April 2022 updates
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Interested in reading Consumed? You can participate anytime by using the weekly outline & activities below to guide your reading. Need a copy of the book? We have a limited number of books available to giveaway, contact sustainability@cornell.edu
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Watch the Keynote conversation with Aja Barber, our kick-off to the Beyond Waste Campaign. Available during April 2022 for Sustainability Month.
Sustainable Cornell Book Club
The Campus Sustainability Office is launching a book club in partnership with faculty on North Campus and West Campus to encourage exploration of key topics related to campus sustainability and the creation of a sustainable culture in our community and beyond.
The book club begins March 7th and is open to all members of the campus community. The first book will be Consumed: The Need for Collective Change by author and fashion-industry guru Aja Barber. The book club will coincide with the campus Beyond Waste campaign, a 2 month initiative with events and activities at Cornell to engage the campus in a dialogue about our relationship to purchasing, products, and waste.
To participate, register here for the spring book club series. Aja Barber will also provide a keynote lecture for the Beyond Waste campaign on Thursday February 24th.
Overview
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Each week participants will read one section of the book
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Weekly emails from the Campus Sustainability Office will encourage you to reflect on what you learned using a virtual journal
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Two campus discussions for book club readers to engage in as a group will occur during Spring 2022
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Several residential communities will be hosting 1-2 small chats for community residents to connect and talk in-person. See the Cornell Events calendar for details on which residential communities are participating.
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Towards the end of the book, one of our campus discussions will explore how we can apply what we have learned - to begin living and working on campus differently, together.
Week 1: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, March 7th – Sunday, March 13th
Readings
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Note on the US Edition
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My Letter to the Fast Fashion CEOs
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Introduction
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Chapter 1: Sustainability and Me
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Recording of our keynote conversation with Aja Barber, available until March 10th
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Article on #publishingpaidme
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Cornell’s Beyond Waste Campaign
Week 2: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, March 14th – Sunday, March 20th
Readings
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Chapter 2: Colonization: The Root of the Problem
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Podcast: Remember Who Made Them
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The All We Can Save Project & Book
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Guardian report (April 2012): Britain destroyed records of colonial crimes
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The Atlantic article (March 2019): Death by Civilization
Week 3: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, March 21st – Sunday, March 27th
Readings
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Chapter 3: Global Wealth: Who's Harming Who?
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Oxfam International: 5 shocking facts about global extreme inequality
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United Nations Environment Programme (March 2019)
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Deutsche Welle Documentary (TVCC): The world's most polluted river (Citarum River in Indonesia)
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Vanessa Nakate (Instagram)
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Podcast with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: How to Save a Planet
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The New York Times article (March 2021): The Fashion World Promised More Diversity. Here's What We Found.
Week 4: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, March 28th – Sunday, April 3rd
Readings
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Chapter 4: How the Fast Fashion System Works
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Chapter 5: How Society Works
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Chapter 6: Cultural Appropriation
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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War on Want organization
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#PayUp campaign
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The Story of Stuff (YouTube) - short animated film
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Origin of Gender (PBS) - short video
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Fisayo Longe article via BuzzFeed News
Week 5: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, April 4th – Sunday, April 10th
Readings
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Chapter 7: Shopping: The Great Con
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Patriot Act with Hasan Minaj: Supreme episode (YouTube)
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Aja's capsule collection with Lora Gene, featuring plus-size sustainable clothing
Week 6: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, April 11th – Sunday, April 17th
Readings
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Chapter 8: Let's Get Committed
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Chapter 9: Let's Talk About Us
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Chapter 10: We Need Collective Change
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Fixing Fashion: Clothing, Consumption, and Sustainability, Environmental Audit Committee (2019 Report)
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Fight for $15 minimum wage movement in the U.S.
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Extreme Carbon Inequality, Oxfam media briefing (Dec 2015)
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A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017 Report)
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What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram, NY Times article (Dec 2019)
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2021 Fashion Transparency Index, Fashion Revolution
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Manifesto, Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion
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The Myth of Ethical Consumerism with Elizabeth Cline (YouTube video), The Sustainable Fashion Forum
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Is Fast Fashion an Addiction?, voguebusiness.com article (Dec 2020)
Week 7: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, April 18th – Sunday, April 24th
Readings
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Chapter 11: How to Break the Supply Chain
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Chapter 12: Habits Are Made to Be Broken
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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Remember Who Made Them (podcast episode): Actions Make Movements
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Bad with Money with Gaby Dunn (podcast episode): Screaming into a Jar (aka Student Loans)
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@selltradeplus on Instagram
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Secondhand markets online: Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, thredUP, Depop, Vinted, Poshmark
Week 8: Readings, Reflection, & Resources
Monday, April 25th – Sunday, May 1st
Readings
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Chapter 13: I Believe in You
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Acknowledgements
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How I Have Educated Myself
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Index
Reflection Questions
Resources (mentioned in the book)
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See How I Educated Myself section of the book