Environmental Council Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2001
Le Chateau E
Chair: Nan Jenks-Jay
In Attendance: Lori Del Negro, Charlotte Tate, Mike Moser, Katy Saunders, Charlie Sargent, Jon Isham, Ben Wessler, Helen Young, Caitlin Hicks, Oren Frey, Dane Springmeyer, Nan Jenks-Jay, Connie Leach Bisson
1. The meeting was called to order at 4:20 p.m.
2. Introductions: Nan Jenks-Jay introduced Connie Leach Bisson as the new Sustainable Campus Coordinator and everyone else introduced her or himself. All faculty and staff members of the Council were present. Five students attended the meeting. All students who had indicated an interest to Connie in participating on the EC this year were invited to attend. The SGA will complete their appointment process soon. Applications are due by Friday (9/21/01) to SGA.
3. History of Environmental Council
Nan Jenks-Jay provided a brief history of the EC. The roots for the current Council began in the 1970's by Dave Ginevan with the establishment of the Energy Council. This group was charge with developing conservation measures and technological advances to minimize energy use on campus. As the energy crisis subsided, the council became dormant in 1985 but was resurrected by Dave Ginevan in the late 80's under a broader charge.
Early Chairs of the Council in the mid-'90s included John Elder and Steven Rockefeller. Under Steven's leadership, a visionary document "Pathways to a Green Campus" was developed that articulated a course for the council. In 1995, the EC became a standing council of the college, and thereby, an advisory committee to the President. The Student Government Association, Staff Council and Faculty Council appoint members to the EC. Two years ago, the EC began a small environmental grants program to assist in implementing components of the State of the Environment Report. President McCardell provided a substantial increase in the funding of this program for 2000-01 and has authorized $25,000 for 2001-02.
- Summer Updates & Announcements
*The Environmental Peak Report was completed and submitted to the Provost in late spring, including a set of recommendations from the EC on "The 21st Century Sustainable Campus". The Environmental Peak serves as the umbrella for merging the academic (Environmental Studies) and non-academic (Environmental Affairs and Planning). A copy of these recommendations is attached and will be discussed more fully at the next meeting.
*A Luce Foundation proposal has advanced to the second tier of review. The proposal would enable the integration of students into the Sustainable Campus Design & Construction process. ($362,700 over three years requested)
*Some of Middlebury College land's are now green certified. This summer, the harvesting of birch and beech for Ross Commons began.
*Bill McKibben is a visiting scholar at Middlebury this year. He has no formal teaching requirements but is currently making himself available.
*Vermont was designated a Clean City in June by the US Department of Energy. Middlebury College is on the Steering Committee of the Vermont Clean Vehicles Coalition that sought the designation. Eric Davis signed a Memorandum of Understanding along with 21 other partners committing to the goals of the coalition during the ceremony in Burlington. The goals include expanding the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and building a local alternative fueling infrastructure.
*Middlebury College is still leasing an electric truck and sedan from E-Vermont.
*Environmental orientations are on-going for new students, staff, and faculty.
*"Think Blue – Act Green" is the new design on the reusable mug financed by Dining Services. Design created by Pam Fogg in College Advancement.
*Recycling Facility permits have been received and construction should begin soon and be completed in May 2002. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources award a C&D Recycling grant to the College to document the construction salvage and recycling process in collaboration with Bread Loaf Construction.
*A new green house at the compost site (EC Env. Grant from 00-01) should be completed in the next few weeks.
Announcements:
*Dr. Helen Caldicott will be speaking on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at St. Michael's College as part of an Ecology, Religion and Social Justice seminar series. 7 pm
*Howard E. Woodin Colloquium series began last Thursday with Dartmouth Professor Andrew Friedland. This week's presenter is Visiting Instructor Michael Sheridan who will be talking about Deforestation in North Eastern Tanzania.
*Lori Del Negro and Caitlin Hicks both drive a Toyota Prius.
*Happy Birthday to Jon Isham.
- Environmental Grants
Connie requested the immediate formation of an Environmental Grants subcommittee so that an announcement of grant availability could be disseminated across campus next week. Those considering applying for a grant should not be part of the subcommittee. Immediate volunteers included: Ben Wessler, Caitlin Hicks and Charlotte Tate. Franci Farnsworth will also be part of the sub-committee.
- Priorities
Council members discussed possible priorities for the year and sub-committees. Under consideration are:
A) Carbon Neutral Campus/Emissions Inventory (Climate Change)
B) State of the Environment
C) Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
D) Environmental Grants
E) Events/Publicity/Information Dissemination
There was some discussion about including (TDM) as part of the Climate Change subcommittee.
