Eco-friendly Organization training opportunity!

Dear Student Organizations,

The Green Gallaudet Environmental Organization serves an emerging movement of globally conscious citizens dedicated to improving the condition of our earth. The earth is facing an imminent catastrophic ecological collapse if human civilization continues on its current course.

Our green movement among organizations on Gallaudet campus not only makes sense for saving money but it also buys the source of comfort and credibility for a progressively concerned public.

If your organization attempt to promote environmentally conscious choices while hosting meetings, events, or parties, you will receive benefits in return, not just for the instant impact but for the long-term effects and savings. There is a misconception by some people that ‘going green’ is an inconvenience and has an expense, but you will be consuming less water, less electricity, and sending less to the landfill. The initiatives undertaken by your organization can make a positive impact on the world.

It is essential that as an organization you become aware of the green movement and actively look for opportunities to reduce your impact on the environment.

For the reasons above, Green Gallaudet is hosting a workshop directed at student organization officers, but anybody is more than welcome. Our workshop will talk about a variety of ways your organization can be more environment conscious. After completing the workshop, your organization will be added to the list of eco-friendly organizations on campus. A banner with list of eco-friendly organizations will be shown in Marketplace. An incentive such as winning prize money at end of the year is very possible!

Let us know if you are interested.

Greenly yours,

Green Gallaudet Team

Rachel Benedict, Director of Sustainability, Undergraduate

Nicar Bocalan, Project Management, Graduate

Clara Baldwin, Campus Awareness, Undergraduate

Leala Holcomb, Finances, Undergraduate

Campus Printers to Become More 'Green'

Information Technology Services will be making changes to the way printers work in an effort to "go green" and save both resources and energy.

After October 19, all printers with duplexing capabilities (printers which can print on both sides of a sheet of paper) will be forced to print two-sided by default. A user can specifically set a print job to print only on one side, but that will no longer be the default setup.

Should you need help in making your job print as you need, please submit a Help Desk request for assistance. You can do this by going to http://helpdesk.gallaudet.edu and logging in with your GDOC username and password, or by sending an email tohelpdesk@gallaudet.edu.

Source

Gallaudet, Take Notice: Small Cuts Add Up to Big Savings!

By TAMAR LEWIN

Published: June 18, 2009

College life may look different in the not-so-distant future: Students squinting out dirtier windows, faculty offices with full wastebaskets and no phones, sporting events in which opponents never meet, and paper course catalogs existing only as artifacts of the wasteful old days.

David Ahntholz for The New York Times

Sara Falkoff, a junior at the College of Wooster, tills a new vegetable garden on the campus.

David Ahntholz for The New York Times

Matthew Copple, a College of Wooster junior, paints a railing at John P. Papp Stadium. Wooster is offering students minimum-wage jobs on campus this summer.

While colleges and universities slashed their spending this year with wrenching layoffs, hiring freezes and halts in construction projects, they whittled away at costs with smaller, quirkier economies, too:

At the University of Washington, the communications department faculty did away with their landlines. (“Phones were our biggest line item,” said David Domke, the department chairman. “We’ve still got landlines in common areas and for staff, but we’re saving about $1,100 a month by getting rid of faculty phones.”)

At Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., the women’s swim team held a “virtual swim meet” with Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania, about 112 miles away. Each team swam in its home pool, then compared times to determine the winners. (“We probably saved $900 on bus travel,” said William G. Durden, Dickinson’s president.)

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the traditional bus tour of the state for new faculty members was suspended this year. (“In a recession, people don’t want to see 100 faculty members traveling around and staying in hotels,” said Holden Thorp, the chancellor.)

Across the country, colleges have come up with a host of ideas that, taken together, stand as higher education’s household hints for living on a budget.

Campus life is getting a bit dirtier as housekeeping standards are relaxed. Oberlin College in Ohio saved $22,300 by scaling back on window washing, and Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., is power washing its sidewalks and windows once a year instead of twice. Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., is having office trash picked up weekly instead of daily, a change that eliminated three custodian jobs.

Want to read the rest of this article? Click here to go to the full article with the New York Times.

Thanks, Carrie for the link!

Green Gallaudet Announces Three Paid Job Opportunities!

Green Gallaudet is proud to announce that the organization is opening three paid-job positions in the organization for you to fill this fall!  It is now actively seeking for qualified persons for the following positions:

Sustainability Director
Director of Finances
Director of Campus Awareness

Have passion for the environment?  Desire for change?  Dedicated to your work?  One of these positions will be perfect for you!
 
Interested?  Still have questions?  Email the current environmental intern at jessica.frank@gallaudet.edu for more information or to set up an interview.

DDOE: 2009 Mayor's Environmental Excellence Awards

Click here to go to DC's businesses that won the Mayor's Environmental Excellence Awards page - more details about each business and direct links to their site as well!

Earth Day at Gallaudet

retrieved from Inside Gallaudet

Earth Day, celebrated around the country on April 22, inspired a number of activities on the Gallaudet campus.

 

Green Gallaudet invited energy auditor Micah Johnson to discuss energy and water conservation. Johnson’s presentation focused on simple ways to make homes and campuses more energy efficient to reduce negative environmental impacts.

 

Johnson also shared a personal story about making an impact on his college campus: Just by convincing Berea College to install low-flow showerheads in the dorms, he helped Berea reduce its water consumption by 41 million gallons per year and reduced the college’s operating costs by more than $2 million. “We only have one world, and we need to take care of it,” he said.

 

Earth Day was also Low Carbon Diet Day at Gallaudet. The cafeterias offered an extensive menu with a small carbon footprint. Producing and transporting food accounts for a significant proportion of the America’s carbon emissions, Bon Appétit Manager Donna Dhue-Wilkins explained. The Low Carbon Diet menu introduced more local food like Pennsylvania-grown mushrooms, which travels only a short distance to the plate, and reduced "high carbon" foods like dairy and beef, whose production emits high levels of green house gases.

 

Dhue-Wilkins and cafeteria staff also planted an herb and vegetable garden. The plot just outside the Hanson Plaza cafeteria will provide food to the kitchen and remind students where ingredients come from. The garden was dedicated to the late Brenda Keller, who helped manage student meal plans for many years. Green Gallaudet President Leala Holcomb said she appreciated the garden project, especially in the context of the local food movement. “Getting food from your backyard is definitely local,” she said.

 

Gallaudet’s Earth Day celebration caught the attention of the local news media and was featured on NewsChannel 8.

Awesome Summer Opportunity - Get Credits on Your Bike

Message from Jeff - DCYEA:

Hi everyone,

Looking for a great way to spend 4 weeks this summer? And get 6 college credits?

The Wild Rockies Field Institute has two spots open in its Cycle the Rockies course, which involves biking across Montana to study energy sources and climate change. I did the class last summer and had a blast - great people, instructors, roads, parks, renewable energy. I totally recommend it. I've attached a picture
Interested?

Check out the website: http://www.wrfi.net/courses/cyclemontana.html

Check it out!

Jeff

Campus Goes Dark to Call for Action on Climate Change

On March 28, the lights on campus went out. It wasn’t a blackout caused by an accidental power outage, but a fully intentional action to raise awareness about climate change.

From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., the residents of Kendall Green joined environmentally conscious people from 4,000 towns and cities worldwide, as well as a number of sites that are famed for their grand illumination--the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, and Times Square--in observing Earth Hour, an activity organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Photo: Cloe Canela

Green Gallaudet members Jonathan McMillan and Kate Johnson encourage students to sign a pledge to turn off their lights for one hour on March 28 in honor of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour.

To ensure Gallaudet’s full involvement in the event, the student organization Green Gallaudet collaborated with Facilities to extinguish all non-essential lights in main campus buildings. Because light and electricity usage in the dorms was up to students, Green Gallaudet members asked dorm dwellers to sign a pledge to save energy during that time in exchange for a heart-felt thanks and a mini flashlight. Green Gallaudet encouraged students to use these flashlights and candles during Earth Hour, and distributed a list of ideas of activities to keep participants occupied during the hour, like having a candle-lit dinner and playing a game of charades. In just a short lunchtime tabling session, the pledge was signed by 87 students.

A main goal of Earth Hour was to send a signal to the world in general and U.N. players in particular that they must take major steps to confront climate change. The global effort has already had an impact. The day after Earth Hour, United Nations Climate Chief Yvo de Boer brought news of people’s concerns to a session on climate talks and urged delegates from nearly 190 countries to listen to the millions who turned off their lights. WWF reported de Boer saying, “The world’s concerned citizens have given the negotiations an additional clear mandate.”

De Boer’s statement encouraged Earth Hour participants, and indicated a push toward decisive action when U.N. players meet in Copenhagen, Denmark for climate talks in December.

Reposted from: Inside Gallaudet

Meeting Agenda 3/31/09

-Bison T.V.

-Earth Day - April 22nd

-Cafeteria/Compost

-Yard Sale - April 26th

-Our Next Motion

-New Officers (feedback)

Earth Hour to be observed on Kendall Green

The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) is urging the world to “Vote Earth” by turning off power from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. Gallaudet will take part in this event, called Earth Hour, by shutting off lights and computers during that time, and hosting activities to raise awareness about climate change. Members of Green Gallaudet and Facilities are working together to make this happen.

All members of the community are invited to join the fight against global warming.

For more information on Earth Hour, go to the WWF website.

Green Lecture Series - Spring 2009

FYI - Thursday April 2 lecture has been cancelled.

And the April 15 lecture has been rescheduled to April 16th.

(click on image to enlarge)

Gallaudet's Unit Fees and Green Gallaudet

Written for the campus newspaper, Buff & Blue

by Jessica Frank, Environmental Intern

Each semester, the students at Gallaudet University are billed an extra $138.00 paid by mostly the helping dollars of our tax payers or by the pockets of our generous parents. Either way, that extra $138.00 each semester, which comes to a total of $276.00 per year, is paid by every undergraduate and graduate student here at this university (there are 1,333 currently enrolled). A nice total of $183,954.00 is then added to the university budget each semester.

This $183,954.00 is evenly distributed to the following organizations, the Student Body Government, the Graduate Student Association, the Buff and the Blue, Tower Clock, and BisonTV to encourage paraprofessional work within the student body. The 35 something thousands of dollars granted to each student organization is most likely used to pay its staff of students, maintain the organization’s purpose and function (like publishing), and possibly even support events that benefit the community.

What do all these five organizations have in common? This university currently has over twenty student-run organizations on campus, and yet only five are granted use of the unit fee. To answer this, these five organizations all are here to serve the student body and the community as a whole. It is not intended to support a certain demographic, but instead is here to benefit all those attending the university. For example, the Buff and Blue covers all issues that range from athletics to politics; the Student Body Government has branches that are spread all over, reaching out to people in need of support in areas such as academics and diversity.

