The Green Scene! Edition 8 (11-09-09)

THE GREEN SCENE: Edition 8
The Green Scene is Wesleyan's new environmental newsletter. Look to us for weekly updates on relevant news, lectures, conferences, meetings, and other interesting little environmental tidbits.
*If you have anything you would like included, please submit it to weseon@gmail.com each week by Monday afternoon*

Events/Lectures:
~Speaker: David Leff
-When: Tuesday, November 9th at 7pm
-Where: Russell Library (located just down the street from Fisk)
-What: David Leff, the former deputy commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection is coming to speak about his new book, "Deep Travel: In Thoreau's Wake on the Concord and the Merrimac".
-His book recounts his stories of traveling the same rivers Thoreau did 150 years ago and the differences in landscape that he noticed.
-For more info take a look at this article from the Hartford Courant:
http://www.courant.com/features/books/hc-artscurtainleff.artaug16,0,1603191.story
-People are meeting at 6:45pm in front of Fisk to walk down together

~The Beehive Design Collective: Dismantling Monoculture
-When: Thursday, November 11th, at 6pm
-Where: 200 Church Lounge
-What: The Beehive Design Collective is a non-profit, volunteer driven, political arts organization who's mission is to “cross pollinate the grassroots” through the creation of images as an effective medium for deconstructing and educating the public about complex geopolitical issues.
The presentation at Wesleyan will be "Dismantling Monoculture": an interactive, visual tour of the connections between COLONIZATION, MILITARISM and RESOURCE EXTRACTION in the Americas.
With three giant illustrated portable murals, a six foot tall fabric storybook “slideshow”, and an engaging narrative, the Bees will be exposing the agendas of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, Plan Colombia, and celebrating resistance to the “Plan Puebla Panama” in Mesoamerica.
Join in as we deconstruct the complex and overwhelming issues that are shaping our world, using bioregionally accurate depictions of animals and insects as metaphors to link cultural and ecological diversity.

~Really Really Free Market
-When: Sunday, November 15th, 1-5pm
-Where: Nic Lounge
-Did you love Waste Not? Well this is like that, except better, because it's all free!!
-Bring unwanted (clean) clothes, dishes, blankets, or any other objects. Make some food to share, bring your guitar and share some music, teach a craft, or offer a service like cutting hair or painting faces.
- Leave what you don't want, and then take what you do. It's a great way to redistribute what we have. It's easy, it's fun, and it's all FREE!!!!

~This week is National Sustainability Education Week in CT
-CT Governor Jodi Rell signed a resolution declaring November 9th-13th National Sustainability Education Week in CT
-See the attached document for details

Group Meeting Times for the Week:
WesRUM: Monday, November 16th at 9pm in the Woodhead Lounge
Dining: Thursday, November 12th at 9pm on the Usdan black couches


FYI:
~Space Available in Farm House!
-Want a new place to live?
-Farm House still has some space available.
-It is located on 344 Wash and is focused on Food Politics with strong ties to Long Lane Farm.
-Email aketchum@wes if interested.
(Please note we are currently only able to move in sophomores, juniors, and seniors for this year BUT any interested freshmen should apply to live in the house for next year).

~New teen program goes ‘green’ Middletown YMCA starts effort at camp
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/08/news/a1middletown08.txt

~Rules on Modified Corn Skirted, Study Says - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/business/06corn.html?_r=1&ref=earth

~Groups Press US and China on Carbon - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/science/earth/04carbon.html?ref=earth

~Creating a Landfill to Have Cleaner Air - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/science/earth/08tva.html?ref=earth

Action On Campus!
~WSA debates the Green Fund Resolution
-When: Sunday, November 15th, 7-9pm
-Where: Usdan 110
-What: WSA will be debating the Green Fund Resolution (attached). This resolution would create a $15/semester opt-out student fee that would go toward sustainability initiatives on campus. The money would likely add up to about $60,000-80,000 each year, which would be spent on a wide range of projects that address environmental issues from climate change to waste. There is more described in the resolution, and much more will be said at the meeting, but the take-home point is that the creation of this fund would provide a significant, sustainable source of funds for sustainability initiatives on campus.
Most WSA meetings are sparsely attended by members of the student body, if at all. If this meeting is the most attended of the year, that will send a loud and powerful message to WSA members to vote Yes on the Green Fund Resolution.
-Contact Josh Levine (jslevine@wesleyan.edu) with any questions, comments or concerns.

~Petition: Urge Obama to step up on climate change
-Last week, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) voted in favor of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
-But you can bet that after this crucial vote, dirty polluters and their lobbyists will crank their campaign to kill this clean energy bill into overdrive.
-That's why it's so critical right now for President Obama to step up his involvement in the process and push for a strong bill -- and we need you to push him to do just that.
-Let's deliver 25,000 petition signatures to President Obama by December 1st. Urge the President to step up on climate by pushing for bold climate action at home and around the world, especially at the UN Climate Change Conference next month:
-Sign the petition here today!

~Repower America Wall
-Help make our clean energy future a reality by adding your thoughts to the wall.


Outside Opportunities:
None known at this time

Job Announcements:
~The National Society of Leadership and Success Internship
-Society interns help students achieve their goals by starting, and leading, a chapter of The National Society of Leadership and Success. This is an opportunity to make your mark on campus and create lasting positive change in hundreds of students' lives. It's also an opportunity to build a team of likeminded students focused towards success and reaching goals.
-What will you do as an intern for the National Society if selected? You will literally start a brand new organization on your campus and help drive students towards their future success.
-Interns are awarded a stipend for their efforts - total compensation is $500 plus an all-expense-paid training retreat. Payment is made at the end of the internship semester.
-For more information, please check out the website
-If you have any questions not answered on the site, email the Intern Team at intern@societyleadership.org
-Upload your completed resume here.


Thanks for reading this week! Make sure to send in any submissions for next week's edition by Monday afternoon!


"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations." - Jean Paul Richter, German Romantic novelist and humorist