Sustainability Committee (Green Team) Meeting Notes October 28, pm-4pm Murdock 321

Transcription

1 Sustainability Committee (Green Team) Meeting Notes October 28, pm-4pm Murdock 321 In attendance: Felipe Aedo (Environuts, Campus Garden), Emily Archibald (Environuts), Aric Brown (Center for EcoTechnologies), Dan Celentano (Outing Club, Bike Share), Macy Fredericksen (BERC Assistant), Chuck Kimberling (Director of Facilities), Nicole Knapp (Beacon), Nashua Rosa (Student Government Association, Environuts), Caroline Scully (BERC Coordinator, Sustainability Committee Chair), Dan Shustack (Enviro faculty), Jim Stakenas (Vice President of Administration and Finance), Peter Swain (Student Government Association), Elena Traister (Enviro faculty), Heather Quire (Residential Director, Residential Programs & Services Recycling Committee), Beacon photographer. Recommendation for role of Green Team and how to proceed this semester: - Caroline reviewed the following ideas about plans for the semester o Description of Green Team in MCLA Climate Action Plan from 2009 o Help Caroline with Progress Report as needed o Act as a clearinghouse for sustainability on campus o Don t take on specific projects as a committee that can and/or should be done by other people on campus. o Provide support to students, staff, and faculty as they undertake sustainability initiatives o Create task forces as needed to work on time specific projects e.g. Presidents Climate o Commitment Progress Report due January 15, 2012 Begin to develop a Sustainability Committee Charter document with our purpose/mission, processes, and goals. - We agreed that Green Team goals should include both educational activities to raise awareness about climate change and action steps to reduce carbon emissions. - Responsibilities should be shifted- we should aim for more student attendance at meetings but students can t be expected to do it all. - Also, the Green Team should not be expected to do everything, we need to support others. - People should do things based on their JOB, not just their participation in the green team: the green team will give the ideas. - Many people don t know what is going on with the Green Team. - We then moved on to the discussion about moving towards climate neutrality. Discussion of alternative energy projects that could bring carbon footprint down & plan for carbon neutrality date, required for our Progress Report due January 15, 2012: - Caroline showed slides from the MCLA Climate Action Plan (attached). - Original goal for a 20% reduction from 2007 levels by 2012 was based on reducing campus carbon footprint by at least 5% every fiscal year through This has not happened, though we have reduced carbon emissions by 9% from 2007 to These reductions are largely due to campus-wide upgrades in lighting, heating, cooling, and boiler upgrades, as listed in timeline (attached). - We discussed various options for conservation. - Reviewed other colleges carbon neutrality dates (attached). - Ultimately, we will need to rely on technology that does not yet exist. - We have appropriate but limited resources Jim - Solar for electricity based on a very rough estimate calculated by Caroline, 10% of our electricity use could be provided by solar. This would reduce our carbon output by only 3%. - A plan for solar thermal on the Town Houses exists either Jim Stakenas or Diane Manning has this plan. - More efficient vehicles? Carpooling? What percentage of our carbon footprint is transportation? Page 1 of 5

2 - What will the new science building do to our footprint? - Is biomass a useful renewable energy? Found that it may release as much CO2. Lots of questions. - President s Climate Commitment cannot require anything -higher education institutions make decisions about what they do and do not count. - We are in a low area, insufficient wind for wind turbines. - Conservation/changes in behavior reduce carbon footprint - Control, conservation, new ideas, biofuels, solar, green energy purchases, new tech, biomass, new solar, construction steps to reduce our footprint - No calculations have been done on geothermal except on new building - Pick a date and then move towards carbon neutrality: can pick 2050 and then change it as we work. - Jim suggested that someone calculate what percent we could need to reduce our carbon output per year if we were to reach carbon neutrality by Peter Swain volunteered to create aspreadsheet. - Jim indicated that he has funds to pay an intern for Spring Green Team meetings for the semester are as follows: Thursday, November 10 th, 3 to 4pm, Murdock 321 (new time) Friday, December 2 nd, 3 to 4pm, Murdock 321 Friday, December 9 th, 3 to 4pm, Murdock 321 Page 2 of 5

3 Total Metric Tons CO2 From MCLA 2009 Climate Action Plan MCLA Emissions Trajectories Business as Usual Mitigation, 5% per year Fiscal Year Page 3 of 5

4 FY00: Energy Upgrades: motion sensors, new windows, repairs to the power plant, replace most lighting with energy efficient fluorescents FY03: Improvements in recycling and waste management programs October 2005: PV array installation Spring 07 President Grant Signs ACUPCC FY07 September 07 Green Team (GT) Forms April 08 First Campus Garden Planted March 08 Paper Recycling Program Begins FY09 July 06 July 07 July 08 July 09 * * * * * * * * * ** * * * MCLA Sustainability Timeline Prepared June 2009 FY08 September 08 - GT Intern begins work on CC data collection protocols and RE option exploration -Boiler Upgrades I Dec08-Jan09 Winter Break Dorm Shutdown November 08 Bowman Hall Control Upgrades March 09 Spring Break Shutdown January 09 -Full-time BERC and GT Coordinator Begins Work -Take Charge! Event; Online Pledge Unveiling, Dorm Storm Competition, Light Bulb Swap Starts May 09 -Hopkins Hall, Eldridge Hall, and Campus Center, New Controls -Boiler #2 Upgrade * April 09 Earth Day Campus Event; Campus-wide Recycling Competition, Exhibits, Biofuel Demo, Garden Planting Page 4 of 5

5 Comparison with other colleges Name # of students Carbon neutrality date Mass. College of Liberal Arts 1,980 To be announced Colleges of similar size and with similar budget St. Mary s College of Maryland 1, University of Maine at Farmington 2, University of Minnesota Morris 1, University of Wisconsin-Superior 2,800 Not a signer University of Virginia s College at Wise 1,900 Not a signer Hartwick College, New York (private) 1,480 Not a signer Larger colleges, larger budget Keene State College 6, Eastern Connecticut State University 4, SUNY College at Geneseo 5, Westfield State University 5,718 To be announced Wooster State University 4,573 To be announced University of North Carolina Ashville 3,400 Not a signer Page 5 of 5