Now, Green Gallaudet, Gallaudet’s still newest organization, is known for its advocacy of environmental issues. It has promoted awareness of what is happening to our world through past events such as Focus the Nation and is pushing for a campus-wide change by having the university become a signatory on the Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Green Gallaudet does not address a certain demographic nor does it face issues that only affect a specific part of our community. The issues brought by global warming have a direct impact on not only the students of the Gallaudet community, but also faculty, staff, administration, as well as our families and friends that are spread out all over the world. This organization understands that this university, as a wide-spread community, has the ability to create a huge difference and is doing what it can to create a heightened understanding and involvement in the well-being of this campus.

There is also a rapid incline in the supply of green jobs and the demand of qualified persons all around the United States. “In 2006, the US economy had about 750,000 green jobs. By 2038, the U.S. Metro Economies report projects that more than 4.2 million green jobs will be created by the economy” (Environmental and Energy Study Institute). Students of Gallaudet could attain amazing paraprofessional experience in areas of sustainability such as taking part in Green Gallaudet, and could clearly contribute to future working opportunities.

Currently, this organization is non-profit. Its members spend many hours working to create the greenest community possible at Gallaudet with no pay. The experience and knowledge provided in this organization is enormous and holds great potential. What makes this organization any different from the five student run organizations that receive funding from the unit fee? The difference holds no significance.

I dare that we take a stand and ask that next year, Green Gallaudet is made part of the organizations that are supported by the unit fee so it can create greater opportunities and serve the Gallaudet community to its utmost, greenest potential.

Cited: http://www.eesi.org/102208_green_jobs

3/3/2009 Meeting Agenda

PowerShift ‘09

Officers Report

Track Directors Report

Earth Hour

Earth Day

New Business

Announcements

Picture a Greener Gallaudet

Green Gallaudet presented an e-photo showcase of campus community members sharing tips on how they went green, and how you can, too! 

This is an event that honored the National Teach-In (formerly called Focus The Nation), which engages over a million Americans in solutions-driven dialogue on how to make our impoverished planet a prosperous one for our descendants.The e-photo showcase took place on Thursday, February 5, JSAC Marketplace, noon-1 p.m.

Meeting Agenda - Feb 17th

Membership Dues ($10)

PowerShift '09 - Drew Reisinger

Smoke-free Campus - Rachel Blake

National-Teach In Feedback

Officers Report

Track Directors Report

DCYEA Representatives Report

New Business

Announcements

Meeting - Feb 17th at 5:30 pm

Green Gallaudet will have our bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 5:30 pm in SLCC atrium.

A representative from PowerShift '09 team will come and present on how Gallaudet can be involved in the national summit on climate change solutions from Feb. 27 to March 2nd.

We will also discuss the possibility of Gallaudet becoming a smoke-free campus.

$10 dollar membership dues will be collected in the beginning of the meeting.

Green Gallaudet is in search for new secretary and D.C. Youth Environmental Alliance representatives, if you are interested, please contact us at greengallaudet@gmail.com

"The greenest house is the one that never gets built."— Whit Faulconer

Meeting Agenda 2/17/09

Guest Speaker - Jonaz McMillan and His Experience in Costa Rica

Officers Report

Tracks

1) Clara Baldwin - Education
2) Mallory Malzkuhn - Campus Improvement
3) Leila Hanaumi - Fundraising

Senator
1) Rachel Blake

DCYEA Representative
1) Tanna Jo Kolb

Old business
1) Green Gallaudet video

New business
1) PowerShift '09 Feb. 27th-March 2nd, in Washington D.C.
2) Any new projects?

Announcements

"I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?"-Robert Redford

What To Do With Your Old TV?

Click here to go to DC Youth Environment Alliance (DCYEA) post about what to do with your old TV - you can prolong it's life or drop it off at two recycling stations here in DC!

Click here to go to DCYEA's Post about Old TV's

On the Green going "green"… all in good time

Just about the time the Washington City Paper featured a story about how the Sunday Post could slim down, Gallaudet started its own paper-saving endeavor. The concept was simple: print less On the Green to be more "green."

By way of a little background, On the Green (a.k.a. OTG) is a campus newsletter published every two weeks during the Gallaudet school year. It has appeared in the mailboxes of faculty, staff, and administration (with additional copies available in the Alumni House, the JSAC, and the Visitor's Center) for longer than I've been alive. When I joined the Public Relations staff, I knew my main responsibilities would include writing and shooting photos for that inimitable communiqué. Working with the rest of the PR team, I did this dutifully for two years, and put mailing labels on the three boxes full of OTGs that arrived twice a month for distribution to the campus.

After 50-odd sessions of labeling about 1,500 of these things, I got to thinking. Mostly, I thought: this is a lot of paper! Why not give people a paper-free option? It wasn't just me thinking this way, I should point out. I definitely had some hints about the paper used for OTG and other publications.

My first reaction was perhaps a little too much. In November 2007, I saw to it that OTG would go completely paperless. It was all online, all at once, with nothing but a PDF version to print for the hard copy enthusiasts. From the beginning, I heard laments about missing the 11-by-17-inch glossy paper, which let the campus get its news like people have for hundreds of years. "I want something I can hold in my hands," the stalwarts said. "I don't want to squint at a screen." We got the strong message that we should go back to paper, and so we did—for everyone… until this December.

As a sort of experiment, we offered a paperless option to the campus starting December 10. Subtly advertised in the Daily Digest, it wasn't obtrusive. And it didn't threaten any sweeping change of readership paradigm. Responses did come in, though, and within the first two days we were able to eliminate 25 paper copies of OTG. That's four to six ledger-sized sheets saved per person every two weeks. A few departments have told me they're surveying their readers, and will get back to us with a final slimmed-down count soon.

In addition to this, we'll put fewer copies of the newsletter at Campus Activities, and keep track of how many people really take.

If we offer the paperless option again at the start of the spring semester, I'm sure we'll see even more interest. So that's a small but solid step toward making Kendall Green more green. If 118 pounds of recycled newspaper can save a tree, we'll be well on our way to a thankful grove by next holiday season.

What can you do? Students can tell faculty and staff they know to go paperless with OTG. They can just email public.relations[at]gallaudet.edu with a request to be removed from the mailing list. Daily Digest will announce when a new OTG is available to read online.

DCYEA Internship & DCYEA/Power Shift Inaugural Ball

Hi,

Intern for DCYEA! DCYEA is welcoming applications for our brand-new internship position. The intern will work to coordinate and develop DCYEA's political action work.

DCYEA seeks a self-motivated, independent, dynamic individual who is passionate about the environment and youth empowerment to join our team as a Political Action intern. This internship is unpaid, but DCYEA will work with you to earn credit with your school.

General Description

The DCYEA Political Action Corps is a program designed to empower DC-area youth in the political process. Aside from providing young people with the skills and resources needed to effectively organize successful political actions, campaigns, and lobbying events, the PAC manages a core group of young activists that will form a permanent political action team in DC, ensuring that the voices of young people are heard loud and clear by Congress, the DC City Council, local citizens, and other relevant figures and organizations.

The Political Action Intern will work with members of DCYEA and environmental groups located in DC to organize young people around environmental politics during the first-100 days of the Obama Administration and 111^th Congress.

Primary Duties

-Follow developments in national and DC environmental legislation and events

-Organize skills training/issue briefing programs for DCYEA members and the public

-Coordinate lobbying events & political actions with DCYEA members

-Build relationships between DCYEA and environmental groups in DC

-Strengthen existing DCYEA groups and expand DCYEA network

Qualifications

-Interest in politics, environment, energy, and event planning

-Strong writing, interpersonal, and speaking skills

-Independence in undertaking tasks and ability to multi-task

-Community organizing experience a plus

This internship is unpaid, but DCYEA will work with you to earn credit with your school.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please send a resume and cover letter to Jeff Gustafson at jeff.gustafson@mac.com. Thank you for your interest!

Thanks,

Jeff

JEFF GUSTAFSON

SustainUS

Jeff.Gustafson@sustainus.org

(925) 209-9898

---------------
Hello DCYEA!

Young people across the country played a major role on November 4th, helping to usher in a new era of change. To celebrate our victories and prepare for Power Shift 2009 when 15,000 young people will converge in DC, DCYEA will be hosting an Inaugural Ball on January 20th.

We need your help!

If you are interested in joining the planning committee for the Ball, let me know ASAP and we'll plug you in immediately.

Thanks!

Jeff

JEFF GUSTAFSON

SustainUS

Jeff.Gustafson@sustainus.org

(925) 209-9898

Green Lecture Series: Ron Popowski '91 speaks on saving endangered species

Ron Popowski ’91, came back to his alma mater recently to talk about his successful career working with wildlife. Popowski, a biologist, is currently working at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in New Jersey after a long list of various experiences all over the nation. The list begins with him volunteering locally as a high school and college student. He then found himself in Utah as a wildlife biologist under the U.S. Forest Service in an intermountain research station. Popowski also worked with animals in Arizona, Colorado, California, New York, and Florida. Working with animals may not exactly sound appealing, but it is the kind of animals he works with that makes his job exciting. What kind of animals you ask?

Endangered animals. Popowski shared his passion for endangered species with the student body of Gallaudet. In his talk here at our university, Popowski explained how saving an endangered species can take a long time because it takes a while to get a particular species on the endangered species list. Getting a species on the endangered species list can take years. For some species, it is too long of a period and they go extinct. Politics are, unfortunately, such a big part of this process. In order to get a species on the list, wildlife biologists like Popowski first have to do extensive laboratory research including recording habitat needs to counting or predicting how many organisms there are actually left to create something they call “a plan.” A plan is information put together to design a plan for the species for its road to recovery, which is what Popowski does as a biologist- he goes out and studies species then creates plans for such species. After this is done, this plan is brought to a special committee in the Congress, which usually after some time will put the species on the threatened species list. This list does not really mean anything, just the fact that the species will be monitored but no money will be granted to protect the species. Then after some time and money is circulated, the species probably will finally be put on the endangered list. By this time, it is often too late to make a complete recovery for this particular species.

