October 25, 2000
Environmental Council Meeting Minutes
October 25, 2000
Le Chateau D
Chair: Nan Jenks-Jay
In attendance: Nan Jenks-Jay, Story Parker, Ben Wessler, Kathy Morse, Caitlin Hicks, Amy Seif, Krista Siringo, Katie Saunders, Eric Skovsted, Oren Frey, Charlie Sargent, George McPhail
Absent: Linda Pitkin, Carlos Lopez-Hollis, Mike Snow, Pete Ryan, Tom Kelly,
Jon Isham
1. The meeting was called to order at 4:25 p.m.
2. The minutes from the October 11, 2000 meeting were approved.
3. Council Programs Update
A. Environmental Grant Program:
The Council received eleven grant proposals. Mostly students applied for grants, but we did receive one proposal from a staff member and one from a faculty member. The sub-committee decided to fund seven projects, but asked for revisions on five of the proposals for these projects. The deadline for the grant program will be extended to rolling admissions until Feb 1, 2001 or until all the available funds have been awarded. More advertising will be done, with a focus on getting more staff involvement.
B. Environmental Fair:
Planning for the Fair is going well. The Woodstove Lounge has been reserved for November 16. So far, the groups who will be present include the Facilities Management staff on heat and lighting, the Electric Vehicles Program, Otter Creek Journal, the Bookstore, the Middlebury Food Co-op, Spirit in Nature, Otter Creek Audubon, Northern Forest Alliance, Recycling, and the food and diningware vendors. Dining will put out table tents saying where the food for the Thanksgiving dinner comes from. Amy will provide table tent advertising and write a Middpoints article, and the sub-committee will work on the rest of the advertising.
C. Door-to-door Diningware Collection:
The students in Environmental Council collected about 500-600 missing cups and other diningware by going door-to-door in the residence halls. They will follow this up by sending out a voice mail telling students that there are boxes in the lounges for the cups, and by thanking them for their cooperation.
4. Building an Ecological Economy Conference:
Mike Snow attended the conference, sponsored by the Council, and Amy Seif and Nan Jenks-Jay gave presentations. The Middlebury College talk was well received, and the conference included several helpful presentations on green building. According to Mike, there is a community of people working on sustainability issues already, but it appears that it might take a long time to accomplish goals.
5. Other Business:
A. Electric Vehicle Outreach Intern: Ron Schildge is the new electric vehicle outreach intern.
B. Parking Study Committee: Parking Study Committee is now meeting regularly. This year, the committee will be discussing restricting first year cars, incentives and disincentives, and other issues. Krista Siringo is the representative to the Parking Study Committee.
C. Green Building Council: The College is now a member of the Green Building Council. President McCardell signed the green building code of conduct.
D. Clothesline Project: Oren brought up the idea of getting clotheslines or racks for the residence halls so that students did not have to use dryers. Story will contact EQ to see if they are interested in pursuing this idea and perhaps applying for an environmental grant.
6. Sub-Commitee Meetings:
Because thirteen members of the Council are in more than one sub-committee, it will not be possible for all of them to meet at once at Council meetings. The Council discussed having the Climate Change committee and Grants committee meet on alternative weeks when the Environmental Peak committee and State of Environment Report committee are not meeting. Committees who are not meeting in Council must make outside arrangements for meeting times. This week, the Climate Change and Grants sub-committees met.
7. The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 pm.
Minutes respectively submitted by Amy Seif on October 27, 2000.
