[Post-sustainability-committee] End of Semester Notes - Sustainable Post

[Scott Carlin]

Enjoy your Summers!  Prof. Carlin

Sustainable Post Spring 2016 -  - End of Semester Wrap up.

Upcoming Regional Event:
March for Farmworker Justice, May 15th to June 1.
See ruralmigrantministry.org/farmworker-march for more information on the May 15 kickoff from Smithtown.

Last Campus Event of the Semester: Graduation Pledge!

Congratulations on our Very Successful April 12 Sustainability Dinner.  Special thanks to Carol Boyer, Jennifer Brown for your hard work on putting that event together.  And thank you to Sarah, Laura, and other student assistance.  Read more at:
http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/About/News/Press-Releases/2016/April/LIU-Post-Celebrates-Sustainability-with-noted-author-L-Hunter-Lovins



Minutes March 16, 2016
Attendance:
Scott Carlin, Carol Boyer, Michael Sweeney, Lynn Minutaglio, Sarah Pomerenke, Kathy Mendall, Greg Bienkowski, Justin Poly, Natalie Porpora, Greg Hoesl, Ashley Oliver, Marianna Scalise, Wolfgang Koval, Andrew Kay, Laura Harwell, Panagiotis Sacoulas, Kay Sato, Kate Breen, William Kirker.


1.     Andrew, Wolfgang, and Panagiotis presented a proposal for LIU to join ACUPCC – The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.  This was a fall 2015 class project for Sustainable Energy Systems (and Human Dimensions of Climate Change).  The students outlined the rationale for this proposal – it is “good” for LIU.  It will save LIU money, it is good for public relations, and it is good for the environment.  The proposal calls for LIU to create a baseline greenhouse gas inventory for the university and then to set target GHG reductions for future years.  Some schools have set a target of 100% reductions so they will become “carbon neutral” campuses.  Other schools have set targets in the range of 25% to 50% reductions in GHG emissions.  Wagner College was offered as a campus LIU could use to model its future efforts.

2.     April 12 Dinner

a.     Discussion of a Tree Planting for the April 12 Dinner. This would require engaging Michael Glickman.

b.     Could we make the April 12 Theme – Trees for Earth?

c.     Give out seeds on the tables.

d.     Also distribute flyers on the tables

e.     Planned vegan meal: Tacos, Pasta, salads

f.      Organic foods higher priced.

g.     Could we have washable silverware and avoid disposable plastic

h.     We’ll use pitches of water and avoid plastic bottles of water.

i.      Plan to have 2 performance pieces – Excerpt from a play and musical performance.

3.     Winnick Updates

a.     10% off Reusable Mugs

b.     More signage for Vegetarian Options

4.     Future goals: Do more work to showcase student and campus “green” efforts across the campus.

5.     Explore Student Run Businesses.  Sarah is exploring the Leafy Green Machine as a student run business with Chris Salute.  Sarah has been talking with Hudson Community College to participate in a grant effort with them for college Leafy Green Machines.  http://www.freightfarms.com/


Minutes April 11 2016

Attendance: Scott Carlin, Jacob Spiegel, Peter Baker, Sarah Pomerenke, Jane Viola, Jennifer Brown, Carol Boyer, Michael Sweeney, Lynn Minutaglio, Ed Taraskewich, Justin Poly, Greg Bienkowski, Pat Kennelly, Wolfgang Koval, Bill Kirker, Laura Harwell.

Summer STARS Volunteers – Laura and Wolfgang

Discussion of Tuesday April 12 Dinner.  Laura wrote up a summary of the dinner at http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/About/News/Press-Releases/2016/April/LIU-Post-Celebrates-Sustainability-with-noted-author-L-Hunter-Lovins   (reprinted below).

Campus Heating Update:  There were problems this semester with older pipes.  The campus uses one centralized heating system.  LIU is going to install a new decentralized heating system in the dorms (and other buildings) over the next few years by installing boilers in individual buildings.  This should reduce heating requirements for the campus in future winters.  Goal is to complete this project in 5 to 6 years.

Aramark - Ed Taraskewich is the new Aramark District Manager for LIU.  He looks forward to working more with our committee.

We can ask Alan Evelyn to assist with grants for the Leafy Green Machine proposal.

We should also continue to explore opportunities for Composting; last we checked they are doing this successfully at St. John’s.    Our Tipping Fees for garbage disposal are not based on weight, so if we reduce our garbage with composting, we wouldn’t necessarily reduce our waste hauling costs.  So that issue needs to be considered too.

Discussion of a Sustainability Coordinator: Leafy Green Machine, Freshman Foundation Service Learning Experiences, Increase our focus on Entrepreneurship and grants, and the Carbon Action Plan (ACUPCC).  That would be a lot of work for one person, so we really do need that staffing!

Freshman Foundation Book for 2016 (Fall) – Pursuit of Happiness.

Future Goal: Improve student turnout at events such as Green Film events.




LIU POST CELEBRATES SUSTAINABILITY WITH NOTED AUTHOR L. HUNTER LOVINS

LIU Post’s Campus Sustainability Committee hosted its sixth annual Sustainability Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 12 in the Tilles Center Atrium. The event highlighted LIU Post’s recent campus-wide sustainability initiatives while also honoring campus sustainability leaders – in and out of the classroom.

The evening included an extensive all-vegan dinner buffet, catered by Aramark, to let guests learn about and explore a vegan diet. Vegetarian diets include eggs, milk and other dairy products. Vegan diets are plant-based, and contain none of these animal products. In addition to salads, Aramark prepared tofu-based tacos, sandwiches and desserts.

The meal was followed by an inspiring and informative presentation by the renowned environmentalist, L. Hunter Lovins. Lovins, who was recognized by Time Magazine as a “Millennium Hero for the Planet”, has been an author and champion for sustainable development for over 35 years. Lovins travelled from her home state of Colorado to deliver a straightforward and entertaining presentation on how the current environmental crisis can be reversed by recreating our economy to one that is in service to life, rather than one based in greed and materialism. She claims this can be done by creating an economy that lives by principles that guide the sustainability of natural, regenerative systems like forests and fisheries.   These principles can also help tackle issues of social and economic inequality that currently dominate humanity and its relationship to the natural world.

Throughout the night, entertainment was provided by some of LIU’s own musical theater students who performed several excerpts from a student’s original environmentally themed play, “Unless,” as well as a musical duet from student group Emily and Audrey.

The night wrapped up with a brief ceremony honoring the stars of the night including Hunter Lovins, LIU Post Sustainability Committee director Dr. Scott Carlin, and several students and faculty members who have played parts in helping to “green” the LIU Post campus and push the philosophy of sustainability in all aspects of the campus and in life.  The Department of Earth and Environmental Science also inducted three new student members into the National Honor Society for Sustainability. Organizers of the event included Dr. Jennifer Rogers-Brown, Sociology; Dr. Carol Boyer, Finance; and Sarah Pomerenke, a Masters student in Environmental Sustainability.

Written by Laura Harwell
Posted 04/20/2016



Scott Carlin, Ph.D.
Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science
LIU Post
Brookville, NY 11548
516-299-3404 (work)


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