November 17, 1999
Environmental Council Meeting Minutes
November 17, 1999
Geonomics Library
Chair: Nan Jenks-Jay
In Attendance: Amy Seif, Krista Siringo, George McPhail, Kathy Morse, Margaret Aleks, Charlie Sargent, Dan Bedford, Tom Kelly, Jessica Pasko, Mike Snow, Oren Frey, Tyson Schoelzel, Brian Harding.
Absent: Linda Pitkin.
1. The meeting was called to order at 4:20 p.m.
2. The minutes were approved from the November 3 meeting.
3. Presentation by Kurt Teichert on Brown is Green
A. Background : Brown University declared "Brown is Green" with kick-off ceremony including the President, Provost, and Ralph Nader. Brown is Green Committee was formed. Kurt, the Environmental Coordinator, mostly deals with energy retrofits.
B. Tranportation : Students at Brown are involved with transportation demand management projects. Student research also involves surveys. Transportation concerns are part of a staff development seminar series. An electronic bulletin board assists with car-pools. They are trying to reduce the demand for parking spaces and looking at the barriers to mass transit. Brown offers incentives to employees. Brown's VP for Finance sees parking as a major problem and has put resources towards demand reduction. Brown does not offer many biking incentives, but Kurt suggests sheltered bike racks and showers. Brown's transportation demand program mainly focuses on staff, since these are the commuters, while students park at remote lots.
4. Events and Meetings
A. Environmental Fair : All tables are filled with participating organizations from on and off-campus. Jess and Tyson will troubleshoot at the Fair.
B. Buying Recycled : Nan and Amy will conduct follow-up with Purchasing and Dining. Dining is interested in leasing Interface carpet squares. The State of Vermont may offer good information, as well as Rutgers and the EPA. We need to better inform ourselves.
C. Climate Change and Vermont : Quebec-Labrador Foundation and UVM sponsored this day-long meeting on the effects of climate change on the Vermont economy. Effects may include a decrease in maple sugar production and blows to tourism in the ski industry and fall leaf-peeping. "Slush sucks" could be used as a slogan for the Middlebury ski team. Middlebury can choose to become a part of the Tufts Climate Initiative and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Kyoto Treaty.
D. Second Nature Northeast Workshop : Krista, Amy, and Nan attended this weekend-long workshop in Connecticut. Best practices at greening academic institutions were explored. Krista has more information.
5. Sub-Committee Reports
A. Transportation : The Committee developed a short survey for the Environmental Fair. They will try to incorporate Rich Wolfson's class survey into the main survey project, as well as connect with next semester's E112 class.
B. Audit Implementation : The Committee has identified key subject areas that need to be addressed and is developing a mission statement. They plan to stimulate improvements on the last audit suggestions through utilizing a small grants program. This year, the budget is $1500, but they will ask for more funds next year.
C. Audit Planning : Perhaps there should be more involvement in the Audit Planning committee by members of the Audit Implementation group. They are asking the question, "Should this be an audit of everything or just on specific subject areas." There was a suggestion to focus on the issue of the year. The Committee is presently working on a mission statement. Kurt Teichert suggested that they go limited in scope, year by year. It will be two years before the information systems are organized through the Minerva project.
D. Outreach : The Committee is working on a mission statement. Some ideas are to do a trail and Otter Creek clean-up, to develop a local contact list, and to hold a general meeting with Environmental Liasons and others in the Spring to announce what the Council has been working on.
6. Other Business :
A. Environmental Fair Committee: A suggestion for involving the Environmental Fair Committee in Earth Week and Graduation was given.
C. Meeting with the President : The Environmental Council typically meets with the President once a year to inform him of the Council's work and get his suggestions.
D. Student Handbook : Each year the environmental policy in the Student Handbook gets revised, and this year the Council should have some say in it.
E. Greenhouse Project : Dan advises a student who is working to expand the greenhouse operations used by Dining and possibly link the greenhouse to a academic focus in Sustainable Agriculture.
F. Campus Lighting Walk : Oren and Mike participated and will report on the walk at the next Council meeting.
7. The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Amy Seif on November 24, 1999.
