 |
 |
 |
faculty students alumni courses major/minor requirements internships study abroad newsletters/journals
Environmental Studies Department |
|
Campus Environmental Issues CommitteeFebruary 14 , 2006
Attendance: Brett Smith (co-chair), Mark Dickinson (co-chair), Claire Briguglio, Angelina Lopez, Megan Bjella, Timothy DenHerder Thomas, Rose Patterson, Diego Ponce de Leon Barido, Ellie Rogers, Hannah Gelder, Andrew Meeker, Alese Colehour, Asa Diebolt, Molly Conway, Ariel Trahan, Nancy Taff, Koby Jeschkeit-Hagen, John Mountain, Chris Wells, Nikki Strong, Julia Eagles. Announcements: The meeting began with a brief update on the Green Roof. The college is submitting an EPA Grant application to expand the project to include using the Kagin roof to test various green roof options. The CEIC acted unanimously to support the application. Presentation: This was a special meeting with guest speaker Terry Gips, the president of the Alliance for Sustainability, who is promoting the Natural Step Framework (NSF) and feels that Macalester can become a real leader in sustainability with so many possibilities before us. Terry began his presentation with a brief history of his work including writing several books, working internationally with different institutions, and executing the NSF with schools, businesses, and various institutions. Terry believes that sustainability is based on a three part balance created by the relationship between the environment, society, and economy. Sustainability can be accessed through multiple elements and every individual must find his or her relationship to sustainability whether it is through health, art, business, etc. Terry suggested that the NSF is a compass—a tool to be used by institutions. The NSF is currently being used in Sweden and the US by businesses, schools, the government, religious institutions, hospitals, and many important institutions in society. Terry believes that the decline in the ecosystem, goods, and services—and an increase in the population and consumption—can be restored by sustainability based on an action plan as defined by the NSF. Terry suggested that Macalester hold a NSF seminar, which usually consists of 10-40 people, and would be open to interested students, faculty, and staff. The seminar would include understanding of the principles that maintain sustainability, possible case studies of other schools using the NSF, and an action plan that can be developed for individual departments based on their specific needs. Terry believes that sustainability should be a part of everyone’s education, just as citizens, and the NSF can accelerate the support and involvement of students in efforts that will arise and that are already occurring at Macalester.
|
|
|