This Semester
Until further notice all events are held online
Until further notice all events are held online
Animals outnumber humans in Switzerland. How should we organize our coexistence? In his talk, ethicist and activist Nico Müller (University of Basel) explains how animal rights philosophy answers this question. At its core, the animal rights movement makes a political demand: Animals should be protected from human violence by means of legal rights. This challenges a status quo where violence against animals, though rarely visible, is more abundant than ever. Think confinement, mutilation, separation, and slaughter. In the eyes of animal rights advocates, traditional animal welfare legislation only micromanages this violence, but does almost nothing to curtail it. The struggle for effective protection for animals however faces strategic challenges. How do you fight for the rights of someone who cannot speak up for themselves? How do you draw attention to violence and suffering that is continuously normalized and made invisible? And how do you translate utopian visions of an animal-friendly Switzerland into realistic political action?
About the speaker:
Dr. des. Nico Müller is a postdoc researcher in ethics (University of Basel) and president of the NGO Animal Rights Switzerland. He studied philosophy and sociology at the University of Zurich before conducting a PhD project on animal ethics at the University of Basel.
Join us on Zoom!
Welche Auswirkungen können „konventionelle” Verhütungsmittel und Periodenprodukte auf unseren Körper und die Umwelt haben? Wie kann ein Verhütungsmittel nachhaltig sein? Und gibt es das überhaupt? Um diese Fragen zu beantworten führt uns Bea Loosli, Gründerin von ladyplanet.ch durch die vier Phasen des Menstruationszyklus und zeigt uns Alternativen zur hormonellen Verhütung. Anschliessend führen wir gemeinsam ein offenes Gespräch zum Thema. Falls du eine Frage hast, diese aber nicht im Zoom vor allen teilen möchtest, kannst du uns deine Fragen gerne per dm auf Instagram zusenden. Ob mit oder ohne Zyklus, du bist herzlich willkommen!
You get home from a routine day, and you don’t feel satisfied: what could that be? You feel there is something missing, but what? Maybe having something more would help? Or maybe it is a matter of focusing less on having, exploring more deeply your human potential? SSC is happy to guide you through the thoughts and ideas of one of the greatest psychologists and psychoanalysts of the XX century: Erich Fromm. What are the needs of human beings, that directly arise from her/his condition? What is a potential path that allows human potential to be best explored, and to share a joyful expression of oneself? How can society support humans in such aim?
The digital event is split into two evenings. In the first one (23/02/21, 18:00, Zoom ID: 931 0419 2754 link) we will focus on human needs and on the conditions that allow to develop human potential. After a 45 minute presentation, the participants will be split into different groups, have the opportunity to share thoughts and experiences and bring ideas all together in the end.
In the second evening (02/03/21, 18:00, Zoom ID: 951 8911 4612 link) we will focus on which societal model, according to Erich Fromm, helps to shape a social character that is aligned with the needs of human beings. The format will be analogous to the first evening.
Looking forward to meeting you there!
You get home from a routine day, and you don’t feel satisfied: what could that be? You feel there is something missing, but what? Maybe having something more would help? Or maybe it is a matter of focusing less on having, exploring more deeply your human potential? SSC is happy to guide you through the thoughts and ideas of one of the greatest psychologists and psychoanalysts of the XX century: Erich Fromm. What are the needs of human beings, that directly arise from her/his condition? What is a potential path that allows human potential to be best explored, and to share a joyful expression of oneself? How can society support humans in such aim?
The digital event is split into two evenings. In the first one (23/02/21, 18:00, Zoom ID: 931 0419 2754 link) we will focus on human needs and on the conditions that allow to develop human potential. After a 45 minute presentation, the participants will be split into different groups, have the opportunity to share thoughts and experiences and bring ideas all together in the end.
In the second evening (02/03/21, 18:00, Zoom ID: 951 8911 4612 link) we will focus on which societal model, according to Erich Fromm, helps to shape a social character that is aligned with the needs of human beings. The format will be analogous to the first evening.
Looking forward to meeting you there!
Interested in some SSC history? Take a look at events organized in previous semesters: Polybox
Are you interested in the topic of urban composting? Do you want to grow herbs and vegetables on your balcony, but don’t know how exactly? In this workshop, you will learn how to do it with the help of Urban roots, a small company from Basel which will provide you with many useful tips. You will get soil, seeds as well as seedlings to take home – all you need to bring is your own pot. After the workshop, you will have the necessary basic knowledge and can try everything out yourself at home. The workshop will take place at ETH Hönggerberg. There is a limited number of participants - please register for this event in advance here. Afterward, we will confirm your participation by e-mail.
Here’s an overview of all SSC events we’ve planned for you in FS21! Looking forward to seeing you there :)
If you’re interested in what events took place in previous semesters, check out our Events Archive below!
Haven’t we all been there - clicking on multiple online clothing shops, thinking of what to buy or not - what suits our style, what is good for our planet, which brand violates human or animal rights? And these decisions are not easy when it comes to everyday choices from buying flight tickets to choosing which milk to drink.
So for next time, to help make better decisions as a consumer, we bring to you a fun evening - a quiz on 17th March, online, starting at 7 pm - filled with exciting prizes, and Q&A on sustainable lifestyle choices. The zoom link will be sent after registration. This game will be followed up with a discussion from experts in the environmental field and hosted by Ph.D. students and researchers from the environmental engineering institute at ETH Zurich, specialized in understanding household consumption footprints. You can register in a group of 2-4 or individually (and you will be allocated to a group) and get competitive!
Click here for the registration link.
The United Nations (UNs), back in 2015, defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be reached by 2030. The noble aims behind such agenda (a more equitable and sustainable global society) face the challenges of a complex and unpredictable world: how can the SDGs be pragmatically put into practice, and which is the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on our efforts in implementing them?
SSC will guide you through the 2020 report of the United Nations on the SDGs, that shares preliminary insights on the effect of the current global pandemic. The digital event is structured as a talk, that dives into six concrete transformation that would enable putting the SDGs into practice (SACHS, Jeffrey D., et al. Six transformations to achieve the sustainable development goals. Nature Sustainability, 2019, 2.9: 805-814) and discusses current obstacles and future perspectives. Looking forward to seeing you there!
The future of business! How can business be sustainable in different aspects? What change is needed and where does it need to be initiated? Is it possible to combine profit-making and sustainability-related practices in the long term? Find out the answers to these and other pressing questions at the SSC panel discussion. Our panelists include Mrs. Josephine Herzig, a Programme Director for B Lab Switzerland and Swiss Triple Impact; Dr. Johannes Meuer, a senior researcher and lecturer in the course “Strategies for Sustainable Business” at ETH and Leonard Creutzburg, a PhD student at the D-USYS at ETH and a member of Post-Growth Zurich.
Join us on Zoom!
‘Physics’ and ‘sustainability’ – a fruitful pair! From 8-12th March the physics department at ETH will explore many facets in which the two can be fused, ranging from surprises in theoretical physics via energy technology all the way to complex climate simulations.
These talks will be intermeshed with hands-on working sessions, focused on DPHYS as a department and ETH as an institution, where we roll up our sleeves to put green goals into practice. A week of celebrating physics and sustaining our future as physicists! For the full program check out: Sustainability Week 2021 – Department of Physics.