So, why invest so much time and money for so little success? Popowski does not have a straightforward answer but says it is how the system works. However, he does explain another new and interesting alternative. All U.S. national parks should be used more for conservation and left alone. By being protected, the animals and plants that thrive in the park will be safe. He is proposing that a way to protect endangered species is to actually buy land. By buying land and turning it into private or public park space, the animals residing there can remain safe. Often biologists will be asked to come into those areas for possible recovery efforts. It takes a lot of heart to put in so much effort to protect endangered species. But this is what Popowski does, and you bet he loves every minute of it!

by Rachel Benedict

Green Gallaudet Bake Sale & Wrap Swap

Green Gallaudet Bake Sale

No good Thanksgiving meal is complete without desserts! Green Gallaudet is having a bake sale to extend the feast by selling vegan-licious desserts and smoothies from Monday, December 1 to Wednesday, December 3, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the JSAC Market Place.

To add icing on the cake, there will be free appetizers from the organization's loyal friend, Java Green, for each purchase made.

Holiday Gift Wrap Swap

Drop off your old gift wrap outside the Green Gallaudet office, Ely #119, 

anytime November 24-30. 

In addition to gift wrap, the organization is accepting bows, ribbons, labels, gift bags, etc.

Then come and select your choice of free wrapping supplies to reuse for holiday gifts during the Green Gallaudet bake sale, December 1-3, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the JSAC Market Place.

Who's Who in Green Gallaudet?

President - Leala Holcomb
4th Year
International Education and Development
Bay Area, California
"There is sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed."  - Mohandas K. Gandhi
greengallaudet@gmail.com

Vice President - Emily Schenker
Graduate student - Graduating 2010
Interpretation
Rochester, NY
Favorite green celebrity: Ed Begley, Jr. (He powers his toaster with a stationary bike!)
vpgreengallaudet@gmail.com

Secretary - Megan Erasmus

Psychology

Home is where the heart is

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more.
- Lord Byron
secgreengallaudet@gmail.com

Treasurer - Liane Fahmie

Sociology and English

Fremont, CA

Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find.  -Time Magazine

tresgreengallaudet@gmail.com

Campus Improvement Track - Mallory Malzkuhn

Junior

Undeclared (possibly in Elementary Education, with minor in Theater Arts and Linguistics)

Fremont, California

"When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves."  ~David Orr

mallory.malzkuhn@gallaudet.edu

Education Track Director - Clara Baldwin

Sophomore

Art History and English in Secondary Education
Oakland, California

"If you don't have a religion, let recycling become your new religion!"
clara.baldwin@gallaudet.edu

Fundraising Track Director - Leila  Hanaumi

2nd year

Undeclared

Fremont, California

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives" - Native American Proverb

leila.hanaumi@gallaudet.edu

Student Congress Senator - Rachel Blake

4th year

Psychology

Derby, Connecticut

rachel.blake@gallaudet.edu

DCYEA Representative - Earl Terry
Senior
Communication Studies
Phoenix, Arizona
Popular Science is my favorite magazine
dcyeagreengallaudet@gmail.com

DCYEA Representative - Tanna Jo Kolb

4th Year

Business Administration and Accounting

Wichita, KS

"Be a leader.  Give back, create change, and build a better future.  Each of us can make a difference."  - Paul Mitchell

tanna.kolb@gallaudet.edu

Administrative & Finance Board Representative - Justin Jackerson

4th Year

ASL

Fremont, California

"The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty.  The activist is the man who cleans up the river." - Perot

Faculty Advisor - Scientific & Educational Outreach - Dr. Caroline Solomon
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Newark, DE/Washington, DC

Kermit the Frog was wrong when he said, "It is not easy being green."  It's easier than you think!

caroline.solomon@gallaudet.edu

Faculty Advisor - Advocacy/Activism - Raychelle Harris
Department of Interpretation
Washington, DC
My favorite green gadget is the bamboo fork-spoon combination, 'spork', that I carry around in my purse so I never need to use and dispose of those plastic forks and spoons out there.
raychelle.harris@gallaudet.com

--------------------

OFFICER DUTIES

President
1. run bi-weekly meetings as needed
2. spokesperson for the organization

a. reply to emails/letters
b. attend events representing Green Gallaudet

3. appoints a Student Congress representative and a DCYEA representative
4. works at the office at least 2 hours a week

Vice President
1. when president is unavailable:

a. run meetings
b. attend events representing Green Gallaudet

2. check on the progress of the "three tracks"
3. works closely with the educational track
4. assist president when needed
5. works at the office at least 2 hours a week

Treasurer
1. handle all monetary transactions
2. maintain the cash box for fundraisers
3. prepare biweekly reports for GG blog
4. collect membership dues
5. works closely with the fundraising track
6. works at the office at least two hours a week

Secretary
1. takes minutes at biweekly meetings & posts on blog
2. maintains email list of members on Google groups
3. announces meetings via Google groups, daily digest, on the blog and on facebook
4. maintains Green Gallaudet facebook group
5. picks up Green Gallaudet mail from SBG regularly
6. works at the office at least two hours a week

Track Directors (campus improvement, educational and fundraising)

1. campus improvement track = focused on making campus "greener"

2. educational track = on or off campus educational events
3. fundraising track = fundraise monies for Green Gallaudet1. completes project goals

a. prepare progress report for Green Gallaudet meetings
b. recruit assistance if needed
c. check with officers/advisors for advice if needed

Student Congress Representative
1. represents Green Gallaudet’s best interests at Student Congress meetings
2. appoints an alternative to sub in case of absence
3. summaries relevant information at GG meetings
4. make motions at Student Congress meetings when asked by Green Gallaudet

District of Colombia Youth Environmental Alliance (DCYEA) Representative
1. represents Green Gallaudet’s best interests at DCYEA meetings
2. appoints an alternative to sub in case of absence
3. summaries relevant information at Green Gallaudet meetings

Environmental Intern
1. liaison between the administration and Green Gallaudet
2. works closely with the Facilities department at Gallaudet
3. shares progress reports at GG meetings
4. works closely with campus improvement track
5. works at the office at least two hours a week

Faculty Advisor - Scientific
1. helps represent GG at scientific events/meetings with administration
2. help with external contacts (Student Conservation Association, World Wildlife Federation, etc.)
3. works closely with DCYEA representative
4. works closely with educational and campus improvement tracks
5. signs off on all monetary withdrawals (checks), and other necessary approval forms

Faculty Advisor - Advocacy
1. helps represent Green Gallaudet at fundraisers/campus improvement projects
2. works closely with fundraising and campus improvement tracks
3. counts the money before and after each fundraiser with the Green Gallaudet treasurer or a Green Gallaudet member
4. helps maintain the Green Gallaudet blog and assists with vlogs

Free Urban Composting Workshop

• When: Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• Where: Historical Society of Washington, DC - 801 K St. NW at Mt. Vernon Square
• Cost: Admission Free

Can Compost Save Planet Earth?

Don't blow those leaves out to the curb! Turn them into compost! Recycling food scraps and other organic matter has become symbolic of the modern green movement as one thing we can do to nourish the planet. For centuries, gardeners have known the many benefits compost brings to the soil: increased fertility, better drainage and water retention, a buffer for pH. Now we are learning that an ample supply of organic matter is critical to support soil microbes, so important for plant health.

City dwellers generate huge amounts of organic scraps, but turning them into compost - rather than sending them to the landfill - presents special challenges. Not everyone has a back yard with room for a big compost heap. Still, there's more than one way to get those carrot peels, apple cores and grass clippings back into the soil where they belong. Ed Bruske, Master Gardener and past-president of D.C. Urban Gardeners, shows how composting works and demonstrates a variety of strategies for composting in an urban setting. He'll explain different types of tumblers, why pests and odors needn't be a problem and how even apartment dwellers can start composting with their own colony of worms.

Ed Bruske frequently writes about composting on his blog, The Slow Cook (www.theslowcook.com). This presentation is given in collaboration with D.C. Urban Gardeners. (13 to Adults)

RSVP@historydc.org or 202-383-1828 FREE
Part of the Urban Gardening Series.

Nov 19: Green Gallaudet Monthly Lunch

• When: Wednesday, November 19, 11:30 - 1:00
• Where: SLCC Collaboration Room (2300 A/B)

Bring your lunch and join students, faculty and staff to exchange information, ideas and news with other members of the Green Gallaudet community. Come and learn about the experiences of the Green Festival volunteers, as well as other activities happening in the area.

DCYEA Upcoming Meeting 11/15

Hello Green Gallaudet!

I will be attending to the meeting this Saturday, November 15. I strongly encourage you to go as well. Interpreter will be provided. Contact me via email: dcyeagreengallaudet@gmail.com.

Best,
Earl

---------------------------

Hi DCYEA,
What an exciting year to live in DC! Last Wednesday, young people turned out in record numbers to vote loud and clear for change. We voted to protect our future, for green jobs and a new energy for America. Thousands of DC youth, along with over 340,000 young people from across the country, signed the Power Vote pledge - and the results were felt everywhere. As President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress get busy, DCYEA will be working hard to affect positive environmental change in our schools, communities, and government.

2009 will be a huge year for DCYEA! Let's get to work this weekend! Join us for our next meeting:

DCYEA MeetingSaturday, November 15th2:00 - 5:00 PM (political action training followed by the meeting)Room 327, Pryzbyla Center, Catholic University (directions below)

Many thanks to our friends at Catholic University for hosting us!

This meeting will start with an in-depth, interactive training/workshop on organizing effective political actions. We will be planning and discussing the International Day of Climate Action (December 6th), the new DCYEA Political Action Corps, and Power Shift 2009.
Directions to Meeting: The Brookland stop on the Red Line metro drops your right off on our campus. After going through the metro gates, turn left, go up the escalator and you'll see the campus. Go up the path towards the campus, cross the street, and go straight. After you pass the first building on your right, turn right (you'll be turning right on a strictly pedestrian street). You'll pass the architecture building on your left, and the next building will be the Pryzbyla Center (it will be across from a big lawn). At this point you'll be on the bottom floor, so go up 2 sets of stairs, turn right in front of Starbucks, and room 327 will be on your left. The Pryz is the most central location on campus, so if you can't find it anyone will be able to guide you.

Check out this video from the Green Festival, shot by DCYEA members from Sidwell Friends School:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZIohxcljVs

See you on Saturday,

Jeff


JEFF GUSTAFSON
D.C. Youth Environmental Alliance (DCYEA)
Jeff.Gustafson@mac.com
(925) 209-9898
http://dcyea.org/

Meeting Agenda: Nov 12th

Hello everybody!



Previous week’s events:


1. Festival of Arts and Culture

2. Haunted house

3. Green Lecture

4. Green Festivals




Current Business:


1. Vote for New Treasurer



2. Vote for New Fundraising Track Director



3. Tracks:

*Clara Baldwin – Education Report

a) National Teach-in on Global Warming Solutions Event Chairperson


*Mallory Malzkuhn – Campus Improvement Report

a) Committee making good progress

Rachel Benedict and Mallory Malzkuhn

Mallory and I discussed with Marc (the guy in charge of electricity on campus).

