12 noon

Butler/Wu, Private Dining Room
 

Committee Attendees: Michael E. McKay, Chair; Peter Allen, Kathryn Andersen, Andy Dobson, Janet Gruschow, Katharine Hackett, Robin Izzo, Tom Nyquist, Stu Orefice, Barclay Satterfield Leila Shabender, David Wilcove, Shana Weber

Committee Members Absent: Emmanuel Kreike, Don Weston

Guests: Jon Baer, Mary Banfield, Rick Curtis, Jeff Domanski, Morgan Fowler, Lexi Gelperin, Margaret Harwood, Chad Klaus, Carole Loffredo, Dennis Markatos, Tetse Ukueberuwa

Green Textbook Initiative

Shana reported there is a national Green Textbook Initiative to get educational publishers to print textbooks on recycled paper. Shana stated a signed statement from President Tilghman will help in this effort. Dave Wilcove recommended that Shana summarize the supporting documents pertaining to this initiative and that she forward to the Committee members the list of schools that have already signed and sent the letter to educational publishers. Dave Wilcove stated he was in favor of this initiative and a consensus to proceed was reached.

North East Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC)

Shana reported that she attended the North East Campus Sustainability Consortium at Yale University earlier this month. Approximately 250 people attended. This consortium was established to advance education for sustainability development on university campuses. During the meeting, the President of Yale, Richard Levin, unveiled Yale's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy http://www.yale.edu/sustainability/ Shana also stated a discussion to draft a regional commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is being considered.

Mike McKay stated a sustainability presentation was given to the Trustees' Grounds & Buildings Committee on November 17th. The university has been charged to come up with a set of sustainability goals over the next few months that are attainable, reasonable and aggressive. Mike stated two sub committees will be formed: one group will work on a broad set of goals; another group will work on CO2 issues. Both sub committees should have representation from faculty, staff and students. Dave Wilcove and Margaret Harwood agreed to participate and two students who currently attend the CO2 course volunteered.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions below the 1990 levels by the year 2020, purchase of energy from renewable resources, and the influence Purchasing can have on vendors, were also discussed.

US Green Building Council/GreenBuild EXPO

Tom Nyquist and Shana Weber reported they attended the US GreenBuilding Council's EXPO conference in Denver in early November. The Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. Approximately 15,000 people attended. Over 900 "green vendors" participated in the event which showcased products, technology and ideas in green building, LEED workshops, and green building tours. Tom stated the conference was extremely helpful.

Mike McKay stated Princeton is working on "green" initiatives for the New Butler Complex and the new Chemistry Building.

Food, Ethics, and Environment Conference

Katharine Hackett reported the Food, Ethics, and the Environment Program held on November 16 and 17 was very successful. The conference explored issues surrounding food production and the choices individuals make regarding the food they eat. Presentations, panel debates, and discussions were held; approximately 950 people attended. Kathy stated the event was broadcast live via the web and an archived version will be available for viewing after November 27th, at http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/

Stu stated it would be beneficial if Dining Services hired an intern to work on a matrix that would organize products/produce into categories and have all ingredients coded. Chad Klaus, General Manager for Services, stated Facilities would fund the position.

SURGE, Students United for a Responsible Global Environment

Tetse reported SURGE is a student organization dedicated to global warming issues and climate changes. The group has 160 members and includes graduate and undergraduate students. Tetse stated a NJ global warming coalition is working with Governor Corzine to develop a national policy on global warming. One of the goals of SURGE is to change the culture on campus, educate others on improving energy habits, and raise global warming awareness on campus. The group will be working with eco reps on energy conservation. Shana and Mike will meet with SURGE representatives after the first of the year.

Food Course and PEI CO2 Course

Kathryn Anderson reported a PEI CO2 Course and "Farm to Fork" Course were offered during the fall semester. For the CO2 course, student teams worked on emission projects and solar energy. Presentations on various environmental aspects will be given to faculty members for their comment. A report will be prepared on what items on campus can be improved upon.

In the "Farm to Fork" - Food Course, experts in the food industry were invited each week to class to discuss various issues related to food/food products and tracking products through government packaging. The course also included various field trips and films. Katy stated there is a very strong interest in the quality and variety of food offered on campus.

The next meeting will be held on January 24, 2007, 12 noon at Butler College.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary E. Banfield
Executive Assistant
Facilities, Office of the Vice President