Green Action Fall Plans
Matt Blum
We hope you're having a great summer so far!
We wanted to get the conversation started about Green Action's plans for the upcoming fall semester so that we can be prepared and successful in whatever we hope to achieve. Here's some of the projects that we've considered so far (in no particular order):
1. Trip to Labadie, MO -- This would ideally be early in the semester so we could all see where the coal that produces our energy is burned at the coal-fired power plant run by Ameren (the US's 14th largest CO2 emitting plant!). There are plans to build a coal ash containment dam in the community that is part of the Missouri River floodplain, so it would probably be possible to meet with the community members organizing against this (http://www.leomo.info/).
2. Possible assembly series speaker -- Two names we've been throwing around: Vandana Shiva and Bill McKibben. Do people think that this would serve a purpose this semester? It could be pushed off until next semester if it doesn't fit with anything we're doing.
3. Global Energy Future Symposium -- Wash U is hosting a global version of America's Energy Future, which we protested with a banner drop last fall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq1Yo3WgEpw). Based on what we've read about this upcoming symposium (its failure to mention wind as a possible solution, its corporate sponsors, etc.), we have be talking about hosting an alternative symposium for a day to show our vision of the future. This would probably be the week before the Global Energy Future Symposium. To read more on this: http://www.mageep.wustl.edu/SYMPOSIA/Symposia10/2010_Program.aspx
4. Work Day 10/10/10 -- 350 is organizing a global work day for community solutions to the climate crisis. Think 350, but more active. There may be stuff going on in the St. Louis community for this that we could tap into.
5. Power Vote -- The Energy Action Coalition (the group that organizes Power Shift) is organizing this national campaign to urge people to vote for politicians that will make clean, just energy a priority. We took part in Power Vote in 2008, and it may be a great campaign to get involved in this semester. Missouri is going to have some really important elections in the fall - most notably the election for Kit Bond's Senate seat.
6. COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico (Nov 29-Dec 10)-- This is the next round of international climate negotiations. Is there anything we want to do for this?
Those are some events that we could get involved in this fall. If we did them all we would probably be burnt out by October, so maybe we can pick some that are important, fun, and hopefully successful. Also, many of them can certainly fit together in a unified campaign!
EVERYONE NOW DISCUSS. Next semester belongs to all of you! So we want to hear what interests you (and what you think will interest the campus)!!!!
Much love,
Arielle and Matt
Arielle Klagsbrun
Green Action has annually run a recycling drive for electronic waste. Last year, it didn't get much attention. Unless someone is interested in running it, I'm thinking we have a lot going on next semester and it would probably get lost in the action. Anyone want to take this on? Do we need to do it?
Adam Hasz
Adam Hasz
Washington University in St. Louis 2012
1Sky Regional Coordinator, St. Louis, Missouri
Vice President, Missouri Student Environmental Coalition
adam...@gmail.com | cell: (630) 930-4303 | twitter: arhasz
"Some men see things the way they are and ask, 'Why?' I dream things that never were, and ask 'Why not?'"
-George Bernard Shaw
Prendergast, Iain
I graduated so can I get off the list-serv?
Thanks
Iain
________________________________________
From: green-action-su...@googlegroups.com [green-action-su...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Matt Blum [mfb...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 10:05 PM
To: green-action-su...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Green Action Fall Plans
KRYCZKA, HEATHER
Yayyy Green Action planning already! Ok, here's my input:
I like Adam's idea about having Green Events Commission organize the recycling drive - it seems more like their territory, and it would be awesome if GA could help them out and get to know them better so we can cooperate more on future projects.
I think the trip to Labadie, MO is a really really great idea! This is something we definitely should be more knowledgeable about. Do any classes take field trips here? How do we get there/ we should get lots of freshmen to come. It would be a really valuable experience. And I can't wait to write a StudLife article about it....
Having Bill McKibben as a speaker would be awesome! I think he would be really well received. Don't think it necessarily matters if it fits with anything in particular that we are doing. He would do a good job educating and motivating our campus. We should do this!!! If we can. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of having Vandana Shiva and don't think ecofeminism would be very relevant to students on our campus.
The national energy symposium thing makes me really mad. Let's try to get the chancellor to cooperate with us on this one before we do anything radical. Let's ask him nicely to have renewable energy included. And if he says no, let's tell everyone about it. Really horrible publicity for our school, I don't know how he can say no.
