Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., one of the nation's leading environmentalists and an advocate for clean American waterways, will address water purity and the vital role that every Columbian can play in protecting the environment. The session will be held Dec. 5 from noon to 1 p.m. in Ferris Booth Commons, Lerner Hall. Those interested in attending are advised to arrive early because of limited seating.

"The Columbia administration has wanted to bring notable environmentalists to the community for some time," said Loretta Greenholtz, assistant vice president for environmental health and safety, who oversees Columbia's advisory committee on the environment, co-sponsor of the event with dining services. "We are extremely pleased to have Mr. Kennedy and hope this is the first of many brown bag lectures to come."

For more than 15 years, Kennedy has made clean water his cause. As chief attorney for Riverkeeper, an organization founded in 1966 that is credited with helping clean up New York's Hudson River, Kennedy has played a vital role fighting local water pollution and setting public policy to protect the nation's waterways. But his commitment to water purity does not stop at litigation. In 1999, Kennedy took his interests to the marketplace by co-founding Keeper Springs bottled water, a company that donates all profits to clean-water activist groups around the country. Keeper Springs is sold at a number of Columbia's dining venues.

When Keeper Springs became available last spring, Columbia's Business Services quickly signed on. "At a time when we were working with students to address their concerns surrounding sweatshops, here was this socially responsible vendor," said Scott Wright, director of dining services. "When students drink Keeper Springs water, they know that they are making a difference."

In addition to Keeper Springs, Columbia also supports a number of socially responsible products, including Fair Trade coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Company, which provides a fair price to small-scale coffee farmers and invests in women's healthcare projects in third-world countries, and popcorn and lemonade from Newman's Own, a company that dedicates all profits to charity.