The Green Scene

Last EON Meeting of the Year

2010-05-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

Click here to see the minutes from our last meeting.

You'll find the most important announcement in 20 years, a list of EON's major accomplishments for the year, and what you've all been waiting for: next semester's election results!

Green Projects Development Summer Intern (Baltimore)

2010-05-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Would you like to make a tangible difference in the fight against poverty? Work for a greener future? Help shape the rapidly expanding home energy efficiency industry?

Civic Works, a non-profit leader in green jobs training and home energy efficiency, is hiring a Green Projects Development Intern. The Intern will work with the Green Projects Development Coordinator to provide assistance in expanding the size of Civic Works’ current green training programs, developing additional career training programs, and expanding our home performance business. Current college students gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical internship.

Civic Works’ green programs have been highlighted by Green for All, The Washington Post, and the US Council of Mayors. Civic Works operates 12 programs in the areas of Community Revitalization, Education, Energy Conservation, and Workforce Development. We provide green job training opportunities, convert vacant lots into community gardens, rehabilitate homes for low-income residents, improve home energy efficiency for low-income residents, and tutor and mentored thousands of students in Baltimore City and County schools.

The mission of Civic Works’ Green Projects is to harness the power of green jobs as a pathway out of poverty for Baltimore residents. The purpose of this internship will be to help develop and expand Civic Works’ Green Careers Initiatives. Since 2003 our B’More Green program has prepared unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents for brownfields mitigation careers. Beginning in summer 2010, Civic Works will start offering an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installer training course. Along with these training programs, Civic Works operates a full service home performance company, offering energy audits, energy retrofits and cool roofs.

This is an unpaid internship. However, we will be able to provide a $1,000 scholarship to be applied towards education expenses.

Responsibilities

Research, write and edit grant proposals.
Develop presentations to be given at community meetings.
Communicate regularly with Civic Works’ community partners
Assist the Energy Retrofit Project Manager in identifying areas to cut costs, improve quality and increase customer satisfaction.
Conduct research for the development of new energy auditor and energy retrofit installer training curricula.
Write content for Civic Works’ website and marketing materials that motivates homeowners to implement residential energy efficiency retrofits

Regularly contribute posts on energy efficiency topics to Civic Works’ blog and new media sites.

Qualifications

Strong analytical and organizational skills
Ability to prioritize and multi-task and work under strict deadlines

Excellent oral and written communication skills are a must

Commitment to the environment and social justice

Benefits

Receive a $ 1,000 scholarship to be applied towards higher education expenses
Healthcare benefits
We are willing to work with your academic institution if you are interested in receiving credit.

Gain experience and skills in marketing, community outreach, grant writing, coalition building, business and program development.

Time Commitment

20-40 hours a week for 7-10 weeks. The expected start date is June 7.

How to Apply:

Please send a cover letter and resume to:

Eli Allen
Green Projects Development Coordinator

eallen [at] civicworks [dot] com

Socially Responsible Investing Coalition Meeting: May 4th

2010-05-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Weapons Manufacturing. Dirty Energy. Border Militarization. Environmental Racism. Discriminatory Hiring Practices. Deforestation. Tar Sands Oil Extraction. Natural Gas "Fracking." Animal Testing. Privatized Military Contracting. Factory Farming.

Did you know that Wesleyan invests in all of these practices?

Socially Responsible Investing Coalition Mass Meeting

Date: May 4th

Time: 7:30 PM

Location: Woodhead Lounge

As Wesleyan students, we have the unique opportunity to influence the behavior of the socially irresponsible corporations in which we invest. We also have the potential to push for Wesleyan to shift its investment strategies towards more ethical alternatives.

If you are interested in changing our investments to better reflect your values, come to the first mass meeting of the grassroots, student-led initiative called the Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC). The SRIC is a brand new, multi-issue coalition that strives to facilitate communication and action between various student groups and individuals who come together in order to assert our student voice in our school's investments.

At our mass meeting on May 4^th, we’ll discuss where everyone’s interests and goals lie, begin to shape the way the coalition will function, and set plans in motion to mobilize for next semester. Anyone should come to this meeting, whether you already have a specific idea for how you’d want to engage with our schools investments, or if you just want to find out more.

If you would like to come chat with the founding organizers of the SRIC, we will be tabling at Usdan from 12-1 all week. Please stop by if you have any questions!

A Friendly Reminder for Spring Fling.

2010-05-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Spring Fling is this Thursday!

If you choose to participate in the festivities on Foss, enjoy the music, great company, and gorgeous weather (forecast: 79 degrees)!

Just remember to clean up after yourselves and help keep our campus beautiful!

Children in the Fields: The hidden problem of child labor in America

2010-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

WesFRESH presents another event for their week of food politics, this time on farm worker justice:

Hundreds of thousands of children work in agriculture throughout the U.S. Child farmworkers as young as twelve often work twelve- and fourteen-hour days under dangerous and grueling conditions. They risk pesticide poisoning, injuries, and suffer fatalities at five times the rate of children working in other jobs. As a result of their long hours, they drop out of school at alarming rates. Nationally, barely half graduate from high school.

