Month: February 2022

Sustainability Month: Week 5

February 28, 2022 /

Sustainability Month is drawing to an end, so make sure to make most of these last few exciting events!

Check out the events taking place this and next week:*

Monday 28th 13:00
–
14:00		 Proudly Lunch & Learn: Creating sex, gender and biology (LGBTQ+ History Month) This event will uncover the processes by which understandings of sex, gender and biology are constructed through investigating the relationship between what we deem ‘normal’ and ‘natural’.

 
16:00
–
17:00		 Meet the Farmer – Bismark Kpabitey (Fairtrade Fortnight) Meet Bismark, a cocoa farmer from the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in Ghana, to learn about his life and the faces behind the Fairtrade work.

 
Tuesday 1st 12:00
–
13:00		 Embedding Fairtrade within an Organisation Find out what an exciting career lays ahead of you should you choose sustainable and ethical companies. Hear about the challenges and rewards of embedding Fairtrade in the HE and private sector and supply chains.

 
Wednesday 2nd 13:00
–
14:00		 Global Health and Climate Change (Sustainability Seminar Series) Is climate change the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century? Join Professor Paul Ekins as he explores “the 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future”.

 
14:00
–
15:30		 Poetry Lunch & Do Session – International Women’s Day (online and in person) Have you got a vision for a more equal world? Would you like to unleash your creative side? This International Women’s Day we are looking to collect your ideas of how things would be different in a more equal world.

 
18:00
–
19:30		 Mind the (Finance) Gap – Mitigation & Adaptation Finance (organised by Imperial and Oxford) Expert panellists will share their insights on topics such as scaling up sustainable finance for the transition to net-zero, managing risks and developing the necessary skills and technology at this inter-university event.

 
Thursday 3rd 11:00
–
14:00		 Cycling in London Swing by the Bush House Courtyard for free bike health checks, advice and small fixes, as well as all the information you need including locating bike lockers on campus, the TfL cycle safety pages, cycle buddy schemes and the KCL Cycling Club.

 
Friday 4th 9:30
–
11:00		 The World We Want to Create – A Vision for the Future What positive world could we create if more people addressed the climate emergency? This new, fortnightly interactive event series focuses on the possibilities of a better world to motivate climate action.

 
17:45
–
19:15		 Book Event with Paul Mendez – Author of “Rainbow Milk” (LGBTQ+ History Month) The LGBT+ Book Club invites Paul Mendez to discuss his queer novel “Rainbow Milk” which follows nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of his Jehovah’s Witness upbringing.

 
Monday 7th 16:00
–
18:00		 Inequality in South Korea and Squid Game This event will focus on four main issues in Korea: migrant labour and racism, labour relations and capitalism, North Korean defector, and gender Inequality and its non-awareness and invisibility. These topics feature dominantly in the popular Netflix Series “Squid Game”.

 
Tuesday 8th 12:00
–
13:00		 International Women’s Day Elevate (King’s Staff Gender Equality Network) and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team are planning events for International Women’s Day including a poetry recital. Register your interest here to stay in the loop.

 

* Please note some events were postponed due to the strikes. You can find the most recent updates here.

Sustainability Month: Week 4

February 21, 2022 /

Time is flying by this Sustainability Month!

Sustainability Month is a collaboration between King’s and KCLSU that offers all those involved an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s and #TakeAction on the climate crisis.