Marc was very helpful in trying to work halfway with us. He agrees that reducing the use of electricity on campus is something we can work on together.

-HMB building has a switch that automatically turns off all the lights (except for exit and safety lights) at midnight and they are turned back on at 5 am. He said we can try and see if it is possible for us to elongate the hours from 10-6, etc.

-For turning off the lights in SAC, FH, SLCC, etc, Marc says he has reminded the cleaning people to turn off the lights but it doesn't always happen. We brought up the idea about having students do it nightly and get paid for it. Marc agrees but told us that it will become a security issue in which he gave me the person to contact. I will e-mail her this week to set up a meeting.

-Marc let us know that KDES and MSSD actually are big problems. They are big consumers of electricity so he suggested that whatever we decide, include KDES and MSSD because they are roots of the problems on campus.

-Marc also suggested we could get the students involved by having a competition, etc, like we have discussed several times. I asked him about meters, we have individual meters for Clerc and Carlin Halls but the rest is several buildings on one meter. So, a competition among dorms probably won't be effective.

b) RecycleMania


*Fundraising Track Director

a) Bake Sale, Dec. 1st - Dec. 5th

b) $10 Membership fee due December 3rd



4) Clothes from Cinderella Trade-Off



Rachel Blake – Student Congress Representative Report



Justin Jackerson - A & F Representative Report

The "Justin:" statements were made by me during the meeting about a month ago. The "A&F:" responses were part of the SAB report sent via e-mail to the campus community about a week after the meeting.

Justin: To add more recycling containers around the campus, especially in the Marketplace area. If they could be clearly marked for BOTTLES, PAPER, etc. it would be helpful.

A&F: Allen explained the single stream recycling process that the University uses. She stated that if a can has a clear bag in it, the contents of that can are sorted for recycling by the refuse vendor.
*(this part still BOTHERS me because it doesn't help spread recycling awareness across the campus but if they insist on using that system, then better than nothing I guess)

Justin: We are glad that the Marketplace uses environmentally friendly plates and containers, but the Rathskellar is still using the old black plastic plates. When will they switch to the environmentally friendly products?

A & F: Dhue stated that the Marketplace and Rathskellar (including catering for meetings) will be using environmentally friendly products.

Justin: The Bookstore should be selling plastic or, better, paper bags for students to use for recycling. They could sell them for 20 or 25 cents each and if you reuse the bag in the Bookstore you could get a little money off your next purchase.

A & F: Gary Aller, Executive Director, Business Services, stated that he will discuss the suggestion with the supervisor of the bookstore. He would like feedback on whether students would actually reuse the bag when making purchases in the bookstore. Aller can be reached at gary.aller@gallaudet.edu.

PLEASE e-mail me for any more suggestions for me to make at the next meeting in early December! E-mail me at justin.jackerson@gallaudet.edu.


Earl Terry – DCYEA Representative Report

a) DCYEA kick-off event for 2009 at SLCC




New Business:

1. Open floor for comments, suggestions, ideas



Announcements




Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens._Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mike Brune, Executive Director of Rainforest Action Network (RAN), speaks at Gallaudet!

Green is everywhere, and there is a reason for that. While some may roll their eyes at this “fad”, it is undeniable that our environment is in need of attention, and Michael Brune was here on October 9th to talk about his book, Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Oil Addiction. Brune is the Executive Director of Rainforest Action Network (RAN) in San Francisco. Gallaudet was a familiar place to Brune, who visited his deaf brother during their college years, and he warmly greeted us before he began discussing how hazardous fossil fuels and dirty coal are to the environment, our health, and our pocketbooks. There were questions about whether clean coal actually existed, and while he acknowledged that coal itself is already dirty, there is such a method called carbon capture and storage to capture the CO2 from the flue gas that is produced during ‘cleaning’ the coal of impurities such as sulfur dioxide. The toxic chemicals are stored underground and are not meant to reach the atmosphere. However, once the carbon dioxide is stored, there is only a certain limit before the condensed carbon dioxide will begin emitting. Condensed carbon dioxide is lethal to humans; “90 million Americans live near oil refineries that release millions of pounds of cancer-causing chemicals, particulate matter, and other pollutants into the air each year” (Brune 2008).

Brune as the Executive Director of RAN has convinced corporations to go green such as Bank of America, Citi, and Home Depot. For instance, Home Depot has agreed to not get their lumber from endangered forests. Home Depot was not an easy victory for Brune. It came to the point where he went in Home Depot stores and made announcements over the intercoms saying things like, “Attention, Home Depot shoppers, we want to draw your attention to the doors in aisle 16 which were made from wood that has been ripped form the heart of the Amazon basin In aisle 12…” (Brune 2008) Citi was also a hard-fought victory for Brune. Citi quietly used its profits towards controversial projects without its customers’ knowledge. Brune educated Citi customers, advertised in New York Times, and managed to get dozens of other organizations to join in the campaign of pressuring Citi to stop funding controversial projects like logging in tropical rainforests. In 2004, Citi gave in and announced they had cut all illogical logging funding and instead supported indigenous communities. Bank of America had decided to adopt similar standards only four months later.

Basically, Brune talked about his successes and the tactics he had to use in his work. Brune also educated Gallaudetians on how little things we do in life makes a difference. Not only things we do, but where we get our resources from, which banks we use, which insurance companies we use, and so on because they are corporations with money and where their money go to mean a lot. The more educated we are, the more we realize how many other issues in our lives are impacted by dirty coal, such as the price of our health care (as the quality of our air improves, the cost decreases). Buy Brune’s Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal, found in bookstores anywhere, including Bison Shop. Be educated. Live better.

Contributed by Rachel Benedict and Leila Hanaumi

Upcoming Meeting Announcement- Nov 12th 6 pm

Hello everybody,

The second week of November is here, and before we know it we will be welcoming December and the end of this semester. But before we get ahead of ourselves, there are still business and meetings to attend to and projects to complete. This Wednesday there will be a meeting held at SLCC 1304 at 6pm. Just follow the sidewalk that’s paved with gold, golden leaves, and it will lead you there!

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing." -Thomas Jefferson

MetNet's Eco-Justice Cafe Returns!

After several years absence, the MetroDC Environmental and Justice Network (MetNet) has risen from the ashes, resurrected as MetNet 2.0. And with it, one of the best monthly gatherings, the Eco-Justice Cafe.

MetNet 2.0 is building the Washington region’s most comprehensive calendar of environmental and social justice-related activities.Come out Fridays from 6 to 10pm at UDC’s Firebird Inn: 4200 CT. Ave., NW, WDC 20008 on 11/14, 12/05, 01/09, 02/06, 03/06, 04/03, 05/01 and 06/05. Live music, poetry, food, drink, $10 donation requested.

The MetNet 2.0 web site is currently still being tested, but in the meantime, go to http://dcslf.org/metnet.html to sign up for the mailing list.

(In years past, the Cafe was known as the Coffeehouse, and was the destination at the end of the monthly Critical Mass bike ride. I don't know if that tradition will be resumed.)

Green Community Exhibit

Green Community Exhibit at the National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is hosting a year-long exhibit titled Green Community which runs from October 23, 2008 until October 25, 2009. To quote the site: "See how communities around the world are planning, designing, and constructing the world between their buildings in sustainable ways."

National Building Museum (http://www.nbm.org/)
401 F St NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 272-2448

More details are available at the exhibit's home page: http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/green-community/green-community.html

ASL Interpreted Workshops: Water & Waste

...1626 U Street NW...

(hop on the 90/92 bus in front of Gallaudet to go directly to the store)

Water Conservation – Thursday, November 6, 8pm to 9pm

Fresh water is key to our survival, yet many times we waste it without realizing it. This impacts the environment as well as our wallets! Come find out ways you can stop wasting fresh water.

This workshop will provide you with:

Information on the main water consuming appliances and activities in the home
Actions you can take to decrease your water consumption (and by definition, your water bill!)
Products and services that can help you conserve water
Resources that will provide you with more information

Waste & Recycling – Monday, November 24, 8pm to 9pm

Confused about recycling in the District? Heard about composting but not sure what it's all about? Come find out the many ways you can reduce waste in your home!

This workshop will cover:

Reducing the amount of waste that enters your home
Recycling basics--what to recycle and what not to recycle; what happens to recycling in the District
Electronics and hazardous waste recycling
Composting -- in a backyard or an apartment
Suggested products and services to help you decrease waste
Additional resources for you to learn more!
Classes are presented by Anca Novacovici

Anca Novacovici is the founder and president of Eco-Coach, Inc., an environmental sustainability consultancy that provides services and tools to help businesses and individuals decrease their environmental footprint. She has led "greening" workshops, conducted green business audits, and helped with implementing more environmentally-friendly processes for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller businesses and individuals. Anca is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional and is on the Board of the Green Building Institute.

http://www.greatergoods.com/classes.html

Contact

Want to join & help? 

Need to get in touch with someone at Green Gallaudet?

Want to sign up for our e-mail list?

Don't forget to join our Facebook group - Green Gallaudet! 

E-mail GreenGallaudet@gmail.com or 

Visit us at Ely #119 on Mondays from 3 - 5 pm and Fridays from 12 - 2 pm.

Energy Efficiency Expo - ASL interpreted!

Attached is "OPC's 13th Energy Efficiency Expo 2008: Creating A Greener DC," a consumer workshop with "hands-on demonstrations, designed to show D.C. consumer how to make their home more energy efficient and realize saving on their utility bills. This "hands-on" event is Saturday, November 1, 2008, in Rooms 101A & 102B of the Walter Washington Convention Center, located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC 20001, from 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. No admission fee!

(click on photo for a larger version)

Paperless Paystubs at Gallaudet

Work at Gallaudet?  Have direct deposit?  Want to go paperless?  

Visit Brent R. Klassen, Senior Payroll Specialist at College Hall, #320

Brent will help you navigate through Gallaudet's payroll system online to start receiving paystubs via e-mail - the whole thing takes less than 10 minutes!

No more printed out paystubs...

with THIS IS NOT A CHECK plastered over the check...

stuffed into an envelope...

paid with postage...

dropped off at the post office...

where the mailperson drives over with the truck to pick up the mail...

and brings it to the Post Office to be sorted...

then stuffed into a truck that goes to your place to drop off your mail...

every two weeks...

every year!

Imagine how much money and resources you will save Gallaudet and the Earth this way!  

