Report from final meeting

Well, after a fantastic sustainability party, community market, tie-dying, button selling, and colorful carrots, we celebrated Earth Day with a bonfire and round of "angry stick, happy rock" where we burned our frustrations and celebrated our joys in environmentalism. Then last night we had our biannual ice cream social and elected new officers. So, for next year our fearless leaders will be:

Presidents: Mer and Rachel
Vice President: Tyler
Secretary: Joanna
Tresurer: Erin

We also watched our contribution to the YouTube videos asking the presidential candidates to give us their plan to stop global warming. Catch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABd41MYRVI4

Sustainability Soiree

The campus will celebrate the students' success in making St. Mary's the first green college in Maryland with an Earth Day Sustainability Soiree on Saturday, April 21 from noon-2 p.m. The event takes place on the campus center patio and is free and open to the public.

The electricity-free event will kick off with live music from student bands. There will be activities that use alternative power as well as games and food. The soiree is a student-run party designed to bring attention to ways that colleges can reduce their carbon emissions and reduce global warming. The College’s soccer team will make ice cream without electricity using a new ice cream maker that can be tossed, shaken and kicked. There will be a bike-powered smoothie machine. and students are invited to bring kites to test the power of the wind. The College’s caterer, Bon Appétit, will serve hors d’ oeuvres made from locally grown foods. Eating fresh and locally produced foods reduces the use of fossil fuels in transportation and reduces pollution from emissions.

At 1 p.m. Maggie O’Brien, the College president, and student leaders will sign several declarations of support of environmental initiatives, including the Talloires Declaration. The college will also become an EPA Green Power Partner and join the Energy Star program. Eric Daniels, vice president of BP Solar and invited political leaders will speak to the group.

Come on out and wear GREEN to show your support!

World Carnival Report

We made over $100 this weekend at the vegan bake sale at World Carnival, and an excellent time was had by all. Next up, Ecofest! Get excited people! Tomorrow will be the screening of Captain Planet and Ferngully at the campus center.

Also, Earth Day is just one week away. The sustainability commitee has an idea to show the administration our support for sustainability (like they need further reminding). The EPA Star Partnership (which we are joining next Saturday) has a virtual tree that people can dedicate a leaf to someone or something. There is no cost to the dedication. Your just asked to click on one item that your will support in the coming year, ie: renewable energy, replacing lightbulbs, less driving etc. The website asks for your first name and last initial along with who the dedication is for. To make this really work as a community activity, I say we all put down "SMCM" in the dedication field. If we can get this thing to grow into something large, it will really confirm Maggie's opinion and commitment towards the sustainability program.


Here is the link: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=earthday.earthday_2007

Meeting 4-11-07

First of all, we still need people to help table at World Carnival, selling vegan baked goods and doing trash sorting, so let Mer know if you can help. We will be making a "green clothesline" as our part in the nation-wide "Step it Up" action. Bring your green clothing to any of the baking sites (Co-op, NC25, or WC kitchen) tomorrow. Speaking of baking, if you would like to help, feel free to stop by the Co-op and WC starting at 3:00 and NC25 starting at 4:00.

We also discussed our plans to make a video addressed to the presidential candidates asking what their plan is to cut carbon dioxide emmisions 80% by 2050. We will have as many people as possible all read the same script and then splice the people together so everyone says a word or two. It should be pretty hot! (and cool)

Also, don't forget about the highway cleanup! Sunday at 10:30 at the campus center. Breakfast will be provided.

Meeting 4-4-07

We went over the last bits of buisness to be done before World Carnival and Ecofest. There will be vegan cookie baking in the WC kitchen, NC25, and the co-op next Friday starting at 3:00, anyone who can help, please do! A sign up sheet will be e-mailed out for tabling on Saturday. We decided to have our final highway cleanup on Sunday after world carnival. If we get a lot of people it will go quickly!

Also, tomorrow, Tom Wisner will be giving a wonderful preformance of storytelling and song. SEAC is going to meet with him before the preformance for snacks and conversation. The snacks will be at 6:30 and the preformance starts at 7:30 at DPC. It will be a good time, so come out if you can.

Watershed cleanup results

This Saturday we had about 20 volunteers (students, administration, community members) cleanup three local beaches (Elms Beach, St. Inagoes, and St. Mary's Waterfront) as a part of the larger Potomac Watershed cleanup. We collected about 30 bags of trash - half recycling the other half trash. Interesting finds: 2 decaying cow heads with hide still on them and an old tractor!

Thank you to everyone who helped out, and the Potomac River Watershed thanks you too!