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Environmental Studies Department
Olin Rice 249
1600 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
651-696-6274
Comments & questions to:
esson@macalester.edu

Campus Environmental Issues Committee

October 14, 2003
Olin-Rice 205, 4:30 p.m.

I.  Introduction of Agenda Points

1. Intro/Agenda review
2. Wind Turbine
3. Reports from Campus Actions
4. CEIC Restructuring Proposal
5. Environmental Affairs Director Proposal
6. Ongoing Issue Work
7. Next Meeting/Next Steps

II.  Introduction of all Present

Ana Murteira, Christina Jones, Danny Schwartzmann, Daniel Ungier, Rina Rossi, Simone King, Yan Choi, Mike Ring, Danny Kaplan (Faculty), Julia Eagles, Sally Weivoda, Lorin Hatch (Faculty), Brett Smith (Co-Chair), Mark Dickinson (Co-Chair)

III.  Wind Turbine Discussion

• Use as a teaching tool - physical plant has a fact sheet.

• We don't know about the data collection/monitoring.
  • David Bergstrom asked what to measure (wind velocity, energy, etc)
  • Larry Gunther (Xcel contact) placed instruments on the roof, the info goes to Danny Kaplan's office Kevin Maynard is Bergstrom's replacement at Physical Plant.
     
• We don't know how much energy it's generating.
  • We assume Gunther knows (Dickinson, Kaplan, and Hatch's ENVI 133 students will be working on this issue) supposedly Xcel will set up an info kiosk.
  • Gretchen Solomon (student) has a grant allowing her to put up an info sign explaining the turbine's significance, etc.  Ungier wants the turbine to be a symbol of sustainability at Mac Xcel only gave us the money for it because they are required to support renewable energy in order to be allowed to store their nuclear waste.  Murteira wants MacCARES to look more into how Mac can use renewable energy.

IV.  Reports from Campus Actions

Summary from Schwartzmann:

Over the summer, a group of students discussed environmentalism on campus, especially the Talloires.  A letter was given to the board of trustees regarding the Talloires, how to implement it (Make CEIC more powerful, hire an Environmental Affairs Director, strengthen ES Program).  Campus Life Committee read it and was in favor but wanted more info.

The student group met with President Rosenberg who was supportive but made no commitments, he wanted more info from peer schools and gave ideas on possible solutions (hiring a post doc, hiring a dean of environmentalism with teaching and administrative responsibilities, etc).  69 peer schools were chosen to research; so far about five have an E. Affairs Director.  Danny Kaplan suggested the 40 schools from comparison set currently used by Mac be used instead because they have greater recognition at the school.  Kaplan also suggests the student group research anything that will save the school money, as this will likely go over well.  Dickinson has info on savings from the physical plant retrofitting.  Brett Smith suggests inviting key people from the peer schools to share info on their experiences.  it was discussed but not decided that if the CEIC was restructured, it should include reps from LB, the ES dept, and enviro orgs on campus, but only committed students.  Kaplan warns that no matter how effective the CEIC is, anything they come up with can only be a recommendation to the administration.

Mike Ring suggests that as the CEIC is already recognized by the college, the only change within the structure that could alter the college's view of the committee is the addition of the E Affairs Director, and the CEIC cannot make that addition without the college's approval.  Smith adds that the CEIC should involve more faculty, but this will be difficult.

Mark Davis is the chairman of the Personnel Committee which assigns faculty to be on committees, and probably won't assign more to the CEIC.  Kaplan says the CEIC needs to make a recommendation to the Resource Planning Committee in order to get more faculty, which decided two years ago to limit the faculty time on committees.  Dickinson suggests inviting specific faculty to come, and creating a steering committee for the CEIC which would include two students from ES, the current co-chairs, and an additional faculty member.  Kaplan suggests that instead of waiting to be granted authority by the school, the CEIC should take authority.

V.  Issues for the Future

• Invite faculty, physical plant staff
• Continue researching schools
• Next meeting Oct 28th, 4:30 OR 205

Minutes taken by Sally Weivoda.

Macalester College · 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105  USA · 651-696-6000
Comments and questions to esson@macalester.edu