Need to contact Brent?

brent.klassen@gallaudet.edu

Meeting Agenda: Wed Oct 29

Greetings Earth Warriors!


Previous week’s events:

1. Cinderella Trade-off

a) Thanks to those who donated and shopped!
b) Some dresses remain—stop by Ely 119 during office hours to find the perfect look!

-------------------------------------------------

New Business:

1. Green presentation—Dr. Caroline Solomon

a) How do Obama and McCain measure up on the environment?

2. Open floor

a) ideas?
b) concerns?
c) questions?

3. Fund raising

a) Homecoming!!
i) On the Fly—come for the environmentalism, stay for the yummy food!
ii) Bamboo sporks—better than plastic and all profits benefit Green Gallaudet. Only $3!!
iii) Sign-up sheet—volunteer for Green Gallaudet booth!
b) future projects

Green Gallaudet Hosts Earth Day

Green Gallaudet hosted an Earth Day festival on April 22.  There was face painting, flower pot decorating, flower planting, bracelet making, and free samples of vegan food.  Green Gallaudet is a group of students, faculty, staff, teachers and alumni who want to see a more environmentally friendly Gallaudet and a more sustainable world.  Also on that day, Bon Appetit highlighted its Low Carbon Diet program, an ongoing effort by Gallaudet's food service company to follow practices that reduce the impact food can have on climate change.  The "low carbon" offerings included pizzas with less cheese, alternatives to beef burgers, and more items that were produced, made or grown within the United States - particularly in the local area.

From Gallaudet Today - Fall 2008 - p. 9

Focus The Nation Brings Attention to Global Climate Change

Heralded by an unprecedented amount of discussion about carbon dioxide around the country, Focus the Nation activities came to Gallaudet in January.

The campus environmental organization Green Gallaudet planned the activities, joining 1,700 schools, organizations, and businesses nationwide to draw attention to global climate change.  While most Focus the Nation programs took place on January 31, Gallaudet's included four days of lectures, panels, workshops, and other educational events.

Presentations by faculty included an overview of current issues related to climate change.  A blue bus powered by vegetable oil and solar energy that traverses the country came to campus to demonstrate practical applications of alternative energy.  And a Green Fair with businesses like Greater Goods and Green Pets showed the campus community environmentally friendly choices for the kinds of products they buy every day.

During a "green panel," members of the community observed that green attitudes and practices are already coming into play.  Dr. Melodye Batten-Mickens, executive director of Faicilities and director of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), cited the environmentally friendly products Facilities is purchasing and the hybrid SUVs and ethanol-ready vehicles that DPS has added to its fleet.  Mickey Fields, director of Facilities, said he is working to achieve gold level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the James Lee Sorensen Language and Communication Center (SLCC).  Gary Aller, executive director of Business and Support Services, recently named Jessica Frank, an incoming senior, to fill the new position of environmental intern.  She is working on projects such as establishing a committee of faculty, staff, and students to take action against greenhouse gas emissions, addressing Green Gallaudet infrastructure, researching campus recycling, and developing a new environmental website.

From Gallaudet Today - Fall 2008 - p. 7

Upcoming Meeting Announcement - Wed Oct 29

Hello children, students, scholars, or whatever you will be this week for it is the Homecoming week! Homecoming is more than just victory, it is an opportunity for every part of the university to come together and celebrate as one.

The next upcoming meeting will be back to its original location at SLCC 1304 at 6PM. This is the opportunity to take advantage of our creativity and put it in a good use during a campus event.

On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meetTo chase the glowing hours with flying feet.~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

In order too celebrate the goodness in everything, be present!

Greenly yours,
Green Gallaudet

Mayor Fenty Announces Expanded Recycling Program

Plastic Bags, Aerosol Cans, Wide Mouth Jars, and Plastic Toys Now Can be Recycled

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that starting today Department of Public Works recycling collection crews will accept an expanded list of items for recycling, especially plastics. Now residents can recycle film plastics like grocery, produce, and dry cleaning bags, as well as aerosol cans and a variety of rigid plastic including plastic lawn furniture, toys and flower pots.

"We are meeting District residents' demand for increasing the types of recyclables we collect," said Mayor Fenty. "Washingtonians are deeply committed to halting the damage being done to the environment and recycling is a win-win program for the District and the environment."

Mayor Fenty noted that District residents exceed national recycling rates for newspapers, cardboard and plastic and glass bottles. He added that there are opportunities to increase the overall recycling rate by increasing the number of acceptable items and diverting more cardboard,and steel and aluminum cans from the landfill to the recycling processing center.

"Educating residents is vital to increasing the number of people who recycle as well as increasing the volume of recyclables collected that are converted into new products," said Mayor Fenty.

DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. said, "The value of potential recyclables depends on the market available for the recovered materials and, until recently, the market for these new items was scarce. Over time, we have seen new and imaginative final products derived from recycled materials. Clothing and kitchen countertops are among the
products made from recyclables and we take for granted that what we buy contains some recycled content."

"With this expanded list, most residents will probably find they fill their bins or blue recycling carts more than their 32-gallon trash cans or their Supercans," Howland added.

Beginning October 6, residents can recycle:

* Aerosol cans

* Milk and juice cartons

* Plastic bags, e.g., grocery bags, newspaper bags, shopping bags (Please "bag the bags" by placing all the bags into one bag.)

* Rigid plastics: plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, plastic toys, and empty plastic garbage/recycling bins

* Wide-mouth containers: peanut butter, margarine/butter tubs, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, whipped topping, and prescription and other medicine bottles.

For a complete list of accepted recyclables and instructions, review a copy of the new DPW Reference Guide, which is being mailed out to DPW customers and distributed throughout the city, or visit www.recycle.dpw.dc.gov . Residents whose recyclables exceed their container(s) can put additional recyclables in either a brown paper bag or a small cardboard box and place them next to their recycling bin or cart. For an additional cart or bin, residents may call 311.

Needed: Green Festival Volunteers!

Wanna serve the community and for the world? Email me to sign up for volunteering at the Green Festival! We need to decide on a shift for everyone to volunteer together as a group. Please email me with the shift you would best prefer to work with your schedule.

Available shift: 

Saturday, November 8th: 

@ 4:30 PM to 9 PM or @ 7 PM to 11:30 PM

Sunday, November 9th:

@ 1:45 PM to 6:15 PM or @ 5 PM to 9:30 PM or @ 7:30 PM to 12 AM 

For more information, visit the Green Festival site here: www.greenfestivals.org

Let me know, thanks!

Green-ly yours,

Clara Baldwin

Green Gallaudet Education Track Director 

Cinderella Trade-Off

Can't afford to buy a new dress for Homecoming weekend? Or do you have an old dress lying around that you don't wear anymore? Green Gallaudet is hosting an event where people can donate formal clothes or clubwear (guys too!) and cheaply buy or trade for new clothes.

For more information or if you want to donate, please visit the Green Gallaudet Office at Ely #119 Mondays 3 – 5pm and Fridays 12- 2pm or email greengallaudet@gmail.com.

Thanks, Nick Bolger and Liane Fahmie
Chairpersons of Cinderella Trade-Off

Meeting Agenda: Wed Oct 1

Greetings Earth Warriors!



Previous week’s events:

1. Student Organization Fair—a big success!

-------------------------------------------------------------

2. DCYEA report

1. www.powervote.org/organize

2. Tool Kit

a. Green Jobs Now
b. Invest in a Clean Energy Economy
c. Cut Global Warming Pollution Now
d. End our Dependence on Dirty Energy
e. Re-engage as a leader in the International Community
------i. Next Kyoto meeting will be in Poland this December
f. Take Dirty Money out of Politics
g. Your Power Vote Plank Here

3. Commitment to try and get this many signatures

a. Gallaudet – 300 students

4. Green Festival

a. Contact:

mimhult@coopamerica.org
b. Video Campaign

5. Next DCYEA Meeting

a. October 18
-----i. Georgetown University
-----ii. Lobbying training
b. November 15
-----i. Gallaudet University

6. DCYEA Mission

a. National / City?
b. More information at groups.google.com – DC Youth Environmental Alliance
c. City Issues
----- i. Bottle Bill
-----ii. California car standards
-----iii. LEED / Building codes

7. Writer for DCYEA website

a.

www.dcyea.org
b. Volunteer: Tanna Jo

-------------------------------------------------------------

Current Projects:

1. Tracks:

Clara Baldwin – Education

1) Vision for the year
2) October 9th lecture
3) Workshops/Panel Ideas
4) Focus the Nation
5) Community service (Green Festival and ?)
6) Polar Bear plunge on January 10th (For those who will be in area)
7) Green Jobs (from Dr. Solomon)

Mallory Malzkuhn – Campus Improvement

1) Find out which recycling companies other universities use (work withour DCYEA team) and compare
2) Make posters on recycling (bad/good facts, pictures, etc) right above trash cans and recycling bins (not just above them, but all the places where people go to get information)
3) Get more recycling bins all over the campus (especially dorms)
4) Provide more workshops

Tenaya Herbold – Fundraising

1) Homecoming
2) Membership fee?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Committee discussions (10 minutes)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Report on new ideas and goals

-------------------------------------------------------------

Justin Jackerson - A & F Representative

1) Share ideas and concerns to bring to the SAB meeting

-------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Events:

1. Oct. 9 lecture
2. Presentation/workshop in Peet Hall
3. Nov. 8/9, 2008- Green Festival (

http://www.greenfestivals.org/)
4. Homecoming formal wear trade-off?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Announcements

-------------------------------------------------------------

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. -Native American Proverb

Project 10 to the 100th

Got any brilliant ideas? Want to vote on someone else's brilliant ideas? Google's got just the thing for you! Quoting the web site:

Project 10¹⁰⁰ (pronounced "Project 10 to the 100th") is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible. Here's how to join in.

Details at http://www.project10tothe100.com/

Idea topic areas include:

• Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
• Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
• Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
• Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
• Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
• Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
• Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
• Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don't fit into any category at all.

DCYEA update

Earl came back from last month's DCYEA meeting with a lot of important updates:

1)As part of the Power Vote campaign, the DCYEA schools all pledged to collect a certain number of signatures. Gallaudet's goal is 300--if you haven't filled out a card yet, stop by Ely 119 during office hours to pick one up!

2)DCYEA is gearing up for the Green Festival. We have 2-for-1 admission cards, though volunteers get in free.

3)An important note about the next DCYEA meeting. It will be held at Georgetown because it falls on homecoming (Oct. 18). We'll host the next meeting instead--mark your calendars for Nov. 15!

Meeting Oct. 1--Room change

Due to renovations at SLCC, our meeting this Wednesday will be held in the SAC media room 1011 (across from the bookstore). We're hoping to move 1 room over to the classroom for better visual access--we'll keep you posted!

