Sustainability Resources

To center the Middle East in scholarly discourse on disasters, the Disaster Studies Initiative at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, is pleased to announce an international conference, scheduled to take place from March 28 to 30, 2025. We thank the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs for their generous support.

In this day and age, under the shadow of debates surrounding the intensifying climate crisis, is it still possible to think of disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and wars as significant events? Are they political events at all? For whom are they non-eventful, and for whom are they still experienced as shocks and ruptures? If they are no longer analytically or politically relevant events, what are we to make of the landscape, trauma, pain, and avenues of desirable change that disasters often generate? How, then, should we deal with disasters—both past and present?

For centuries, sea monsters have adorned maps, serving as both warnings and wonders of the unknown ocean. These artistic depictions reflected early attempts to understand the deep, blending legend with reality. From krakens to serpents, cartographers illustrated creatures based on sailors’ tales, inspiring fear, and curiosity. Over time, these mythical beasts influenced marine biology, shaping early studies of unknown species. Join us as we explore the fascinating history of sea monsters on maps and their role in unraveling the mysteries of the ocean.

All HGSE students, faculty, and staff interested in making our school healthier and more sustainable are encouraged to join the HGSE Green Team! Come enjoy a (free!) plant-based and planet-friendly lunch and connect with each other to exchange ideas and explore collaborations. Please RSVP for this in-person event by Wednesday, April 2nd for the meeting so we can plan accordingly to avoid food waste. 

Schools and departments across the University are partnering with the Charles River Conservancy for a morning of cleaning up trash, microplastics, and debris to support a cleaner, healthier Charles River. The CRC will provide a brief education on the local river watershed and provide tools and training. All Harvard community members and their family and friends are welcome to participate!

Join the Harvard Office for Sustainability and Harvard Common Spaces for an Earth Day Festival on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 12 to 2 pm at the Science Center Plaza!

Attend this talk in which Laura A. Schifter and Jonathan Klein highlight the many ways in which K-12 schools and students have tremendous potential to advance solutions on environmental issues, and they provide frameworks for enacting change, in Students, Schools, and Our Climate Moment. Schifter and Klein demonstrate how the effects of climate change intersect with US public schools on multiple levels—for example, schools must prepare students to face the challenges of an uncertain future, accommodate disruptions brought about by extreme weather conditions, and evaluate their systems’ energy consumption and carbon emissions.