states due… Continue reading »
Recently, Williamstown became a pollinator-friendly community. Professor Sarah Gardner’s Environmental Planning class did a project on the measures Williamstown can take to protect pollinators: not just bees, but all insects, which have an effect on pollination. (from left) Prof. Gardner with a petition to make Williams a bee-friendly college,… Continue reading »
Andi Colnes, ’80, gave a log lunch talk addressing the financial aspect of achieving Paris climate goals. She is the international director of the Coalition for Green Capital, leading development of their Green Bank Network (GBN) and creating a structure for making Green Banks in emerging markets across the globe. … Continue reading »
Melissa Kemp ’10, an evolutionary biologist, gave a log lunch talk on her research, which takes place on the richest biodiversity hotspots across the globe: islands. She talked about trends in species extinction and colonization, stressing the consequences of various effects of climate change on species’ well-being, including… Continue reading »
At the most recent Log Lunch, Kene Odenigbo ’19 and Trevor Murphy, one of OIT’s Instructional Technology Specialists, gave a talk on the research they collaborated on this past summer at Hopkins Forest. Kene, a biology major, explained the process of using D3, a tool for data visualization. In other… Continue reading »
At the most recent Log Lunch, Kene Odenigbo ’19 and Trevor Murphy, one of OIT’s Instructional Technology Specialists, gave a talk on the research they collaborated on this past summer at Hopkins Forest. Kene, a biology major, explained the process of using D3, a tool for data visualization. In other… Continue reading »
Director of the Bard College Graduate Program in Sustainability, Eban Goodstein ’82, gave students career advice at the most recent log lunch. He urged students to get outside of the purple bubble in order to figure out which job in the sustainability sector is right for them: “You can’t learn… Continue reading »
Jimi Oke, class of 2010, is a systems research engineer interested in modeling networks for sustainable infrastructural usage and optimal access. My research thus lies in utilizing optimization, simulation and data mining techniques to solve various problems in transportation, energy and related fields. He is currently doing his postdoctoral fellowship… Continue reading »
Astrid Dubois ’20 and Max Harmon ’19 gave a special log lunch talk about their CES-funded summer endeavors. Astrid spoke about her summer internship at the Mt. Saint Helens institute in Washington, her home state. She worked as an educator, guiding groups of students on field trips. Astrid also… Continue reading »
Johnnie Kamugisha, proprietor of and tour leader at Birding in Paradise Safaris Ltd., gave a talk at Log Lunch about the lesser known animals of Uganda: birds. According to Johnnie, the large mammals tourists traditionally associate with Africa can’t compare to the rare and bountiful species of birds to be… Continue reading »
Tom Van Winkle, executive director of Williams-Mystic, gave an inspiring talk at Log Lunch this past Friday, cautioning students against “trying to prove that you’re not a bum” being the motivation behind their studies. He encouraged students to take a deeper look within themselves and figure out the real motivations… Continue reading »
Jim Neumann (’84) is a principal at Industrial Economics, Incorporated, a consulting firm for governments, businesses, and not-for-profits. He specializes in the economics of climate change, air pollution regulation, and climate change adaptation. He gave a Log Lunch presentation addressing one particular effect of climate change: sea level rise and… Continue reading »
Confronting Climate Change (24min) with Elizabeth Kolbert, Van Jones, James Hansen, Bill McKibben, Rob Nixon, Maxine Burkett, Stephen Gardiner and Mark Tercek. Produced by Sarah Gardner. Directed by Dave Simonds. Journalist Elizabeth Kolbert hosts a searching conversation with leading environmentalists. The Williams College Center for Environmental Studies was founded… Continue reading »
Confronting Climate Change (24min) with Elizabeth Kolbert, Van Jones, James Hansen, Bill McKibben, Rob Nixon, Maxine Burkett, Stephen Gardiner and Mark Tercek. Produced by Sarah Gardner. Directed by Dave Simonds. Journalist Elizabeth Kolbert hosts a searching conversation with leading environmentalists. The Williams College Center for Environmental Studies was founded in… Continue reading »
On Friday, May 5, Glenn Gordinier, Associate Professor of History at Williams College Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies and lifelong surfer, spoke to Log Lunchers about what he calls the surfer-activist “epiphany.” Gordinier, whom geosciences professor Rónadh Cox introduced as a… Continue reading »
Les Beldo admitted that the title of his talk is a “cheap provocation,” since, technically, whales are not fish. However, Beldo said, in the eyes of the US federal government, they are. Les Beldo, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Studies at Williams (photo: Center for Humans and Nature). Continue reading »
“Were losing badly,” he said. “We’re way behind.” On Thursday, April 20, famed climate change writer and activist Bill McKibben spoke as part of the Confronting Climate Change initiative. McKibben at a rally (source: Nation of Change). McKibben began his talk by establishing the “pace and scale”… Continue reading »
Friday, April 22, former Massachusetts State Senator Benjamin Downing spoke with Williams College students, faculty and community members at Log Lunch. Mr. Downing grew up in Pittsfield, MA and was told that the town’s best days were behind it. Inspired by the city’s struggles and its people’s lack of confidence,… Continue reading »