Sustainable Purchasing

Join the Salata Institute for an informal discussion with Harvard experts on Hurricane Milton. Dan Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, will address the impacts of climate change on hurricanes, generally, and what we can know about the role warming oceans may have played in intensifying Hurricane Milton. Satchit Balsari, Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Co-Director of CrisisReady, will speak to the impacts of the storm on human health and displacement and what can be expected as the recovery progresses.

Join the Salata Institute and Harvard Business School Business and Environment Initiative for a book talk featuring businessman and philanthropist André Hoffmann and journalist Peter Vanham. André Hoffmann is Vice-Chairman of Roche, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. Roche was founded by the Hoffmann family in 1896. Peter Vanham is Editorial Director, Leadership at Fortune.

Hoffmann and Vanham’s book, The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability, explores how companies can balance business needs with impacts on nature, shareholders with stakeholders, and short-term vs. long-term profits. Hear from the authors and participate in audience Q&A.

Fashion Designer Thao Vu, Founder and Creative Director at Hanoi-based design studio KILOMET109 and Ben Reich, Brand Director and Visual Director at KILOMET109 will visit Harvard as this year’s Asia Center Artists in Residence Tuesday, October 15-Friday, October 18, for a week of events and activities, including several opportunities to see their traditionally made hand dyed garments.

We hope to see you Thursday, October 17, 2024, 4:00-5:45 p.m. in 020 Belfer Case Study Room, CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge at the artists’ panel discussion, A Conversation with Asia Center 2024-25 Artists in Residence Ben Reich and Thao Vu: Kilomet109: Reinterpreting Traditional Craft through Sustainable Fashion in Contemporary Vietnam. Harvard faculty members Chan Yong Bu, Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Melissa McCormick, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Japanese Art and Culture will moderate. The talk will include a demonstration of KILOMET109 fabrics and garments.

The Arboretum becomes a riot of color in October, with leaves turning deep red, fiery orange, and bright yellow. Have you ever wondered why this happens every autumn? Outdoor Educator Ana Maria Caballero will take us through the science of fall leaf color, including an exploration of pigments and abscission, a hands-on experiment to reveal the array of pigments present in every leaf, and a walk in the landscape to take a closer look at leaves in all phases of color change.

Join online or in person for the 2024 Harvard Radcliffe Institute science symposium, which will bring together scientists, public officials, industry leaders, environmental justice advocates, and behavioral scientists to investigate an equitable energy revolution, critical to the future of our planet.

Join Harvard Radcliffe Institute for the opening keynote session of the conference, “Power Shift: Energy Innovation, Sustainability, and Equity,” with Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer.

Hosted by Harvard FAS Mignone Center for Career Success (undergraduate, MA/MS/ALM, and PhD) in collaboration with the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, the Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard Business School, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Our fall semester Freecycle dates are official: Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Tuesday, Dec. 3! Bring your reusable goods and browse items that others have brought. This popular event promotes reuse and functions like a yard sale, except everything is free.