2008 - 2009 Green Lecture Series at Gallaudet

(click on image to enlarge)

.

The Newest Building on Campus - LEED Certified

by Environmental Intern, Jessica Frank

(originally written for the campus newspaper, Buff 'n' Blue)

Gallaudet University’s newest building, the Sorenson Language and Communication Center (SLCC) boasts a number of things, its status as a landmark, the usage of Visu-Centric design elements, the deaf-friendly characteristics that encourage learning efficiency, and finally, the title of the greenest building on campus. The construction of the SLCC building has been designed to follow LEED standards to encourage sustainability. One of the architects of the building and the instructor of the Deaf Space course, Hansel Bauman shares, “Gallaudet should be quite proud of what they have achieved in terms of the LEED rating for the SLCC.”

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is a certified rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council that promotes maximum energy efficiency and sustainability in building design. SLCC was designed to follow LEED standards by using a project checklist for newly constructed buildings. With areas that cover everything from sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation & design process, SLCC has scored 27 out of 69 possible points. There are four levels of LEED certification, Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. SLCC’s twenty-seven “green” points have earned the building a LEED Certified placement.

Leala Holcomb, the president of Green Gallaudet, speaks on behalf of her organization with words of optimism; “We are delighted that our campus’ new building SLCC has been Certified LEED. SLCC is a great accumulation to all of our sustainable efforts on campus; however, the effort does not end with the SLCC building.”

Now, the bigger question is, what exactly has SLCC done to be “green”?

Out of a number of things, SLCC has been most successful in creating a design of water plumbing fixtures that allow for 30% water conservation. The landmark is composed of 20% recycled content, and at least 20% of the building consists of products that are both harvested and sold locally. SLCC also uses energy-efficient lighting, glazing, and mechanical systems. No one will have to worry about the possibility of hazardous chemicals either, because the building uses zero amounts of potentially harmful materials.

The site has been placed in a location where it does not create any harm to farmland or habitation for living species. It is also located in an area where people have access to public transportation and bike racks; both of which are intended to encourage reduction of the carbon footprint. The building has avoided any contribution to the expansion of landfills by recycling all construction waste.

There are “many points of connection between Deaf Space and green building,” Archiect Baruman explains. “…the use of diffused even lighting is one of the most important aspects of deaf architecture. This kind of lighting is best provided during the day by modulating natural daylight which is one of the biggest energy savers.” He also describes the impact of good air circulation. “[It] is an important aspect of a green building so the occupants have access to fresh air and air conditioning. This works in concert with the Deaf Space guidance for having open, free flowing spaces for visual access.”

Still, the Sorenson Language Communication Center has only earned itself the lowest level of LEED certification. What more can the building do?

SLCC could reduce energy usage by 60% by choosing resources of renewable energy. There are green power options of solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydro, biomass and bio-gas sources that could be used as opposed to gas and electricity. Another successful maneuver would be to provide accessible public transportation that runs on alternative fuels.

President Leala Holcomb states, “It is only the beginning of a greener campus. Green Gallaudet hopes future buildings on campus will get the highest level of certification, which is Platinum.”

Zip Car at Gallaudet

Need to get to places?  Don't want to deal with insurance and gas?  Zip car is for you!

Want to take public transportation to/from Gallaudet, but sometimes need a car.. just in case?  Zip car is for you!

Gallaudet University students, faculty and staff can join Zipcar for only $25/year!

Get 24/7 access to Zipcars parked right on campus! Simply reserve online, let yourself in with your Zipcard and drive. Our low hourly and daily rates include gas, insurance and reserved parking.

You only need to be 21+ to join. Members also have access to thousands of Zipcars all around Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

Gallaudet students, faculty and staff pay no application fee and only $25/year!  Join today: http://www.zipcar.com/gallaudet/

Recycle your batteries with HSLS Department

Did you know Americans purchase nearly 3 billion batteries every year? On average, each person in the U.S. disposes of 8 batteries every year.  Imagine the numbers for Deaf people who wear hearing aids, cochlear implant processors and so on?

Did you know all batteries intended for disposal must be recycled—taken to a hazardous waste disposal facility or an authorized recycling facility. Do you know where your local hazardous waste disposal facility is? 

You don’t need to know!  Bring your batteries to the Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences (HSLS) department at Gallaudet University.

Location:  Sorenson Language and Communication Center, 2nd floor

Days/Times:  Mondays - Fridays from 9 am - 4 pm (closed for lunch from 12 - 1 pm).

Batteries of any size are accepted. Go up to the reception desk and look on your right, on the counter, there is a jar with "Batteries" label.  For larger batteries, hand them to the clinic secretary, Shari' Parks.

Keep Gallaudet Green!

More Green Gallaudet Accomplishments

Fall 2007:

• Bylaws completed
• New senator seat at Student Congress
• Volunteered @ Green Festival
• Sold chico bags

Spring 2008:

• Focus the Nation
• Earth Day
• Zip Car parking space
• Green Gallaudet office

Fall 2008:

• Green Gallaudet website
• JSAC Computer Lab printer programmed to monitor number of pages
• Reusable bags in Bison Bookstore (in progress)
• American Univerities Presidents Commitment (in progress)

Who's Who in Green Gallaudet?

President - Leala Holcomb

Senior

Fremont, California

greengallaudet@gmail.com

Vice President - Emily Schenker

Graduate student - Graduating 2010

Interpretation

Rochester, NY

Favorite green celebrity:  Ed Begley, Jr. (He powers his toaster with a stationary bike!)

vpgreengallaudet@gmail.com

Secretary - Megan Erasmus

secgreengallaudet@gmail.com

Treasurer - Tom O' Grady

Graduate student

International Development

California

tresgreengallaudet@gmail.com

DCYEA Representative - Earl Terry
Senior
Communication Studies
Phoenix, Arizona
Popular Science is my favorite magazine
dcyeagreengallaudet@gmail.com

Education Track Director - Clara Baldwin

Fremont, California

clara.baldwin@gallaudet.edu

Fundraising Track Director - Tenaya Herbold

tenaya.herbold@gallaudet.edu

Faculty Advisor - Advocacy - Raychelle Harris

Department of Interpretation

Washington, DC

My favorite green gadget is the bamboo fork-spoon combination, 'spork', that I carry around in my purse so I never need to use and dispose of those plastic forks and spoons out there.

raychelle.harris@gallaudet.com

Administration & Finance Board Representative - Justin Jackerson

Campus Improvement Track Director - Mallory Malzkuhn

Student Congress Senator - Rachel Blake

Fundraising Track Director - Tenaya Herbold

Upcoming Food & Alcohol Certification meeting - Wed Sept 24

On September 24, 2008 at 6pm at SAC MPR

Campus Activities is providing a workshop for those who wants to earn a license in serving Food and Alcohol. We will have a bake sale coming up this semester, so for those who are interested in participating Green Gallaudet's bake sale shall receive a license in order to serve.

Hope to see you all there!

- Giving is receiving.

Secretary's Meeting Minutes 9/17/08

Our first Green Gallaudet meeting was held at SLCC on September 17 at 6 pm. Never mind the details, the meeting went exceedingly great. The room was filled with over 30 eager members sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to make a difference.

Baby steps before making a giant leap, the meeting covered details about our previous accomplishments, upcoming goals, and we also elected individuals for available positions.

We proudly announce our new...

Vice President: Emily Schenker
Fund raising Director: Tenaya Herbold
Education Director: Clara Baldwin
Campus Improvement Director: Mallory Malzkuhn
Representative for A & F: Justin Jackerson
Representative for DCYEA: Tanna Jo Kolb

A good news is not a good news if it is kept only to one self, so its out, and we want you to know that Green Gallaudet has its own office located in the lovely ELY building, room # 119.

Office Hours:
Monday: 3pm-5pm
Friday: 12pm-2pm

Each person has an idea, and every idea is always a good idea so please feel free to share them by paying us a visit during these office hours.

Think Global. Act Local.

Monday September 22 - CAR FREE DAY!

(click on photo to enlarge)

Every September 22, people from around the world get together to celebrate a day without cars. Car Free Day Metro DC asks you to take the Car Free Challenge, and by doing so you could win an iPod nano or other great prizes! Visit http://www.carfreemetrodc.com/ to pledge and see what Car Free Day activities are going on near you.

Come join us for the Car Free Day Street Celebration, taking place on September 22 from 11am - 3pm at 7th & F Streets NW, which will include:

- Live Music
- Free T-shirts and Other Giveaways
- SmartBike Test Rides and discounted memberships
- Free Bike Tune-ups from The Bike Rack
- Free Bike Rentals Courtesy of Bike & Roll
- Segway Demonstrations

Ride your bike to the celebration and use the free bike valet!

Don't have a bike? No need to worry: take the Circulator Bus, which will be providing free rides the entire day!

Car Free Day is an international event celebrated every September 22nd in which people are encouraged to get around without their car - highlighting transit, bicycling, walking and all alternative modes of transportation. By taking a fair number of cars off the roads people who live and work there are given a chance to consider how their neighborhood might look and work with a lot fewer cars. Click here for more information about World Car Free Day.

Car Free Day was first celebrated in Washington, DC in 2007 with approximately 1,000 participants committing to be car free for the day. On September 22, 2008 Car Free Day is expanding to a regional event that encompasses the Washington Metropolitan Area. Individuals throughout the region are encouraged to participate by leaving their car at home or going "car lite" by carpooling or vanpooling. By taking the Car Free Challenge, participants not only are eligible for some great prizes, but they also help to improve air quality, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint.

References:
1. Car Free Challenge
http://carfreemetrodc.com/Pledge/tabid/58/Default.aspx
2. The Bike Rack
http://www.bikerackdc.com/
3. Bike & Roll
http://bikethesites.com/

Thanks to Kevin Cole for the information!

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Meeting Agenda: Wed Sept 17

Welcome to Green Gallaudet's first bi-weekly meeting!

