1/11/06 - sustainability group meeting minutes
Wednesday, January 11, 2005 • 3:00 – 4:30 pm • Building 16, Room 211

Attendees:
Jennifer Hayward, College Operations
Joseph Newton, Science
Amanda Poston, Conference and Culinary Services
Mike Sims, College Operations – Recycling
Margaret Robertson, Advanced Technology
Joe Russin, Science
Anna Scott, College Operations – Energy Conservation

Minutes:

Spring Conference
Hayward presented a draft revised Spring Conference schedule. Members reviewed and provided comments. Following is the revised draft schedule with members comments show in strikethroughs and bold.

All staff are together in CML 102, 103, 104

• Defining sustainability

• DVD from the Bioneers Conference
• Presentation of draft core values

All staff stay in the same room but sit at tables of 8 people and discuss answers to questions (ideally, each table will have a computer for data input)

• How do you want sustainability as a core value at Lane to affect the Lane:

• Physical environment
• Organizational culture (affect your work)
• Learning environment
• Student lives

• Wrap up: show participants answers to questions and vote again on core values

 Hayward will bring the sustainability group comments to the Spring Conference Planning Committee.

Creating an Energy User Group
Scott announced that she would like to start an Energy User Group and asked the sustainability group for input and approval. Scott noted that the group would have a broad mission and focus on education and promotion for energy conserving behaviors. She said that she would seek participants from energy professionals to staff and students who just care about saving energy. Members briefly discussed this proposal and expressed that they supported the idea of creating and Energy User Group.

Policies
Hayward reported that the sustainability core “operations” group has developed draft policies on Design & Construction, Recycling, and Energy. Hayward will e-mail these policies to the sustainability group for review prior to the next meeting. Once the sustainability group approves the policies, they will be reviewed for adoption by the Facilities Council.

Proposed Green Bag Lunch on Women in Professional Sustainability Fields
Scott reported that Jill Bradley from the Women’s Center has asked if she or the sustainability group would like to do a presentation at the Women’s Center on the campus sustainability efforts or about Scott’s career path. Scott suggested that if she were to do a presentation on her career that it might be better to have more women in sustainability fields present and make it a panel presentation. Hayward noted that she would be willing to help with either presentation. Members agreed that we should do a presentation at the Women’s Center. Scott will contact Jill Bradley to discuss format and timing.

Earth Week 2006
Members began preliminary planning for Earth Week 2006. A calendar showing the draft plan is attached. Hayward reported that Sam Hediger, OSPIRG member and ASLCC Senator, is recruiting OSPIRG and ASLCC students to participate in planning. Hayward will schedule a meeting with students as soon as she gets some names from Hediger. Scott noted that we should consider programming for other campuses. Hayward recommended providing interested campuses with DVDs so that they can put on a mini-film festival.

Other Business

Northwest Earth Institute Discussion Groups: Russin announced that a Northwest Earth Institute Discussion Group would start at Lane on Monday, January 23, 2006 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm in Building 16, Room 211. Anyone is welcome to attend and participate. The first topic of the discussion group will be “Choices for Sustainable Living.” Russin will send an e-mail reminder to the sustainability group.

Register Guard Article: Hayward announced that there was an article in the Register Guard on January 3 that featured Lane’s sustainability program and particularly it’s recycling program. The article is titled, “Recycling’s a class act on campus.”

Mayor’s Award: Hayward also announced that Mayor Piercy presented Lane with a “community sustainability” award during her January 5 State of the City address. Four other local organizations also received this award. There was a Register Guard article about the Mayor’s address that mentions the award on January 6.

Hope Workshop: Russin announced that there is a workshop on hope that may be particularly helpful for those who attended Richard Heinberg’s presentation on peak oil on January 10. The workshop is on Saturday, February 4 at EWEB. Hayward will e-mail the group information about the workshop.

Next Meeting: The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 8 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in Building 16, Room 211.

Minutes prepared by: Jennifer Hayward; Date: 1/13/06
Attachment (1): Draft schedule for Earth Week 2006

Action Items

• Venturi to audit environmental practices in the Laundry to determine whether improved environmental practices could be implemented. The investigation will include: chemical use; water volumes; temperatures; and heat recovery (Ebbage noted that an Energy Management class could help the laundry investigate heat recovery strategies).
• Hayward to ask the Green Chemistry Club coordinator, John Thompson, whether the Club’s students would be interested in researching Laundry chemical use as a project.

“Green bag” lunches

• Hayward to determine whether architect, Galen Ohmart is available to do a presentation on Lane’s proposed Model Sustainability Building as a green bag lunch.
• Scott to work on planning an energy conservation &/or renewable energy for homeowners green bag. She will contact the Energy Outlet to determine whether there are some give-aways that they could donate.
• Scott to contact Jill Bradley to discuss format and timing for a green bag lunch in the Women’s Center about women in sustainability fields and/or about Lane’s sustainability program.

• Matsen to provide suggested talking points for group members to use when promoting the sustainability account.

Indicator Reports

• Hayward to include costs of water in the water indicator report.
• Hayward , Newton, and Gosar to schedule a meeting to work on the Landscape Maintenance indicator.
• Kelley to talk to Bookstore Manager, Shelley Dutton, about whether she can package class packets in more easily recyclable paper, rather than plastic.
• Hayward to format indicator report drafts into a pdf document and e-mail to the group prior to the next meeting.

Biodiesel Project

• Hayward to schedule a public demonstration of the Biodiesel Project once the processor is operational.

Spring Conference

• Hayward to e-mail the group asking if they would like to participate in planning the Spring Conference.
• Hayward to e-mail the group the product of the brainstorming session on developing the principals of sustainability from which the core values are being drafted.
• Hayward to bring the sustainability group comments on the draft schedule to the Spring Conference Planning Committee.

Long-Range Transportation Planning

• Hayward to ask if Newton can be put on the e-mail list.
• Hayward to send the group the compilation of campus feedback that she has received to date.

Marketing

• Ebbage to look through a campus report on developing names and let Hayward know if it inspires any good ideas.
• Members to e-mail Hayward their name ideas.

Earth Week 2006

• Hayward to recruit members of OSPIRG and ASLCC to help with planning.
• Hayward to schedule a meeting for early winter term to begin planning.
• Hayward to schedule a meeting with OSPIRG and ASLCC students as soon as she gets some names from Hediger.

Sustainability Policies

• Hayward to e-mail the draft policies to the sustainability group for review prior to the next meeting.

Northwest Earth Institute Discussion Group

• Russin to send an e-mail reminder to the sustainability group that the group will have its first discussion gathering on January 23, 2006 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm in Building 16, Room 211.

General

• Hayward to prepare a document that lists each sustainability group and its purpose/mission.
• The sustainability group to review/approve this document.
• Once it is finalized, Hayward to post it on the website.
• Hayward will e-mail the group information about the Hope Workshop that will be hosted at EWEB on February 4, 2006.