Although agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., child farmworkers are exempt from the legal protections granted to all other working children in the U.S. This briefing will give you an overview of these issues by Human Rights Watch as well as an opportunity to sign a letter addressed to local Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro urging her support of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act, HR 3564), legislation that would greatly improve the lives of children in the fields.

Date: April 30 - April 30
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Usdan 110

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Earth Day Week 2010 at Wesleyan

Wesleyan’s SAGES (Sustainability Advisory Group for Environmental Stewardship) has compiled a calendar of events sponsored by a variety of student, University, and community groups happening this Earth Day Week.

MONDAY, APRIL 19

Students for a Just and Sustainable Future (SJSF) Sleep Out
Foss Hill

Screening of No Impact Man
5:30 pm
Judd 116
Free dinner beforehand and short discussion afterward

TUESDAY, APRIL 20

SJSF Sleep Out

Foss Hill

2:00- Field Organizing Strategy

Lunchtime SAGES talk with Bill Nelligan, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability
12:00-1:00 pm
Usdan 136

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21

SJSF Sleep Out
Foss Hill

Farmer's Market
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Usdan Courtyard

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

Bon Appétit’s Low Carbon Day

Brian Stewart's Third Annual Earth Day Rant
4:30 p.m., refreshments at 4:15
Exley 58

SJSF Sleep Out / WesFRESH / Farmer’s Market Feast
6:30 pm
Foss Hill

Wesleyan Earth Day Celebration Panel Discussion and Film Screening
8pm
CFA Hall
Free Admission

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

WesFRESH Cooking Demonstrations
Attend cooking demonstrations in kitchens across campus.
check back here for times and locations!

Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group
8pm
CFA Theater
Pre-performance talk by Pamela Tatge and Allison Hurd on Friday at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)

SATURDAY, APRIL 24

Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group
8pm
CFA Theater

Screening of Home
2 pm
Goldsmith Family Cinema

Riverfront Clean-up
9:00 am-1:00 pm
Harbor Park, Middletown
Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art

CT Trail Maintenance Outing
Bicentennial Park in Berlin, CT
8:30 am-2:00 pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 25

Bus to DC for the Earth Day Network rally
Email weseon at gmail.com if you want to reserve a spot

Panel on the Present and Future of Sustainable Foods
4:00 pm
Usdan, room TBD

ONGOING

TAP THAT! Campus water fountain awareness
Look for signs and information about campus water fountains and facts about bottled water presented by the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of the Environmental Organizers Network (EON).

For events happening after Earth Day Week (including several WesFRESH events, a screening of Food Inc., and an Earth Day 5K) check back here at the Green Scene!

For more information about sustainability at Wesleyan, visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/sustainability/

Vote for Sustainability in the WSA Elections: Feiring & Firke

2010-04-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Micah Feiring and Ben Firke are running for WSA President and VP and they need your help! Micah and Ben have pledged to do all they can to make Wesleyan more sustainable.

Ben was a crucial ally in passing the Green Fund this year, creating tens of thousands in sustainability funding, and Micah campaigned vigorously during the student referendum. Next year, Micah and Ben plan to finally bring a comprehensive composting system to Wesleyan, promote the Green Fund to ensure the best possible submissions come through, hold the ECS-Prize again, work with Physical Plant to reduce utility waste, and bring renewable energy to campus in some form.

See their campaign video on Wesleying.

The election is open NOW at wsavoting.wesleyan.edu. Micah and Ben thank you for your support.

Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group: The Good Dance—dakar/brooklyn

2010-04-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Friday & Saturday, April 23 & 24, 8pm in the CFA Theater
Pre-performance talk by Allison Hurd ’11 on Friday, April 23 at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)
http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/events.html#breaking

Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba’s Compagnie 1er Temps based in Dakar, Senegal, have collaborated to create a highly charged and expressive movement vocabulary that explores the secular and religious traditions of Central Africa and their parallels with the Mississippi Delta culture. The Good Dance--dakar/brooklyn features over 300 water bottles on stage. The CFA has collaborated with the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of the Wesleyan’s Environmental Organizers Network (EON), to responsibly handle the purchase, distribution, and disposal of the bottles and the water contained within them. During the Q&A sessions following the performances, EON will distribute the water from the bottles to the audience and information about bottled water will be available in the lobby. After the performance, EON plans to reuse the bottles in an art installation in the Usdan Campus Center, after which all of the bottles will be recycled.

Joining Art and Science to Engage Environmental Issues

2010-04-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wesleyan Earth Day Celebration: Joining Art and Science to Engage Environmental Issues
Thursday, April 22, 8pm in the CFA Hall. Free Admission

Are the arts and sciences natural allies in communicating environmental issues to the public? Join Marda Kirn Executive Director, EcoArts Connections; Geoffrey Bourne, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis and Director of the CIBA Biological Station, Guyana; Cassie Meador, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Barry Chernoff, Professor and Chair of Wesleyan's Environmental Studies Program for a discussion moderated by Jeremy Isard, '11 followed by the world premiere of Connections Within A Fragile World, a documentary produced and directed by Paul Horton about co-teaching art and science during the 2007-09 Feet to the Fire project.

