SEAC meeting #3: Move the Planet, Stop the Tar Sands

1. Moving Planet is this Saturday, September 24. Our agenda is:

• brunch time - have our banner outside the Campus Center; people will decorate it with footprints, handprints, bike tire prints, and other people-powered-movement prints.
• 2:00 - Critical Mass bike ride through campus, starting at the Campus Center
• 2:30 - fun, food, and games at the Point!

Join in, and bring your friends! (if you facebook, go here.)

2. SEAC members who participated in protests over the summer about Tar Sands oil mining and the Keystone XL pipeline led a discussion about the issue, the dangers involved in the proposal, and past, current, and upcoming actions to fight it - including a protest outside the State Department on Friday, October 7. SEAC will be participating; if you want to be a part of this, contact us!

3. The reusable to-go box (aka oyster shells) program is going well, but fewer new people than expected signed up to participate. SEAC will be tabling in the next few weeks to bring awareness to this green dining option.

SEAC meeting #2

Last Wednesday night, we had a long but productive meeting of learning about the state of sustainability on campus, brainstorming ways to make the campus greener, and planning for Moving Planet.

• Luke Mowbray, the campus Sustainability Coordinator, has a background in "stuff." Email him at lmmowbray (smcm) to ask about on-campus initiatives, progress reports, urban planning, and ... stuff.
• For example, if SEAC comes up with a plan of action for increasing composting awareness (so people don't put trash in compost bins!), Luke's department can help us with funding.
• On the other hand, Luke needs data about when, where, and how many lights are left on at night to target areas where we can save energy. SEAC's peoplepower can do this!
• Want to work on greening the Great Room? Contact Ashok at ashok.chandwaney (gmail).
• Talk about synchronicity ... one of our big ideas at the last meeting was puttng a bench and rider information at the bus stop, and Luke has already gotten approval for it to happen!
• Moving Planet will be awesome!

Next Saturday is the international day of action organized by the 350 campaign, Moving Planet. SEAC has some awesome ideas for a SMCM rally!

1. All day, we table inside the campus center and work on painting a banner outside the campus center. (handprints and footprints? signatures? murals? messages from students? something to figure out at the next meeting!)
   
2. At 2:00, bikers and other fast wheelpowered transportation assemble at the Bike Shop in WC, and walkers and slow wheelpowered transportation assemble at the Campus Center.
3. Bikers, bike to the campus center!
4. Rally and photo op on the hill
5. Bikers bike and walkers walk to Chancellor's Point
6. fun times! (until 7 or 8 or sundown)
   

At the end of the meeting, we split up into three groups to work out the logistics of this plan.

• Publicity - we need posters EVERYWHERE! (on recycled paper, of course) We will make and/or distribute these at this week's meeting.
• Activities - people in this group will coordinate fun things to do (Nerf Gun wars! three-legged races! frisbee games!) and contact student musicians and local bands about performing
• Reaching Out - we will work with other clubs to bring more people into this

Get ready for Moving Planet THIS SATURDAY

(NOTE: emails aren't entirely spelled out to protect the innocent from SPAM! You probably know how to complete them.)

SEAC is back (in green)

Hello all,
Welcome to another year with the St. Mary's Student Environmental Action Coalition! Our first meeting of the year was tonight. We accomplished

• a mathematically nontrivial game of The Human Knot
• group introductions (what is your favorite Crayola color?)
• announcements on the State of SEAC, the State of the Campus, and the State of the State
  
• brainstorming for Moving Planet and other ideas!
  

Moving Planet is a international day of action organized by the 350 Campaign (we've participated in other actions of theirs before) as a mass mobilization to demand solutions for the climate crisis.

Potential St. Mary's actions:
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• build a shelter/info sheet/schedule at the bus stop
• critical mass bike ride (in costumes?)
• ride share and bike shop awareness
• lobby for a bike share (have seniors donate bikes?)
• lobby for more sheltered bike racks
• stickers/high fives/etc. for people walking across campus
• flash mob dance ("Electric Slide" into renewable energy?)

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

(Speaking of transportation issues, here is the school rideshare board and county bus schedule.)

At the end of the meeting, we collected everyone's thoughts on what they want SEAC to accomplish. Come to our next meeting (Wednesday, September 14 at 8:30 in Goodpaster 117) as we compile these into a coherent mission for the year.

Stay green!