Having a more sustainable holiday season is the focus of the next Northern Illinois University STEM Cafe program to be held Wednesday in Sugar Grove.
At the event, participants can learn tips for creating a more sustainable holiday season from NIU Dean Bob Brinkmann, a geologist, sustainability expert and author of “Practical Sustainability: A Guide to a More Sustainable Life.”
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Fireside Grille, 49 Sugar Lane in Sugar Grove. The event is free and open to the public, with food and drink available for purchase from Fireside Grille.
For more information or to register, go to go.niu.edu/STEMCafe.
“This is the time of year when we all go crazy being unsustainable – too much eating, too much shopping and all of that,” Brinkmann said in a press release for the event. “So, I am going to try to help people develop a sustainability mindset to help guide them through the holidays. I hope to show people how to focus more on fun and family.”
For several years, Brinkmann has been sharing sustainability challenges to help people approach cooking, eating, entertaining and gift-giving in greener, more sustainable ways, according to the release.
Last year, he turned his sustainability focus on the holiday season, developing a series of videos on topics such as managing gift purchases, making holiday travel greener and incorporating sustainability into party planning and holiday meals.
At the event in Sugar Grove, Brinkmann will share some of the tips he developed for the series and will talk about how small changes cumulatively can make a big difference.
“I am a big believer in the notion that if you change yourself, you change the world,” he said.
Northern Illinois University STEM Cafe events are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives, according to the release. This event is offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bayer Fund.