Introduction

President - Leala Holcomb

Vice-President -

Treasurer - Thomas O'Grady

Secretary - Megan Erasmus

Track Directors-

District of Colombia Youth Environmental Alliance (DCYEA) Representatives- Earl Terry

Student Congress Senator - Rachel Blake

Environmental Internship - Jessica Frank

Faculty Advisors - Scientific, Dr. Caroline Solmon
Advocacy, Raychelle Harris


Green Gallaudet Accomplishments 2007-2008

Founded in October 2007

Permament seat on A & F Board meetings

Environmental Internship

Volunteered at Green Festivals

Went to PowerShift '07

Hosted Focus the Nation event on campus

Formed relationship among various departments and facilities


Green Gallaudet Goals 2008-2009

Tracks

1. campus improvement track = focused on making campus "greener"
a. current project: recycling (campus awareness video, visibility of recycling bins on campus)

2. educational track = on or off campus educational events
a. current project: upcoming Oct 9th lecture
b. future projects:- Campus Sustainability Day
October 22, 2008- Green Festival
November 9-11, 2008- AASHE
PowerShift 2009; February 27-March 2

3. fundraising track = fundraise monies for Green Gallaudet
a. current project: ink/cell phone project
b. future projects: - membership dues
selling reusable bags at bookstore
Homecoming booth

Who's interested in joining the Green Gallaudet team?

Vice President

1. when president is unavailable:
a. run meetings
b. attend events representing Green Gallaudet

2. check on the progress of the "three tracks"

3. works closely with the educational track

4. assist president when needed

5. works at the office at least 2 hours a week


Tracks

1. Campus Improvement Director - recycling

2. Educational Director - October 9th lecture

3. Fundraising Director - Ink/cell phone project


District of Colombia Youth Environmental Alliance (DCYEA) Representatives

1. Attend monthly meetings

2. First meeting will be on Saturday, September 20th

3. Host meeting at Gallaudet
-Reservation has been made - SLCC 1302.
-October 18 or October 25?
-Interpreter issues need to be resolved.



Continue bi-weekly meeting on Wednesdays at 6 pm?

Creative Ways Students Go Greener

15 creative ways that students and colleges are going greener
BY HOLLY RICHMOND - For the full article (only sections of 9 ways are listed here), go to: www.grist.org
16 Sep 2008

Kappa and Trade
Green the Greeks, a student organization at UCLA, is trying to educate the school's Greek system about sustainability issues. Frats and sororities use a disproportionate amount of energy, the group says, so it's aiming to "harness the resources of the Greek community for the environment," its website explains.

Paper Chaste
Applying to college means the liberal use of caffeine, SAT words, and ... paper: more than 750 million pieces of it every year, according to Students Plant the Seed. Don't want to join the ream team? Apply electronically, an option available at hundreds of colleges nationwide. Start by checking out the websites of the schools of your choice; many allow e-admissions.

Tray Chic
In a move that will leave many a student without a winter sled, colleges around the country are going trayless. Though some students may worry about balancing their plates as they move through bustling cafeterias, ditching trays means big energy and water savings -- up to half a gallon of water is saved for every tray that doesn't need to be washed.

Wheelie Cool
A growing number of colleges are launching or expanding their bike-loan or bike-share programs, aiming to get students, faculty, and staff out of their cars. California State University's Fresno campus has had a bike program for seven years; it makes about 100 bikes available for rental each semester.

Flush With Success
Forget girls gone wild; dorms gone green is the new (albeit less libidinous) collegiate stereotype. Wake Forest University fitted its dorms with low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, and Energy Star appliances.

Om Cooked Meals
Iowa's Maharishi University of Management says it's the first college in the U.S. with an all-organic, vegetarian, freshly prepared menu; others, like the University of California-Berkeley, are in the process of obtaining organic certification.

Waste Not, Want Rot
Greening the caf is great, but what happens after lunch? Ohio University wins bragging rights for the country's biggest on-campus, in-vessel composting system, which turns leftovers into rich soil in a quick two weeks (and gets half its energy from solar power).

Fare Play
Forget what you heard in high school -- riding the bus is hip. Especially if you're aboard the University of Montana's new 50-seat biodiesel bus, which is clean, smooth, comfy, and best of all, free.

Move-in and Groovin'
Washington, D.C.'s George Washington University just had its first-ever "Green Move-In," which included a paperless check-in system for dorms and designated recycling areas for moving boxes. Instead of passing out heaps of unwanted orientation literature, the school encouraged students to print out just the info they wanted or consult maps and handouts posted in common areas. "Green Move-In" was inspired by last semester's successful "Green Move-Out," in which volunteers gathered up and recycled 3,000 pounds of food, 2,200 bags of clothing, and 4,500 books left behind by students who'd vacated the dorms.


For the full article (only sections of 9 ways are listed here), go to: www.grist.org

7 Tips on Making Campuses Green

Seven tips on green campus organizing from a Harvard pro
BY KATHARINE WROTH - For the full article, go to www.grist.org
17 Sep 2008

1) Get down to business. Harvard's Green Campus Initiative has met with success in large part because it focuses on the business case for sustainability, not the hippie-dippy stuff. Sharp says it's possible -- and necessary -- to "prove point-blank that if you change every light bulb in an institution to the most high-performance light bulb, you will get a payback on the order of three years ... most of these projects are self-fundable". 

2) Start small ... The best way to get green efforts rolling, Sharp says, is one step at a time. Identify a concrete project -- buying greener cleaning supplies, say, or lowering energy use in a computer lab -- then find a "grassroots partner" who is willing to experiment, such as a purchasing manager or facility supervisor. 

3)  ... but think big. Once you have a few successes under your belt, Sharp says the best long-term strategy is to focus not just on individual projects, but also on institutional change. "[The first approach] is likely to give you a fantastic green building, but then very likely to result in every other building using the same conventional approach," she says. 

4)  Make your way to the middle. And speaking of middle managers, Sharp says they are the real key to change, since they control most behind-the-scenes systems and processes. But more often than not, they need to know that there's a desire and capacity from below (students and staff) and a mandate from above (administration) before they will consider acting. 

5)  Have patience. Understand that you probably will encounter resistance, but it's likely not insurmountable. Often people are afraid of change, worried about costs, or concerned that they'll be burdened with more work. "Come in with a deep sense of curiosity about other people's thought processes," Sharp says, "and keep a respectful dialogue going." 

6)  Be creative. You don't have to be as well-endowed as Harvard -- which runs a $12 million revolving loan fund for green projects -- to make change. "No matter how small your organization," says Sharp, "you have an energy bill, you have a waste-related bill, material costs, staff-time costs, and these are all the ingredients in the kitchen ... Wherever you can conserve your resources more, that's where you are going to have your savings." 

7)  Play well with others. It's the nature of colleges to compete, and the eco-realm is no exception -- just look at the Princeton Review's new green rankings. But it's much more useful to collaborate, Sharp says. 

For the full article, go to www.grist.org

Gallaudet Swimmers Go Green

Gallaudet Swim Teams Contribute to Delaware Seashore State Park Clean-up Project

Gallaudet men's and women's swim team recently assisted the Surfrider Foundation in its efforts to clean up Delaware Seashore State Park. The September 7 project was part of Surfrider's successful environmental awareness campaign.

"We are delighted to help Surfrider and local citizens reduce beach litter, promote recycling, and educate about coastal wildlife," said William Snape, the head swim coach at Gallaudet and a lawyer with the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity.

Federally threatened species such as the piping plover benefit from healthy beaches, as do other species protected under the Endangered Species Act, such as the endangered roseate tern, the threatened beach tiger beetle, and the threatened sea beach amaranth, he said. Snape and the Center for Biological Diversity have advocated for the Atlantic piping plover - a migratory sandy-colored bird with yellow-orange legs and a black ring around its neck - and other imperiled species for over a decade.

The Endangered Species Act is an important tool in protecting declining beach wildlife, particularly now, as global warming increases the chances of beach erosion, acidifies the ocean water, and changes the composition of coastal ecosystems. The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves, and beaches for all people. It has partnered with the Center for Biological Diversity on many endangered species and habitat issues.

"Our team was excited to spend some time in the surf, protecting the beach and catching some waves," said Gallaudet senior Scott Cohen, an avid surfer and conservationist from Hawaii.

Posted: 17 Sep 2008 on http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=13840

.

Green Your Home 101 - this Saturday!

GREEN LIVING CLASSES

in Washington, DC

Volunteer ASL interpreters scheduled!

Cost: $20 prior to workshop date, $25 at the door
Limit 20 people per class

Green Your Home 101 – Saturday, September 20, 10am to 11am
You've heard all about the many steps you should be taking to make your home more eco-friendly, but where to start? If you’re feeling overloaded by all the information that is out there and you're wondering how to get started, this is the course for you. During the workshop you will:

-Learn the impact that many of your daily activities have on your health and the environment (and your wallet!)
-Identify key contributors to indoor air pollution
-Walk out with easy steps you can take to make your home healthier and more eco-friendly
-Get additional resources to make the transition easier!

TO REGISTER: All Green Living Classes and Seminars will be held at Greater Goods - 1626 U Street NW. Registration is required. Please email classes (at) greatergoods.com.

Classes are presented by Anca Novacovici

Anca Novacovici is the founder and president of Eco-Coach, Inc., an environmental sustainability consultancy that provides services and tools to help businesses and individuals decrease their environmental footprint. She has led "greening" workshops, conducted green business audits, and helped with implementing more environmentally-friendly processes for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller businesses and individuals. Anca is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional and is on the Board of the Green Building Institute.

For future classes at Greater Goods, check here!

Upcoming Meeting - Sept 17 6 pm

We will have our first meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 17 at 6 pm in Sorenson Learning Communication Center (SLCC) building room #1304.

All for a greener Gallaudet!

Green Gallaudet Officer Duties

President
1. run bi-weekly meetings as needed

2. spokesperson for the organization
a. reply to emails/letters
b. attend events representing Green Gallaudet

3. appoints a Student Congress representative and a DCYEA representative

4. works at the office at least 2 hours a week

Vice President
1. when president is unavailable:
a. run meetings
b. attend events representing Green Gallaudet

2. check on the progress of the "three tracks"

3. works closely with the educational track

4. assist president when needed

5. works at the office at least 2 hours a week

Treasurer
1. handle all monetary transactions

2. maintain the cash box for fundraisers

3. prepare biweekly reports for GG blog

4. collect membership dues

5. works closely with the fundraising track

6. works at the office at least two hours a week

Secretary
1. takes minutes at biweekly meetings & posts on blog

2. maintains email list of members on Google groups

3. announces meetings via Google groups, daily digest, on the blog and on facebook

4. maintains Green Gallaudet facebook group

5. picks up Green Gallaudet mail from SBG regularly

6. works at the office at least two hours a week

Environmental Intern
1. liaison between the administration and Green Gallaudet

2. works closely with the Facilities department at Gallaudet

3. shares progress reports at GG meetings

4. works closely with campus improvement track

5. works at the office at least two hours a week

Track Directors (temporary, until project completion)
1. completes project goal

2. prepare progress report for Green Gallaudet meetings

3. recruit assistance if needed

4. check with officers/advisors for advice if needed

Faculty Advisor - Scientific
1. helps represent GG at scientific events/meetings with administration

2. help with external contacts (Student Conservation Association, World Wildlife Federation, etc.)

