People Power Initiative (PPI) Newsletter... Empowering People to Act on Climate Change and a Healthy Future here at Macalester
Working on Climate Change
Focus the Nation: On Thursday, September 13, 2007, Macalester hosted Eban Goodstein, professor of Economics at Lewis and Clark University, who presented the Focus the Nation concept, discussing how to build leadership for Focus the Nation on their campuses, in their communities, and throughout the Upper Midwest. In January of this Year, Macalester College will take part in the Focus the Nation Symposium, uniting thousands of schools, colleges, religious organizations, businesses, and many others in a nation-wide teach-in on the topic of global warming. Follow up action will be taken directly to legislators at the capital, and St Paul as well!! More detail about Focus the Nation can be found in at the project website: http://www.focusthenation.org
To read more about Focus the Nation here at Macalester, click here
The National Campus Energy Challenge: College campuses across the nation are using Powershift as the launch point for the National Campus Energy Challenge, a nation-wide competition with awesome prizes to see which college campus in each state is able to save the largest percentage of their energy use during the month of February. A website wil be up shortly documenting the challenge and the colleges involved at: http://ncec08.org. A cool thing to note: Minnesota colleges are taking the lead and serving as the national coordinators in this effort! Campus Wars were able to get college emissions media last year. Now it's time to take it national!
The PPI Think Tank
The Next Think Tank will take place on Tuesday, December 10 at 8 AM in Café Mac. If you are not on the meal plan, ask for a free meal ticket at the Info Desk!
The Think Tank: What, Where, Why and How
Minutes for November 13th: Project Implementation with Facilities Management
Minutes for October 30: Transportation and Parking at Mac
Minutes for October 16: Urban and Community Gardening
Minutes for October 2: Community Energy and Efficiency
Minutes for Sept 18: Green Development at the Ford Plant
Stories by
Macalester Students, Staff, Faculty, and Community Members talk about
their Activities and Ways to Get Involved:
Faith and Ecology: Disagreement from the Wolf and Mountain by Macalester Protestant Chaplain K.P. Hong |
NAEP Conference in South Dakota by Justin Lee |
|
by Abby Fenton |
The University Ave Cooperative and Solar Thermal by Edward Krakhmalnikov |
Click here to read Past Stories
If you have an idea for a story that you would like to see up on this newsletter website, please contact Madeline Kovacs at mkovacs@macalester.edu or (510) 410-4176
Announcements
Rock-Tenn, a recycling plant located at Cretin and I-94, is searching for a new fuel source. A community Advisory Panel has been created by the Minnesota legilature to look into how to keep jobs in St Paul and find an alternative form of energy for the site. To learn about the panel's tasks and its members, please visit: http://rtadvisory.org/
Neighbors Against the Burner, or NAB, has been an outspoken voice against waste incineration and its effects on human health. http://www.neighborsagainsttheburner.org/
To find out more about incineration, look here: http://www.wastestudygroup.org/library/docs/PaulConnett_20070828.pdf
Power Shift 2007 Twenty-five Macalester students and thirty-five other Minnesotan college students attended Power Shift 2007, the historic youth summit on global warming in Washington, DC, this November 2-5. They spoke with both our state senators, pushing an aggressive climate change initiative and influencing national climate awareness. Hear speaches and read about what happened at: http://powershift07.org/
Do It Green is offering free workshops on energy
auditing, green careers, and green spending & investing. Dates and
places where the workshops are held: http://www.doitgreen.org/events.php
* Green
Spending & Investing
Expand your local spending power, support community banks and learn about
green investing from a panel of financial advisors.
* Home Energy Conservation and Audit
Learn ways to reduce your home energy costs and contribution to global
warming. Walk-through an energy audit of a local home, learn tips on insulation,
alternative energy and take home a fluorescent lightbulb!
* Green Careers
Green career opportunities are unlimited, but where
are they and how do you snag one? What action can you take now to get
on your green career track and work for a sustainable world?
Click here to read Past Announcements and descriptions of events!