Power Vote should be our biggest focus next semester because that's where we can make the biggest difference. Let's get people outside of our campus voting with us too. I want to get SLU on the same page as we are.
As for Cancun, let's go!!!!!! Haha. But seriously.
Ok, one more thing I think we should really focus on at the beginning of the semester is getting freshmen involved in GA right away. We need more members to do all this awesome stuff. And freshmen are probably the most likely to try new things right when they get to Wash U. So... let's get 'em.
I don't know if you kids in St. Louis are having regular meetings this summer, but I'll be in town next week (June 10 to 15) so if anyone wants to meet to chat about GA stuff or just to chill let me know!!
<3
Heather
heather...@wustl.edu
630-544-9977
________________________________________
From: green-action-su...@googlegroups.com [green-action-su...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Adam Hasz [adam...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 10:40 PM
To: green-action-su...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Green Action Fall Plans
I recommend us not running it, as it snuck up on us last year and would take quite a bit of organizing. However, perhaps we could talk to our friends in the Green Events Commission and have them organize it? It would be a great volunteer opportunity for GA members to get to know one another better, but I'm not sure if anyone would like to take the lead on organizing it.
-Adam
On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 10:15 PM, Arielle Klagsbrun <aklag...@gmail.com<mailto:aklag...@gmail.com>> wrote:
ALSO, one thing that we forgot on this epic list:
Green Action has annually run a recycling drive for electronic waste. Last year, it didn't get much attention. Unless someone is interested in running it, I'm thinking we have a lot going on next semester and it would probably get lost in the action. Anyone want to take this on? Do we need to do it?
On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 11:05 PM, Matt Blum <mfb...@gmail.com<mailto:mfb...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Hey Everyone!
We hope you're having a great summer so far!
We wanted to get the conversation started about Green Action's plans for the upcoming fall semester so that we can be prepared and successful in whatever we hope to achieve. Here's some of the projects that we've considered so far (in no particular order):
1. Trip to Labadie, MO -- This would ideally be early in the semester so we could all see where the coal that produces our energy is burned at the coal-fired power plant run by Ameren (the US's 14th largest CO2 emitting plant!). There are plans to build a coal ash containment dam in the community that is part of the Missouri River floodplain, so it would probably be possible to meet with the community members organizing against this (http://www.leomo.info/).
2. Possible assembly series speaker -- Two names we've been throwing around: Vandana Shiva and Bill McKibben. Do people think that this would serve a purpose this semester? It could be pushed off until next semester if it doesn't fit with anything we're doing.
3. Global Energy Future Symposium -- Wash U is hosting a global version of America's Energy Future, which we protested with a banner drop last fall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq1Yo3WgEpw). Based on what we've read about this upcoming symposium (its failure to mention wind as a possible solution, its corporate sponsors, etc.), we have be talking about hosting an alternative symposium for a day to show our vision of the future. This would probably be the week before the Global Energy Future Symposium. To read more on this: http://www.mageep.wustl.edu/SYMPOSIA/Symposia10/2010_Program.aspx
4. Work Day 10/10/10 -- 350 is organizing a global work day for community solutions to the climate crisis. Think 350, but more active. There may be stuff going on in the St. Louis community for this that we could tap into.
5. Power Vote -- The Energy Action Coalition (the group that organizes Power Shift) is organizing this national campaign to urge people to vote for politicians that will make clean, just energy a priority. We took part in Power Vote in 2008, and it may be a great campaign to get involved in this semester. Missouri is going to have some really important elections in the fall - most notably the election for Kit Bond's Senate seat.
6. COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico (Nov 29-Dec 10)-- This is the next round of international climate negotiations. Is there anything we want to do for this?
Those are some events that we could get involved in this fall. If we did them all we would probably be burnt out by October, so maybe we can pick some that are important, fun, and hopefully successful. Also, many of them can certainly fit together in a unified campaign!
EVERYONE NOW DISCUSS. Next semester belongs to all of you! So we want to hear what interests you (and what you think will interest the campus)!!!!
Much love,
Arielle and Matt
--
Adam Hasz
Washington University in St. Louis 2012
1Sky Regional Coordinator, St. Louis, Missouri
Vice President, Missouri Student Environmental Coalition
adam...@gmail.com<mailto:adam...@gmail.com> | cell: (630) 930-4303 | twitter: arhasz
Arielle Klagsbrun
Recycling Drive: I agree that we shouldn't do it. It's not really our interest. I'm not sure if GEC can technically do something like this because they are not a student group (instead a SU commission), but I will pass along the info. I also think it would be a good thing for the Office of Sustainability to take on in the future.
