Sustainability Hub Minutes 11/15/10
Announcements:
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Lights Off Cornell and COP 16 delegation tabling THIS WEEK! (Come stop by on Friday
11AM-1PM)
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Guest visit from CIPAC and Hillel:
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Hillel and CIPAC have invited the former Israeli Foreign Minister to speak about
environmental policy in Israel and “new frontiers in environmental legislation”
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Here's Daily Sun article about last Wednesday's event:
http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2010/11/18/israeli-diplomat-emphasizesenvironmental-legislation
Updates:
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Update from prescription drug disposal project
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Met with administrators this Saturday
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Cornell already participates, but does not publicize it well
o
Next drive is in December right before break, maybe this is something we can promote
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Looking up what can be done on campus on a smaller scale
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Different types of boxes, maybe locate it in Barton Hall
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Getting in contact with faculty—Dan Maus (?), Rebecca Schneider
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Partner with the SA?
America Recycles Day Report:
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Successful America Recycles Day—not a large volume of recyclables collected, but a lot
of foot traffic and publicity for upcoming Recyclemania
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Plans to expand on it and collect more electronics next year? More collection sites?
Collect at different times during the year (i.e. end of the semester)
Some other recycling-related ideas:
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Finger Lakes E-Waste Center takes old, but working electronics, wipes them of data
and sells them cheaply. Christina working to get a permanent drop off site for old
electronics on campus. Cornell Store, Mann, RPCC, list of possible sites.:
http://fingerlakesreuse.org/ecenter.shtml
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Story of Electronics—in “Story of Stuff” series: http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/
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Perhaps contact Annie Leonard about coming to CU? Must be planned as a big event
o
Wendy Skinner, clothing reuse shop on the commons is wiling to partner with us, may be
useful contact for Greek clothing swap—Victoria (from hub) has her contact info
SA Environmental Committee:
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Working on making a resolution that all byline funded organizations must have an
environmental chair. Presenting this resolution next Thursday
o
In the works: a collaborative project compiling a list of ways student organizations can be
environmentally sound, guidebook for organizations to be informed about ways to plan
and run events in a sustainable manner. Specifically including a checklist
o
Ways to make it easier for small events (hosted by clubs but not catered by CU dining) to
compost? (at the least provide them with contact info for Cayuga Composting)
Big Red Bikes Update
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Very successful bake sale
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175+ dollars!
Cornell Minds Matter
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Jing and Sarita met with them on Monday to talk about the interface between
sustainability and mental health
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Lots of great ideas came out of this meeting:
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Plants! Community garden or community space
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Giving plants to students at orientation to put in their rooms (i.e. herb plants—
fun article on which plants would be good choices:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/garden/11houseplants.html)
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Connection with Hortus Forum?—allow them to sell specialty plants while we
give away “standard” ones
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Involve Dilmun Hill? Have them grow our “free plants” over the summer
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Put plants in classrooms and hallways.
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Outdoor meditation? Promote mental health in serene environment—contact
instructor in outdoor yoga class?
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Create a “relaxing room” with plants and tea.
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COE, Hub, and CU minds matter working together?
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COE wants help with their green team: Jim Volckhausen
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Friends of the Gorge hikes with CU minds matter
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Random acts of kindness—hand out more sustainability related things, write
thank you letters to people with green jobs (ex bus drivers), reusable bike
covers—compile a list of potential things to include in our budget for next
semester: dailyfeats.com is a good place to get ideas
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Feel good Fridays—lunch with faculty members: suggest that we find someone
who can talk about connection between environment and mental health.
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Dinner for diverse minds: Panel of speakers, then they serve dinner. Last year
they did it on religion. This year we are suggesting they focus on
social/environmental justice. If we can find speakers for them, they would totally
be willing to have that as their topic this year.
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“Enviromental” initiative!
Important planning stuff we didn’t quite get to at the meeting….
Key Questions:
* How can we help create a culture of sustainability at Cornell?
o How can we integrate sustainability into existing departments, organizations and events on
campus? (ex. Slope Day, Cornell Days, Campus Tours, Orientation, Residential Programs, Athletic
events, etc.)
o How do we help various academic departments recognize that their subject matter is an aspect of
sustainability?
o What are the best ways to reach a wide audience for our educational events?
* How can we help to improve sustainability education on campus?
o Through extracurricular events?
o In the classroom?
+ Sustainability distribution requirement
+ Concentration in sustainability studies?
+ Concentration in peace/conflict/social justice studies?
+ Look at what other schools have done
* How can we ensure that we continue to support and assess progress of projects that the Sustainability
Hub started?
+ i.e. Collegetown ART, etc.
* Administration:
o How do we hold all parts of the university accountable to the decision to become carbon neutral
by 2050 by President Skorton?
o How do we leverage the current focus on sustainability within the administration (in light of the
$80 million grant) to ensure that students have increased representation in sustainability matters?
* How can we improve partnership with the administration, faculty, and students, in order to create
long-term solutions for sustainability?
Goals: The Sustainability Hub is a student organization with the mission of
* outreaching about campus sustainability
* reducing Cornell University's environmental impact
* uniting other campus organizations to collaborate on different projects
Potential Areas for Improvement:
*Energy
*Purchasing
*Waste
*Investment
*Curriculum
Project Ideas:
* Revive Sustainable Event Planning project: Create comprehensive guide for planning sustainable, zerowaste events
* Create thorough communications plan for Sustainability Hub, to present to PSCC Communications
team and add to their draft plan
* Focus on untapped departments/ organizations we’ve made recent connections: Cornell United
Religious Work, Campus Life (Residential Programs), Cornell Minds Matter, Cornell Outdoor Education,
Athletics, Cornell Store, COE
o Greening orientation/move in—start making these contacts now, even though its early; focus on
waste reduction
o Cornell store list of recommended things to buy
o Slope day, end of the year, end of the semester
o 15min online course like “alcohol wise”
o Julie Glanville, in charge of dump and run, orientation, good contact
* Earth Hour with Student Innovations Group in April 2011 to bring attention to energy conservation
* Collaboration and sharing of best practices with Ithaca College
*Landlord energy efficiency project
*Energy metering in residence halls