WorldView Good Reads: Off the Press for April 2018
Published: April 24, 2018
During the month of April, we featured blogposts that highlighted the importance of language proficiency being paired with science and environmental awareness. We also emphasized the value of being immersed in nature without the distraction of technology devices. For our Good Reads section, we provide further reading on similar topics.
Earth Day
Earth Day just happened on April 22. You may have engaged in a local or global activity that put the focus on our planet and our most pressing environmental issues. This year, there was a call to reduce plastic pollution. The Earth Day Network even constructed a plastic consumption calculator. Here are some links that offer interesting ideas and information for this year, or the next:
- National Geographic’s call for participation;
- environmental policy and research from the Brookings Institution; and
- some classroom teaching ideas that connect to Earth Day.
Earth Day is particularly resonant for Concordia Language Villages. Ever since the first Earth Day began as an ‘environmental teach-in’ on April 22, 1970, the world’s languages have been enriched with a whole new vocabulary. Dan Karl Hamilton, German Language Village dean, shows how we emphasize environmental education in our programming at the Villages in “Sow Peace. Change the Climate.”
Environmental Awareness
Stephen Tanner, the architect of the Waldsee BioHaus, is a trailblazer on climate-neutral and sustainable building design. Constructed over ten years ago, the BioHaus is the first certified Passive House in North America. Tanner authored a WorldView post in September 2016 that shows how the BioHaus is a stepping stone to the 2000-Watt Society.
And if you are intrigued by the 2000-Watt Society, read how the citizens of Switzerland voted to achieve this goal by 2050.
Science Career Path on the World Stage
Research is now based on a global system in almost every scientific field. International science has grown at an astonishing rate, as outlined by Jeff Grabmeier at The Ohio State University. If you add language to your repertoire of specialized skills, then you will be able to connect much more readily with scientific colleagues around the world.
Caroline Little, a Minnesota-based educator, is a strong advocate for melding the teaching of world languages and STEM skills. For her, it is not an “either/or” debate, as you’ll see in her article on “Modern Day Pioneers.”
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