DRAFT: Subject to revision by the Environmental Council.
CURRENTLY READS: "5. Construction and renovation will reflect the College's commitment to environmental awareness."
SUGGESTED: "5. Construction and renovation will be done in a manner consistent with the College's stated environmental goals."
CURRENTLY READS: "7. Construction costs may be higher where opportunities exist to reduce long-term operational expenses."
SUGGESTED: "7. The College accepts that construction costs may be higher where opportunities exist to reduce long-term operational expenses, particularly in the area of energy conservation."
SUGGESTED:
1. New construction and renovation projects require associated environmental impacts to be formally assessed, with documentation of impacts and plans for mitigation to be made available for review by the College community and Environmental Council before construction plans are finalized.
2. Sources of construction materials will be researched, and materials will be derived from recycling or reuse where environmental benefits will ensue. Whenever possible, waste materials from demolished buildings will be transferred to other projects, preferably locally, in an effort to conserve our natural resources.
3. Long-term conservation benefits are of higher priority than short-term cost savings in selecting energy and resource consuming systems.
4. Quantitative standards will be defined by the College for the minimum acceptable performance or efficiency of energy and resource consuming systems.
5. Waste heat will be recovered to the highest practical extent.
6. Access to buildings will be designed to minimize energy use and vehicle traffic.
7. Controls for energy and resource consuming systems will be researched and designed for effective long-term conservation and efficiency.
8. Preservation of the natural landscape is of high priority in planning, siting, construction, renovations, and infrastructure.
9. In project design and implementation, every effort will be made to preserve the historic and aesthetic quality of the campus and surrounding area.
The Subcommittee met on October 23 to discuss plans and goals for the upcoming year. Six goals were identified:
1. Awareness / Community Involvement: Our first order of business was to discuss the energy barometer that has been displayed in the entrance to McCullough over the past year. We acknowledged that publicizing energy consumption by the campus is a good idea, however, the barometer itself sends mixed messages. By tabulating consumption on a barometer, there is a risk of misinterpretation, that a certain level of consumption is desired to be achieved, instead of avoided. Therefore, we proposed removing the barometer from that space, and determining a new way to advertise campus consumption.
2. Environmental Fair: Jen Hazen asked that this subcommittee organize a booth for the Environmental Fair on November 21. We are presently discussing different ideas, the most popular being a booth with the heating Central Computer System, where students can interact with the computer and learn about energy consumption in their respective dorms. In addition, a type of "consumption trivia" game was proposed, that would quiz students on their general knowledge of campus consumption patterns. Incentives would be in the form of prizes for questions answered correctly.
3. Environmental Monitor (Facilitator ?): The Education subcommittee suggested, in their last meeting, that this position should be examined and revised. This committee would like to assume that responsibility and move forward with the development of a new Environmental Facilitator position. Once further communication has been made with the Education subcommittee, we would like to proceed with discussion, recruitment, and implementation. Jen Hazen has already begun work on this project and the committee would like to offer her help in any way possible, in order to make this a successful project. The new name of the position is the Environmental Liaison.
4. Green Lights: This subcommittee has decided to do a review of the Green Lights program manual and to determine goals that the College can work towards achieving in terms of its membership of this particular program.
5. Environmental Checklist: Through reviewing such documents as the Pathways report, the Task Force on the Environment report, the College Master Plan, and the Green Lights report, this subcommittee plans to develop a checklist for future development that would challenge the College to focus on not only thinking green, but implementing environmentally friendly technologies, materials, and design.
6. Facilities Management: The subcommittee plans to ask Facilities Management to recommend conservation projects that the College may focus on in the future, as well as possible plans to retrofit existing buildings and facilities.
The Subcommittee has planned for its next meeting to occur on October 30 at noon. The focus of that meeting will be placed on the Environmental Fair.
Respectfully submitted by Andy McBeth and Maggie Buck, 24 October, 1996.
The Subcommitte met for its second time on October 30 to discuss plans for the Environmental Fair, which is to take place on November 21.
The main focus of this meeting was to decide upon the design of the subcommittee's booth for this fair. It was decided that one table would house the Central Computing System and would be available for students to examine and interact with, to determine how much energy is consumed on the campus in general, and in where that consumption is centered. It was also decided that another table be devoted to a type of trivia game involving questions concerning energy consumption on campus and around the globe. The format of this game would be similar to that of the gameshow "Jeopardy", with contestant answering questions (or giving questions for answers), and bidding for $ amounts. At the end of the game, the contestant with the most $, will win a prize.
Having decided upon an activity for the booth, we judged that the next step in the development process would be to generate questions for the trivia game, and determine what information we will need to have on hand to answer the questions. From there, the subcommittee will be able to begin assembling the game and determining what type of format would be most exciting for the contestants.
Members were to submit questions to Maggie, for her to collate and identify specifically what information would be required to answer them.
The Subcommittee has planned for its next meeting to occur on November 6 at 12:15pm. The focus of that meeting will be placed on addressing what research needs to be done to assemble the trivia game andwhat further steps need to be taken in terms of the booth at the fair.
Respectfully submitted by Maggie Buck, 5 November, 1996.
Return to Minutes List Page
Return to Environmental Council Homepage