green alfred

Plastiki a 60 foot long catamaran made up of almost 12,000 plastic bottles, will soon set sail on  a 100 day journey with a select crew of scientists and adventurers . The purpose, to increase awareness about the damage being done to the world’s oceans and to bring attention to sustainable solutions.  To learn more their website is http://www.theplastiki.com/lo-fi/

Hello all!

This is Liz Wager, the secretary of Green Alfred. I’m currently working on vacuuming and dusting and reorganizing this blog, so bear with me until we get everything sorted out. Until that time, here is some helpful information you might be interested in:

Meetings of Green Alfred this semester (Fall 2009) are at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Org. Suite (first floor of Powell Campus Center) on Monday nights. Feel free to stop by at that time!

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact Green Alfred at GreenAlfred@alfred.edu

And lastly, (and most importantly) please remember to be as conscious as you can about the choices you make that will impact the environment!

So long for now,

Liz

From Alfred Today:

A Public informational meeting will be held on Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Alfred Station Fire Hall. All interested residents are urged to attend and express their opinions on this project. A representative from Empire State Wind Energy will give a presentation with a question and answer period to follow. Any questions please contact the Town Clerk’s office at 607-587-8524.

GreenAlfred is conducting a waste audit on Friday, Nov. 14, from noon - 7 p.m. in Davis Gym.

We need volunteers to help out! Volunteers will help with coordination, sorting trash, and recording data. To volunteer, contact Kacie Dean at kmd4@alfred.edu or 503.476.2759.

The goals of the waste audit are to: 1) collect data that can be used in a cost-benefit analysis of trash versus recycling; 2) demonstrate the need for a recycling program; 3) create awareness on campus; and 4) gain support for recycling efforts.

Everyone in the Alfred community is invited to come by to see the waste audit in action.

For more information about waste audits, please see Recycling and Beyond: Solid Waste Audits.

Volunteers sorting trash

This morning, volunteers from GreenAlfred completed a trial waste audit. Garbage was collected from a variety of locations on campus and the contents were analyzed.  The information gathered will be used to prepare for a full waste audit in the coming weeks.

The goal of the upcoming full waste audit will be to get a true picture of the university’s waste stream in order to:

1) demonstrate the need for a recycling program;

2) collect data that can be used in a cost-benefit analysis of trash versus recycling;

3) create awareness on campus; and

4) gain support for recycling efforts.

Documenting the waste audit

Once the waste audit is scheduled, we will be looking for volunteers to assist, and we will invite everyone in the Alfred community to drop by to see the waste audit in action. Watch Alfred Today for an announcement.

Sorted trash

Alfred University and AVI Fresh, a division of AVI Foodsystems Inc., are exploring the feasibility of purchasing a greater portion of Alfred University’s foods and beverages from local/regional farmers, buyers and Alfred-area retailers.  The benefits are easy to identify:  fresh, high quality food for our students, faculty, staff and guests; reduction of transportation costs and fuel utilization; and a robust contribution to the economic viability of Allegany County and Western New York.  To that end, we are requesting proposals from local merchants, farmers and business owners to source locally grown and produced foods to serve in our dining halls and at catered events on the Alfred University campus.

See detailed information at http://blogs.alfred.edu/greenalfred/?page_id=68 

Green Alfred Minutes 6
Oct. 8, 2008

Liz Wager, Secretary

New Developments:

Thursday—Ithaca phone conference, help with sustainability

Very informative/helpful

Friday—Meeting with Staff Council

Cooperate with our thoughts and campus in general

Get students more involved

Apply for bottle grants

Write letter to senator—Bottle Bill

Heating concerns in dorms?

Poster Contest:

Contact organizations/Art Union for help

Rule Sheet/Award

Slogan, logo, the purpose is inspiration

Specifications—about recycling/sustainability/other (loose guidelines)

Minimum size 8 ½ x 11 inches

Expand to Alfred State?

Put rules on blog/Fiat Lux

Other Issues:

Full recycling bins? E-mail Andrew

Where are Scholes’ bins??

How do we want to use Innovation Grant?

Waste audit-show progress and areas in need of improvement, volunteers?

Green “tid-bit” posters to hang around campus

“Green State” meeting at 4.30

Green Alfred Minutes 4
Sept. 24, 2008

Liz Wager, Secretary

Senate update

Dining halls—students can get water in reusable mugs

Bergren Forum

Sustainability—Virginia Rasmussen 12.10-1.00 on Thursday

Last week:

Paper recycling

Visuals/signs

Activities/concerts

Recycling committee

Get more “key players” together

Being active-

Creek cleanup? 3.30 October 3^rd (LATER POSTPONED)

Getting electricity turned off when not needed (ITS?)

Cleaning up recycling bins-Friday 3.30 at Powell

Petition “Green Jobs Now” –take a picture

Split into smaller groups for brainstorming

Green Alfred Minutes 3
Sept. 17, 2008

Liz Wager, Secretary

Sign-in and pass out list of projects for the year

Students could sign up for any leadership positions

We will discuss the projects in later meetings

There is a meeting tonight with food services—discuss the use of Styrofoam?

On working with other groups/clubs: talk to Liz Tolson, working with REPO

Break up into small groups to discuss/plan projects

Paper Recycling

Bin location, starting points

Research, paper collection, cardboard?

Concerts

Concerts like last year, ideas for later years

Visuals

Plastic bottle “sculpture”, Res. Ed. boards, display cases, flyers, posters on recycled paper

Planning Committee

“look to the future”

Get the first steps under control, check out current systems, make a

goal/long term goals, field trips (?), cost analysis—why recycling is cheaper

Next week:

Clarify projects/discuss in depth