Upper School students Audrey Dai '21, Maclaine Oskin '21, and Eli Zemsky '23 presented on climate justice, food waste, and green spaces respectively at Touchstone Theatre's Festival UnBound Sustainability Forum on September 19, 2020. 

"Climate justice," Audrey Dai '21 begins. "These two simple words are probably not as familiar as the now very politically infused 'climate change.' Instead, these words emphasize how environmental changes are an issue of civil and human rights." 

She goes on to explain the link between socio-economic disparities and climate change, inequities that effect people of the Lehigh Valley but that exist globally. 

For his presentation, Eli Zemsky '23 also discusses a global issue that impacts our local community: food waste. Zemsky explains that, "Our food supply chain pumps an extreme amount of unneeded food into homes and businesses, then completely mismanages the waste. [...] Meanwhile, neighborhoods and families across the country cannot access the food they need. In the Lehigh Valley, about one in ten residents and one in three children rely on food banks and food pantries."

You can watch his presentation below and read the full essay here: 

Maclaine Oskin '21 rounds out the trio of Moravian students to present at the Forum, drawing attention to that fact that "the number of trees and open space dwindle" while the Lehigh Valley's "ever-growing population and robust mixed economy continues to develop." She explains how "green space is vital to preserving local ecosystems, increasing environmental resilience and the community's economic and social health."

The Sustainability Forum brings together "high schoolers from across Bethlehem [...] to share projects that would create a more sustainable community for all of us." We're proud of our students for creating actionable solutions to environmental issues that impact our community and our world at large.