Check out the events taking place this week (21st to 25th of February)*

Monday 11:00
–
12:00		 Stitch and Pitch Join this new creativity and ideas session with your stitching project, or come to learn a new skill. This session’s discussion topic: SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
14:00
–
15:00		 QCGBF Virtual Seminar Series – The Macroeconomic Cost of Climate Volatility (by QCGBF) The Qatar Centre for Global Banking & Finance welcomes Haroon Mumtaz from Queen Mary University of London and Piergiorgio Alessandri from the Bank of Italy to discuss the impact of climate volatility on economic growth.
Tuesday 12:00
–
13:00		 Sustainability meetup (Bush House Activity Room F, 8th floor SE wing) Meet students and societies involved in sustainability and find out how the King’s Sustainability Team can support you with promotions, support for events, and funding. Email Tasnia if you have any questions.
14:00
–
16:00		 Achieving Education for Sustainable Development – A Panel Event Have you ever wondered what Education for Sustainable Development is and how we can incorporate it? This panel will explore how we can achieve an educational practice that encourages change in knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, to enable a more sustainable and just society for all.
18:00
–
19:00		 How to break into sustainability – a guide for an impactful career This event will provide students with insight into sustainable careers through 3 guest speakers with different backgrounds in sustainability.
Wednesday 14:00
–
16:00		 Fair Energy Forum In this workshop, you will learn about the issues within the energy sector and the causes and consequences of the current energy emergency. You will brainstorm solutions, redesign policies and contribute to challenging injustice through community organising.
Thursday 12:00
–
13:00		 LGBTQ+ Allyship Leadership Class (LGBTQ+ History Month) To mark LGBTQ+ History Month, KCLSU is offering a Leadership Class helping you understand and learn how to practice allyship with the LGBTQ+ community.
12:30
–
17:30		 London Student Sustainability Conference Join this inter-university, student-led conference to broaden your knowledge of the challenges and solutions to today’s most critical issues; network with students, academics and professionals from universities across London; and gain inspiration for your own research or dissertation projects.
15:00
–
16:30		 Digital Sustainability – How any start-up with an online presence can deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals Emissions from digital industries match those of aviation and are growing. This event will explore how start-up founders with digital products and services can, and must, act on sustainability.
Friday 11:00
–
12:00		 LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in STEM (and beyond) (LGBTQ+ History Month) This session will discuss findings from recent surveys of LGBTQ+ individuals working in STEM, and ways in which everyone can help make our university a diverse and welcoming place.
13:00
–
14:00		 Lunch & Learn – Service at King’s & Sustainability Come along to this interactive session to discover how you can take action by volunteering for the SDGs and find out about the new and exciting volunteering service.

*Please note there might be changes due to the strikes. You can find the most recent updates here.

More things to check out throughout the month:

  • Visit our Shots for Hope exhibition in The Exchange, Bush House between 2 February and 3 March. The exhibition features photos submitted by King’s students and staff that inspired hope.
  • This month coincides with LGBTQ+ History Month – make sure to get involved in that too.
  • Join the King’s Move challenge: get active by switching up your typical commute for something more active this February.

All registration is done via Eventbrite. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates and discussion!

LGBTQ+ History Month in full swing

February 17, 2022 /

LGBTQ+ History Month is a month-long annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary history, including the history of LGBTQ+ rights and related civil rights movements. In the United Kingdom it is celebrated in February each year, to coincide with the 2003 abolition of Section 28 which prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality by local authorities”.

Make sure you check out the following resources:

Relevant groups:

Sustainability Month: Week 3

February 14, 2022 /

Sustainability Month is already in its third week!

Sustainability Month is a collaboration between King’s and KCLSU that offers all those involved an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s and #TakeAction on the climate crisis.

Check out the events taking place this week (14th to 18th of February)*

Monday 15:30
–
17:00		 The World We Want to Create – A Vision for the Future

 

 What positive world could we create if more people addressed the climate emergency? This new, fortnightly interactive event series focuses on the possibilities of a better world to motivate climate action. 
Tuesday 18:30
–
19:30		 Diet and Sustainability – how to eat to fight climate change (CANCELLED) This event will discuss the close link between diet and sustainability, focusing on the benefits of a plant-based diet and its implications for sustainable food systems and the environment. 
Wednesday 13:00
–
14:00		 Proudly King’s History Month Quiz! Lunchtime social (LGBTQ+)  This LGBTQ+ lunchtime quiz covers trailblazers, pop culture and more. Fun AND educational? Sign up. 
18:00
–
21:00		 Seminars on environmental education debate strategies to teach for a sustainable future (Brazil Week)

 

 Specialists from the UK and Brazil will lead roundtables to discuss environmental education and practical approaches to implementing it (day 1). 
18:00
–
20:00		 Climate, environment and security in the Amazon rainforest (Brazil Week)

 

 This panel aims to present multidimensional perspectives to sustainability policies, international cooperation, national security, and sovereignty in the Amazon region. 
Thursday 18:00
–
21:00		 Seminars on environmental education debate strategies to teach for a sustainable future (Brazil Week)  Specialists from the UK and Brazil will lead roundtables to discuss environmental education and practical approaches to implementing it (day 2).

 
18:30
–
19:30		 The Climate Crisis and Refugees

 

 This event will educate King’s students and staff on migrant rights, and examine the links between climate change and migration. 
Friday 17:00
–
18:30		 Amazon deforestation in the context of international relations of Brazil (Brazil Week)  Join forest engineer Virgilio Viana for this lecture on the deforestation of the Amazon and its effects on international relations in Brazil.