Members will contact Connie with their subcommittee interests.
- Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 2nd at 4:15 @ Le Chateau E
ATTACHMENT
The 21 Century Sustainable Campus (section 12)
* Increase the number of acres of College forest land in the Vermont Family Forest Green Certified Forestry Program
* Leased College agricultural land should require that more sustainable practices be used
such as reduced chemicals and buffers from waterways for tilled fields
* Trails on College lands should be maintained as to cause no erosion or siltation
* The trees on campus should continue to be inventoried and mapped via GIS for management and academic use
* Bread Loaf and Snowbowl land management practices should conform to a set of higher environmental standards and begin implementing sustainable practices
* The College should develop a lands committee to guide management and liquidation of lands
* The campuses of Middlebury programs abroad should be investigated to see which are already employing sustainable practices, prevalent in Europe, and which could start
* Study the effects of reducing chemicals on athletic fields while continuing to provide safe and high quality turf
* Create a 50' buffer between wetland or waterways and fields that use chemical applications
* Develop policy for chemical use on the campus landscape
* Have landscaping staff become trained and knowledgeable in methods of sustainable landscaping in the northeast to plant more appropriate northern species, polycultures and to reduced chemical dependence
* Before selling college land, consider impact on sprawl, agriculture, viewsheds, protected lands and others regional impacts
* Use a higher recycled content of paper on campus with a goal of 100%, non-chlorine bleached paper for photocopying and printing
* Purchase green certified wood products when available with a preference for regional
* Purchase recycled and reconstituted products when available
* Purchase only non-toxic paints and carpets for campus buildings
* Develop purchasing policy or protocol to be used by the Purchasing Dept.
* Have purchasing agents become trained and knowledgeable about sustainable purchasing
* Provide training for administrative depts. on responsible purchasing
* Adopt a zero net emissions, carbon neutral, goal for the College
* Consider reducing greenhouse gas emissions by standards set by Kyoto Protocol
* Explore alternative modes of energy generation
* Install smart sensors and electronic monitors in buildings to conserve energy
* Reduce college use of non-renewables and nuclear power during deregulation by purchasing from alternative energy suppliers
* Provide incentives to those who car pool, walk, bike, or those who have energy-efficient cars, or those who purchase solar panels for their houses
* Adopt air conditioning policy to reduce energy use
* Shift more fleet vehicle to alternative fuel and reduced emission vehicles (bicycles for summer security)
* Follow College's Sustainable Building Principles and Framework in building and construction in conjunction with the national LEED standards & update regularly
* Add the Sustainable Building Principles and Framework to the College's Master Plan
* Critical evaluation of current structures for ways to renovate to be more energy efficient as well as maximize functionality so new buildings are not always necessary
* Stop sprawl on campus by keeping buildings in the core of campus rather than the fringe
* Encourage socially and environmentally responsible investments beginning with a pilot program as an example
* Develop Transportation Demand Management program to increase alternative opportunities for faculty/staff commuting
* Develop a Comprehensive Campus Transportation and Circulation Plan that includes the pedestrian campus and closes Old Chapel Road
* Restrict number of student cars brought to campus
* Move all student parking to periphery of campus, reduce parking availability in the campus core
* Offer shuttles, bike facilities and pedestrian ways to encourage the campus community to not drive across campus
* Provide shuttles to the Snow Bowl, Burlington, and Amtrak during peak times
* Make the campus more bike friendly by developing bike lanes, bike storage, and showers for commuters
* Integrate local and campus transit plans
* Purchase or lease more alternatively fueled vehicles for campus fleet
* Consider other creative solutions to transportation issues on campus
* Reduce amount of waste generated on campus and provide training to minimize purchasing
* Investigate where recycling decreased volume came from and how it can be restored
* Replace current recycling with a state of the art facility
* Enforce College's Waste Management C&D policy for construction managers
* Involve more local and regional groups in sustainability projects
* Increase first year students' education program about the environment, Midd, and student responsibility working with the Commons
* Consider regional partnerships to help develop sustainable markets and producers
* Integrate sustainability issues into academics in various ways to connect sustainability initiatives and academic lessons
* Hire faculty member with a background in sustainability
* Conduct a regular campus environmental audit with standardized measurements for comparison
* Install meters in all buildings to measure energy use and retrofit where necessary
* Dedicate new budget or endowment funds to support the successful campus environmental grant program to continue innovative and practical applications of sustainable campus concepts by staff, students and faculty at the College
* Consider endorsing the Earth Charter