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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

February 1, 2005
Campus Center 207, 11:45 a.m.

Attendance

Mark Dickinson, Ruth Janisch-Lake, Brett Smith, Doug Rosenberg, Claudia Leung, Claire Stoscheck, Anna Everett, Richard Graves, Kristin Pollock, Maggie Kinkead, Dan Murphy-Cairns, Christa von Behren, Sally Weivoda.

1. Semester Tasks (Mark Dickinson)

A.  Macalester Joins Program for Resource Management

The Environmental Grant Program of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance is providing Macalester with funding to receive assistance from the California Environmental Associates (CEA).  The CEA will work with Macalester and our recycling and waste removal vendors to reduce our waste and improve our recycling.

In two weeks, there will be a kick-off event for this new program.  Someone from the CEA will meet with David Wheaton and other members of the administration to discuss this opportunity.  More information will be made available as the date nears.

B. Green Building Advisory Committee

The proposal for an advisory committee for the process of designing and building the new field house and fine arts complex has been approved. It reads as follows:

Green building design and sustainability have become important design components of college and university construction projects.  Macalester continues the planning process for new Athletic and Recreation facilities and new/renovated buildings of the Fine Arts, it is imperative to consider incorporating sustainable design into the projects.

In addition, the planning and design of these facilities, and campus landscape, will influence future construction projects.

As part of the planning for the upcoming projects, it is recommended that an advisory committee be appointed to assist with considering sustainable design alternatives and assisting in determining solutions.  It is anticipated that the committee would be convened by project to review the project scope and provide recommendations.

Specifically, the types of activities the Committee would accomplish might include but are not limited to:  review the scope of the project, review the cost benefits of sustainable design alternatives, and review various levels of LEED certification and its applicability to the project.

Membership for the Green Building Advisory Committee would include:

• Chair/Convener—Director of Facilities Management
• Vice President for Administration
• Staff Representatives (2)
  • Mechanical Systems Manager
  • Director of High Winds
• Faculty Representatives (2) - Appointed by faculty process
• Student Representatives (2) - Appointed by CEIC with MCSG approval
• Alumni Representative (1)
• Green Building Architect - Unpaid volunteer

It was decided that an ex-officio member, the student employment position in purchasing for green procurement, should be added.

Students wishing to apply for the positions of student representative should send a cover letter and resume to Mark Dickinson by Friday, February 11, 2005.

The committee will begin meeting late February or early March.

2. Student Volunteer Opportunities (Dan Murphy-Cairns)

Dan Murphy-Cairns has taken over the position in the CSO of Environment and Animals Area Issue Coordinator.  This means that he is the coordinator of volunteer opportunities with environmental/animal-related organizations.

The current volunteer opportunities are:

• Enviro-Education:  Groups of students visit St. Paul schools and teach children about environmentalism through fun activities.
• Humane Society:  Volunteers visit the Humane Society located near Como Park to walk dogs, groom cats, and help out in other ways.
• Dodge Nature Center:  A weekly volunteer opportunity is being formed to visit the center and help out at the preschool or farm.

Dan is also in charge of Earth Week activities. A committee of students to work on this will be formed soon. More information will be made available soon.

3. Announcements

A.  Off-Campus Environmental Student Employment (Ruth Janisch-Lake)

Ruth Janisch-Lake of the CSO informed the committee that she is gathering information from Twin Cities organizations that would be interested in having off-campus employment students work with them during the next academic year.

B.  Composting on Campus (Maggie Kinkead)

MULCH and the Veggie Coop are interested in bringing composting to Macalester College in the form of composting barrels or bins.

C.  Wind Turbine Cooperation with Carleton College (Mark Dickinson)

Carleton College has room for another windmill near their first (built earlier this academic year) and is interested in cooperating with Macalester College and sharing the costs and benefits of such a project.

D.  Biodiesel vehicle project (Richard Graves)

MacCARES and Erik Forman are working on a biodiesel program at Macalester.  This would allow fuel to be made from vegetable oil and used to power a campus vehicle.

E.  Native plants garden (Mark Dickinson)

Joel Creswell (Mac Alum) will be working with students again this spring to plant another native plants garden, behind Olin-Rice.

F.  Bike Share Program (Claire Stoscheck)

MacBike will soon unveil its new bike share program, which will allow students who do not own a bike to check one out from the campus center for personal use.

The next meeting of the CEIC will be Tuesday, February 22 from 12-1 in the Campus Center Room 214.

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