 
18:00
–
19:30		 Careers in Sustainability Q&A Panel (w/ KCL Geography Society)

 

 This event will explore environmental, economic and social careers in sustainability, and discuss networking opportunities that exist for students. 

*Please note there have been some changes due to the strikes. You can find the most recent updates here.

More things to check out throughout the month:

  • Visit our Shots for Hope exhibition in The Exchange, Bush House between 2 February and 3 March. The exhibition features photos submitted by King’s students and staff that inspired hope.
  • This month coincides with LGBTQ+ History Month – make sure to get involved in that too.
  • Join the King’s Move challenge: get active by switching up your typical commute for something more active this February.

All registration is done via Eventbrite. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates and discussion!

Sustainability Month: Week 2

February 7, 2022 /

Sustainability Month is in full swing!

Sustainability Month is a collaboration between King’s and KCLSU that offers all those involved an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s and #TakeAction on the climate crisis.

Check out the events taking place this week (7th to 11th of February):

Monday 18:30
–
20:00		 Addressing the Climate Crises from a Policy Perspective This event will increase awareness and understanding of how we can address climate issues through policy innovation.
Tuesday 10:00
–
11:00		  

King’s Climate Action Network Plenary

 This plenary will offer an update on climate action progress at King’s and a discussion of some important opportunities and challenges.
13:00
–
15:00		 Panel for Climate Justice This event aims to promote inclusion in the climate movement and avoid narratives of exclusion, which are frequently promoted by dominant climate movements.
14:00
–
16:00		 Show the Love at Denmark Hill Attendees will participate in the Show The Love climate awareness campaign, which encourages gentle activism.
Wednesday 11:00
–
13:00		  

Show the Love at Waterloo

 Attendees will participate in the Show The Love climate awareness campaign, which encourages gentle activism.
13:00
–
14:30		  

Against Gender Violence – Self-Defence and Taekwondo (CANCELLED)

 In this event, a Korean martial art and Taekwondo professional will teach the importance of self-defence and demonstrate key moves.
Thursday 11:00
–
14:00		  

SDG Curriculum Mapping Training w/ SOS-UK

 Are you interested in sustainable education and want to build some skills? Receive training from SOS-UK to help map King’s modules alongside the Sustainable Development Goals.
14:00
–
16:00		 Show the Love at Guy’s Attendees will participate in the Show The Love climate awareness campaign, which encourages gentle activism.
Friday 12:00
–
12:45		  

No Dig – A Greener Easier way to Grow your veg

 Interested in growing your own fruit and vegetables? Then this session will provide you with practical advice to do so in a more sustainable and less work-intensive way.
14:00
–
16:00		  

Show the Love at Strand

 Attendees will participate in the Show The Love climate awareness campaign, which encourages gentle activism.

Throughout the month:

  • Visit our Shots for Hope exhibition in The Exchange, Bush House between 2 February and 3 March. The exhibition features photos submitted by Kings students and staff that inspired hope.
  • King’s Move challenge: get active by switching up your typical commute for something more active this February.
  • LGBTQ+ History Month is also taking place in February: a month-long annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual trans, and non-binary history, including the history of LGBTQ+ rights and related civil rights movements. We have included these events in the overview above.

We are excited to see you at the events! Any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at sustainability@kcl.ac.uk.

LGBTQ+ History Month

February 4, 2022 /

This blog post was adapted from a post that Josh Pullen wrote last year, who at that time was the co-chair of Proudly King’s and Waste to Resource Project Coordinator in the Sustainability Team.

February marks LGBTQ+ History Month alongside King’s celebrating Sustainability Month. Environmentalism has always been a core issue of the LGBTQ+ community since the inception of the now-iconic rainbow flag. Each colour represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ experience, and green is for nature.

Overview showing the colours of the LGBTQ+ flag and their meaning

A study done in 2018 found that LGB people were twice as likely to join environmentalist, anti-war and anti-corporate movements. As a social justice movement, the queer community has a keen awareness of issues outside the progressing of sexual and gender identity and has found intersectional links with the Black Lives Matter movement, Occupy Wall Street and the environmentalist movement. Examples of this can even be found within King’s itself with many active Sustainability Champions members being part of Proudly King’s, the LGBTQ+ staff network.

With growing support for ethical and sustainable business practices, the link between progressive environmental issues and the LGBTQ+ movement grows stronger as people understand that fair treatment of the environment means fair treatment of people.

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