Tina Bessias
Author's posts
Sep 06
Faculty & Staff Focus on Sustainability
Every year, when faculty and staff assemble for opening meetings, we come with varying degrees of readiness but generally high hopes for the school year. Amid grand plans, training sessions, and endless details, we devote a day to professional development. This year’s topic, environmental sustainability, grew out of the Board of Trustees’ decision in December, …
May 31
Conversation Starters
The #1 thing we can do to stop global warming is talk about it! Most of us don’t talk much about climate change, but doing so is the best way to have a positive impact. If that seems strange, check with the experts: The Natural Resources Defense Council, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, or the Oxford …
May 22
Where should I start?
You want to live more sustainably, but everyday life is overwhelming enough without trying to rethink the habits and structures that make it work. So you ask: what’s one meaningful thing I could do? 9th graders have answers! In their Living Sustainably class, 9th graders did a quick assessment of their personal eco-footprint (you can …
Feb 22
Plan for Sustain-in 2024
Come one, come all! 6pm-12am February 29Upper School STEM & Humanities Building Come when you can, leave when you must! Bring your e-waste from home to drop for recycling.
Dec 13
Hope and Heroes
Join the conversation! Who or what gets you excited about sustainability? Students in the Environmental Sustainability in Action class share their thoughts. Replies and additional examples welcome! Please include your name and DA affiliation with your post. I believe that hope the most important thing in climate actions because it is the path to motivation …
Aug 08
Electric Bike
All summer I’ve been talking about electric bikes and riding the one I bought in late June. I’ve learned a lot , and many people seem curious, so I’ve pulled together some thoughts–plus a little advice :). Why get an e-bike? I suppose there are as many answers as people to this one, but I …
Jul 15
Educating for Sustainability Workshop
Such positive, inspiring, highly informed, data-based and comprehensive content. Not just science-y stuff, as many anticipated. There’s an entry point for all participants. Andrea Caruso, US Science On October 2-3, DA will offer Jaimie Cloud’s Introduction to Educating for Sustainability. This workshop was first held at DA in August 2022, when some 45 members of …
Mar 08
Sustain-In Results
Approximately 100 people attended the Sustain-In on February 23 and spent the evening–or the whole night–talking sustainability at Durham Academy. There was attention to nature, thanks to a presentation by Merritt Schulz ‘25 and a night walk led by science teacher Andrea Caruso. There was discussion of the role sustainability plays in the school’s culture …
Jan 04
Carbon Footprint Revealed! What’s next?
Total emissions and approaches to reducing them We have the report from Green Places, and it shows that DA generated 3,532 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2021-22. It’s the answer to a big, important question, yet it generates so many new questions! Some of them were addressed in a presentation on December 19 by …
Dec 14
Students Present to Parents
What is sustainability and why does it matter? By Rasna Prakash, President, DA Parents Association The DA Parents Association was fortunate to hear from the Upper School sustainability students at our December meeting. Thomas Pollard ’24, Cana Yao ’26, Miller Roessler ’24 and Amelia Fay ’25 provided information to parents and caregivers about the opportunities …
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