Labadie: Yay!!!! Glad people are on board. I'm super pumped about this. I don't think anyone takes field trips there and they should! I think we would have to take buses (it's about an hour away). and YES to freshman. I also think it could be a great community event - invite staff, faculty and students. SU was talking about some new initiative to get kids off campus where they provide buses. Not sure if its happening but definitely something to look into.
Speaker: OK. SO. Just got an email from the Assembly Series lady and we could get VAN JONES for campus next year. For cheap (well...relatively speaking). McKibben vs. Jones? What are people's thoughts? Personally, I think Van would be the better choice - really inspiring, reallllly solutions-based and forward looking AND really good for St. Louis - a place that could use some awesome green jobs. Respond on this soon! We gotta submit the application next week.
Global Energy Future: Heather, I like your idea of being diplomatic with the Chancellor. Do you have any thoughts on what form that would take? They do have solar included (since they have that big Department of Energy grant) and some biomass, but that's it - no wave, no wind, no geothermal.
PowerVote: There's been talk of MSEC (Missouri Student Environmental Coalition) doing a campaign around electing the right people all across the state. Adam or Lynne - do you have an update on that for us? How can WashU tap in to this? I'm working with the Energy Action Coalition this summer so I will have many PowerVote updates for us!
Freshmen recruitment: YES! Needs to happen! Let's plan NOW.
Adam Hasz
Peter Murrey
I'm in full agreement with ya'll about recycling drive, Labadie and Powervote work.
I think we need to lay out what we want from an Assembly Series Speaker. Ideally we should leverage this speaker into a broader campaign, which we still need to define fully. Like Arielle said, Van Jones is very inspirational and would work great for green jobs and St. Louis, but I believe Bill McKibben fits better if we are going to make Powervote a priority. McKibben is more actively involved with influencing elected representatives as the head of 350.org and could speak very well on the role that the youth have in determining future policy. Depending on timing, he could serve as a kick off (or mid-campaign jolt) for Powervote work.
The Van Jones / Bill McKibben question brings a really important question to the forefront: St. Louis or national topics? Where do we put our focus? I fully acknowledge that the two are interconnected but I believe defining a focus would help us realize where to go. Although the work we would do for national topics would take place in St. Louis, that would not make it a St. Louis focus. A St. Louis focus could include green job advocacy, pairing with Engineers w/o Borders to do improvements in the neighborhood, and definitely the Labadie issue (trying to get more renewables in MO maybe?). The national focus would be more about the climate bill and lead up to Cancun. I think we've had a more national focus in the past, but that doesn't mean we can't switch to a St. Louis focus! I don't think we've got the manpower right now to do both. Of course if we do a kick ass job of recruiting at the beginning of the year then maybe we'd be able to do both.
What I'm most looking forward to is Global Energy Future though. Heather's idea sounds great. Continues our attempts at diplomacy with Chancey. I think we need to have a presence at the event as well. No need to disrupt, but we need to show the international community what the youth demand for an energy future.
Also: POTLUCKS, PARTIES, PLAYTIME. Necessary.
Arielle Klagsbrun
Eek. Okay. Many updates.
1. Said no to recycling drive lady. I referred her to the Sustainability Office.
2. Matt and I put in an application to bring Van Jones for the Assembly Series. I think it was a pretty sick nasty application so stay tuned!
3. Global Energy Future - I've been trying to think of what an appropriate response would be and I think we need more information. Would anyone that's not as "known" by the Chancellor and MAGEEP be interested in doing some emailing and asking what kind of renewables will be included? Heather - perhaps you'd like to take this on? I'm willing to help craft some emails!
4. Labadie - ResLife is working to be more involved with sustainability initiatives next year! which is awesome because I think they are going to work on recycling etc. so we don't have to! They (as in a student working in the office....) has expressed interest in the idea of going to Labadie. What do people think? I think this could be a cool opportunity and very resource helpful! I sent an email to the group that works to stop the coal ash pond (Labadie Environmental Organization - LEO). They are going to get back to me because things have been going CRAZY with the coal ash pond and they are a little busy...Anyone have any date ideas? How early in the semester do you all think we could pull this off?
5. FUN FUN FUN. Peter says "POTLUCKS, PARTIES, PLAYTIME." Word on the street is that Peter has a sick rooftop. So when we get back to school we will all be having a potluck/party on Peter's rooftop. Thanks Peter!