3. works closely with DCYEA representative

4. works closely with educational and campus improvement tracks

5. signs off on all monetary withdrawals (checks), and other necessary approval forms

Faculty Advisor - Advocacy
1. helps represent Green Gallaudet at fundraisers/campus improvement projects

2. works closely with fundraising and campus improvement tracks

3. counts the money before and after each fundraiser with the Green Gallaudet treasurer or a Green Gallaudet member

4. helps maintain the Green Gallaudet blog and assists with vlogs

Student Congress Representative
1. represents Green Gallaudet’s best interests at Student Congress meetings

2. appoints an alternative to sub in case of absence

3. summaries relevant information at GG meetings

4. make motions at Student Congress meetings when asked by Green Gallaudet

District of Colombia Youth Environmental Alliance (DCYEA) Representative
1. represents Green Gallaudet’s best interests at DCYEA meetings

2. appoints an alternative to sub in case of absence

3. summaries relevant information at Green Gallaudet meetings

Tracks
1. campus improvement track = focused on making campus "greener"
a. current project: recycling -campus awareness video-visibility of recycling bins on campus

2. educational track = on or off campus educational events
a. current project: upcoming Oct 9th lecture
b. future projects:- Campus Sustainability Day; October 22, 2008- Green Festival; November 2008- AASHE; November 9-11, 2008 (http://www.aashe.org/conf2008/); - PowerShift 2009; February 27-March 2 in DC 3.

3. fundraising track = fundraise monies for Green Gallaudet
a. current project: ink/cell phone projectb.
b.future projects: - membership dues- selling reusable bags at bookstore- HC booth

Higher Learning Adapts to a Greening Attitude

Students Lead Drive Reshaping Curricula
By Susan Kinzie
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 22, 2008; Page A01

The environmental fervor sweeping college campuses has reached beyond the push to recycle plastics and offer organic food and is transforming the curriculum, permeating classrooms, academic majors and expensive new research institutes.

The University of Maryland teaches "green" real estate strategies for landscape architects. The University of Virginia's business graduate students recently created a way to generate power in rural Indian villages with discarded rice husks. And in a Catholic University architecture studio last week, students displayed ideas for homes made from discarded shipping containers.

"It should be part of everything we do," said Ligia Johnson, a Catholic student whose plan for the Kenilworth neighborhood in Northeast Washington included roofs that collect rainwater and grow plants and trees.

What was once a fringe interest, perhaps seemingly a fad, has become fully entrenched in academic life, university officials say, affecting not just how students live but what they learn and, as graduates, how they will change workplaces and neighborhoods.

To go to the full Washington Post article, click here. 

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Green Gallaudet Bylaws

ARTICLE I
The name of this organization shall be Green Gallaudet at Gallaudet University.

ARTICLE II
Green Gallaudet is an environmental organization, which uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to explose global environmental issues on Kendall Green, and to force solutions for a green future. We are dedicated to environmental improvements that foster a sustainable future for the next generations. Green Gallaudet practices the "think global - act local" concept for our planet environment.

Green Gallaudet encourages environmentally sustainable practices in its daily decision-making process, including building, operations planning and purchasing.

Green Gallaudet undertakes alternative practices and procedures to iminimize negative impacts on the environment.

Green Gallaudet integrates environmental awareness and responsibility throughout the Gallaudet community.

Green Gallaudet takes into account, in the operations of the Gallaudet University, appropriate economic, environmental, and social concerns.

ARTICLE III

Section 1. Membership shall consist of members at Gallaudet University who are part of this community; be it, Faculty, Staff, Alumni or friends of Gallaudet.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1. The officers of this organization shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Student Congress representative.

Section 2. The qualification for each officer is: Any undergraduate and/or graduate student.

Section 3. The duties of the president shall include:
1. To be responsible for the total operation of the organization.
2. To outline the work of the organization and keep members informed on all matters pertaining to the organization.
3. To establish committees for special needs and/or programs.
4. To check the progress of committee work and meet regularly with committee chairpersons.
5. To make arrangements for meetings and make sure each member is notified.
6. Conduct the meeting effectively.

The duties of the vice-president shall include:
1. To work with the president,
2. Complete president's duties as necessary.

The duties of the secretary shall include:
1. To keep a register of members
2. To conduct the correspondences of the organization
3. To be responsible for assembling and distributing the agenda for each meeting
4. To maintain the files of the organization

The duties of a treasurer shall include:
1. To be in charge of the financial matters of the organization
2. To keep members informed of the financial status of the organization
3. Deposit and withdraw money out of the bank

The duties of the Student Congress representative shall include:
1. To attend to all meetings
2. To represent on behalf of Green Gallaudet organization
3. To present Green Gallaudet organization's concerns and ideas

ARTICLE V
This organization shall have multiple committees as necessary. These committees will work with the officers.

ARTICLE VI
Election will be held on first month of the semester

ARTICLE VII

Section 1. The advisor of this organization shall be a full-time member of the faculty, staff, or administration at Gallaudet University.

Section 2. The advisor will be chosen by the offiers and shall be subject to change by majority of votes from members.

ARTICLE VII
Officers shall be removed from office when their semester-term ends. Officers may be impeached by majority votes from members.

ARTICLE VIII

Green Gallaudet organization will proudly practice anti-discrimination clause, which permits each individual or different gender, race, sexual orientation, and religion to become member of this organization.

Green Gallaudet will and shall not haze the members; therefore the Anti Hazing clause will be applicable to this organization.

Gallaudet Cafeteria Goes Green

This was advertised on Gallaudet's Daily Digest for faculty, staff and students:

"In celebration of Earth Day, Bon Appétit is declaring April 22, Low Carbon Diet Day. The café menu will be completely low carbon and each station will feature foods illustrating a key principle of reducing climate change. Diners will continue to have extensive choices but will be encouraged to taste new items that are more climate-friendly than some regular features."

More from the advertisement:

"Bon Appétit will be implementing a series of initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% over the next three years. Visit www.CircleofResponsibility.com for more information. It is also undertaking an educational campaign aimed at informing guests about how they can make eco-friendly decisions about their food choices.

The campus community is encouraged to stop by the cafeteria and Marketplace today to sample the low carbon selections and learn more about reducing our impact on the environment."

Click here to go to Bon Appetit's Sustainable page

Special thanks to Gallaudet Staff member Elizabeth Sorkin for being the narrator!

EarthGirl Pushing for a Greener Gallaudet

This film was produced by a Gallaudet student, Jody Barrong, as a final project for one of her classes.

Focus The Nation 2008 Schedule

Presenter schedule for January 29, 30 & 31st at Gallaudet:

TUESDAY JANUARY 29

2 p.m.: "Smoking..." presented by a Deaf Doctor, Dr. Carolyn R. Stern of Gallaudet Student Health Services, www.deafdoc.org

3 p.m.: "Energy Healing - Reiki Master" presented by Colleen Shaw, Certified Deaf Reiki Master

4 p.m.: "Why We Should Incorporate Raw Foods in Our Lifestyles" presented by Alynn Davis, Deaf Raw Foods Chef, www.blisscafesedona.com

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30

2 p.m.: "Veganism: Making It Personal: Global Warming and Veganism," presented by Sherita Bolden, Gallaudet Interpreting Services

3 p.m.: "Environmental Ethics," presented by Teresa Burke, Faculty, Department of Philosophy and Religion

THURSDAY JANUARY 31

8:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.: "15-minute Yoga," hosted by Gwendolyn Roberts Francavillo, Gallaudet's Health and Wellness Program Coordinator

9 a.m.: "Introduction to Climate Change: Current Issues and Implications for the Future," presented by Dr. Caroline Solomon, Faculty, Biology Department

10 a.m.: "Food for the Future: Shopping and Eating Sustainability," presented by Rhea Kennedy, Gallaudet Public Relations Office, Green Chef www.youaredelicious.net

11 a.m.: "Global Warming: The Spreading of Infectious Diseases," presented by Dr. Jane Dillehay, Faculty, Biology Department

Noon: "Kick-Off Speech," presented by President Robert Davila

12:30 p.m.: Biotour Presentation and Tour of Biodiesel Bus

2 p.m.: "Old Habits Die Easily: How Psychology Can Help Stop Climate Change," presented by Dr. Raylene Paludneviciene, Faculty, Psychology Department

3 p.m.: "How Yoga Can Help Reduce Global Warming," presented by Beverly Hanyzewski, Deaf Certified Yoga Teacher www.deafheartyoga.com

5 p.m.: Panel Discussion with Gary Aller, Executive Director of Business and Support Services at Gallaudet; Meloyde Batten-Mickens, Executive Director of the Physical Plant Department at Gallaudet; Mr. Michael Fields, Gallaudet University Architect; Leah Katz-Hernandez, Gallaudet SBG Representative; Dr. Caroline Solomon, Green Gallaudet Faculty Advisor, moderated by Darian Burwell, Presidential Assistant, Diversity Relations.

6 p.m.: "Global Warming: Ecological Systems," presented by William Snape, Gallaudet Swim Coach/Fellow in Environmental Law at American University and Dan Millikin, Deaf Environmental Protection Agency attorney

10 a.m. & 7 p.m.: "An Inconvenient Truth," presented by Bradley Porsche, the only Deaf presenter of the 1,000 representatives trained by former Vice President Al Gore

Focus The Nation Video

Green Gallaudet, an environmental organization hosted Gallaudet's very first global warming teach-in, called "Focus The Nation". This was conducted simultaneously with thousand of other colleges and universities all over the nation on January 31st.

What we do everyday makes an impact on earth and its temperature rises - how can we reduce our contribution to global warming? On January 31st Gallaudet faculty, staff, students and visitors learned from numerous presenters and booths about many different ways about how we can make less of an impact and tread lightly on Mother Earth so next generations can enjoy what we take for granted today.

This video is a quick showcase of the day's presenters, Green Gallaudet members, visitors, students and booths. Enjoy... and think about what kinds of changes you can make today!

If this video does not play/work, you can go directly to the video here:
http://mymedia.gallaudet.edu/calendar/?step=play&id=77&wide=true

This video was produced by Gallaudet's e-learning and Video Services department. 

Green Gallaudet Volunteers at Green Festival

Meet the president of the Green Gallaudet organization, Leala Holcomb, and their faculty sponsor, Carrie Solomon as well as Gallaudet volunteers at the Green Festival last weekend in DC. And get a brief glimpse of what the volunteers did... (2 minutes and 13 seconds)