June 4&5

World Environment Day in San Francisco is actually five days, June 1-5, with city-wide festivities that include special events focusing on urban environmental issues. Each day of the 5-day events will focus on a specific theme: Urban Power (energy, renewables and energy conservation), Cities on the Move (transportation), Redesigning Metropolis (waste diversion and the built environment), Pure Elements (food, water and air) and Flower Power (open space, biodiversity and greening the urban environment). The Exploratorium gets into the act on June 4 and 5, with films on water (a pure element) and hands on activities from out of the garden. The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, June 4
World Environment Day
McBean Theater
2pm

In honor of World Environment Day, the Exploratorium screens Thirst (2004, 62 min.) directed by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman. Is water part of a shared “commons”, a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace? Thirst tells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States that are asking these fundamental questions, as water becomes the most valuable global resource of the 21st Century. A character-driven documentary with no narration, Thirst reveals how the debate over water rights between communities and corporations can serve as a catalyst for explosive and steadfast resistance to globalization. Free with museum admission.

Family Workshop: Kitchen Art, Garden Art
Sunday, June 5
1pm & 3pm

Ever admire a beet red, a coffee brown? Can you make an eggshell white from actual eggshells, or a grass green from grass clippings? In celebration of World Environment Day, come explore the artistic potential of your own backyard. Instead of making landscape compositions, we’ll be composing with landscape, using (non-toxic) mineral and vegetable sources to paint, dye, print, and collage our own expressions of nature. All materials provided. For ages 4 and up. Free with museum admission.