Co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Center for the Arts with support from Arts Presenters Creative Campus Innovations Program, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

See http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/events.html#special

4-Course Earth Day Dinner at O'Rourke's!

2010-04-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

4-Course Earth Day dinner with live music here at O'Rourke's on Thursday, April 22nd at 6:00pm. Tickets are only $35 per person and include tax and gratuity.

First Course - Soup: Asparagus & Champagne Bisque

Second Course - Salad: Mixed Greens with Sweet & Sour Cabbage

Third Course - Entree: Grass-Fed Beef Stuffed Portabella Mushroom OR Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Fourth Course - Dessert: Barm Brack Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit Topping

They are selling tickets in advance at the diner, so hurry up before spots run out!

GreenAnswers.com

2010-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

GreenAnswers.com is a user-generated question and answer site dedicated to environmental issues. GreenAnswers provides a forum for people to debate, discuss, and learn about important environmental issues.

A good place to begin exploring GreenAnswers is the homepage.

You might also be interested in their guest contributor program. This program is a great way to present your work in the environmental field to the large community of people on GreenAnswers.

Buy a Compost Bin, Rain Barrel, or Green Cone

2010-04-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

The City of Middletown is again selling compost bins, rain barrels and Green Cones. If you need an order form for a green cone or rain barrel, contact:

Kim O'Rourke

Middletown Recycling Coordinator

245 Dekoven Dr

Middletown, Ct 06457

860-344-3526

kim.orourke@cityofmiddletown.com

Help Indigenous Farmers in Nicaragua

2010-04-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

MADRE is an international women’s human rights organization. MADRE’s has collected over 25 million dollars worth of aid for women and children in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In light of Earth Day we are reviving a campaign called Harvesting Hope, which will provide organic vegetable seeds to women on the North Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, where three-quarters of the population suffers from malnutrition.

Climate change and rising ocean temperatures are causing intensified storms in Nicaragua, devastating farmers’ harvests, and depleting local food sources. This past November severe flooding from Hurricane Ida ruined crops at the time of harvest. To recover from this storm, local Nicaraguan farmers will need to plant new seeds by May.

MADRE is working with our sister organization, Wangki Tangni, in Nicaragua to train Indigenous Miskito women in organic farming and sustainable livestock-management. Harvesting Hope emphasizes sustainable land use methodologies, safeguards traditional Indigenous knowledge of natural resource management, and strengthens women’s economic self-sufficiency and participation in public life. Harvesting Hope focuses on helping local farmers since exploitation of the region’s natural resources by timber, mining, and fishing corporations has threatened the biodiversity on which Indigenous Peoples depend.

MADRE needs help in order to raise awareness of the effects of climate change, and to help the Indigenous farmers in Nicaragua. Any donation of unexpired organic vegetable seeds you could make, however small or large, would make a huge difference in the daily life of the recipients. If you would like to get involved in another way, you could also raise money to buy seeds, or host an event at your school. We’d be happy to work with you if you have any ideas or questions about getting involved. Please feel free to contact us at 212-627-0444 or helpinghands@madre.org

Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride

2010-04-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

*New Haven, CT -- Saturday, April 24, 2010*

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! Explore New Haven's parks and neighborhoods. Raise funds for great local environmental organizations.
Check out the details below, and register today at www.rocktorock.org.

*Explore New Haven by bicycle!* Rock to Rock is a day-long celebration of Earth Day, and of New Haven's rich environmental and cultural resources. Here's how it works: You and a few hundred others will travel between West Rock and East Rock, with celebrations on both sides of the city. Along the way, you will eat tasty food, hear great music, take on environmental service projects, explore Edgewood and Beaver Ponds Parks, and ride Farmington Canal Trail and official city bike lanes. Think you're hard-core? Take detours to the top of the two rocks. Have a little kid in tow? Join us from Common Ground to Edgewood Park. Families and college students, 20-something hipsters and teenagers, young and old, serious riders and weekend warriors will all be welcomed.

*Support great local environmental organizations!* Rock to Rock raises funds for the following a bunch of great environmental organizations: The Urban Resources Initiative, Common Ground, Solar Youth, New Haven Parks Department, Friends of East Rock Park, Friends of Beaver Pond Park, Friends of Edgewood Park, New Haven-Leon Sister City Project, Sierra Club's Inner City Outings, and Elm City Cycling. All of these organizations share a commitment to helping New Haven residents explore and learn from the city's parks. And all of these organizations need of additional resources in order to keep their important work strong and growing.

If you have any questions about Rock to Rock, visit www.rocktorock.org, or contact Maggie@solaryouth.com.

Design A Better Coffee Cup and Win $20,000!

2010-04-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

From Betacup's website:

58 billion paper coffee cups are thrown away, unrecycled, each year. The betacup challenge is an effort to reduce this waste – and we need your help.

We invite you to submit ideas but also to comment and rate others’ ideas, and engage in discussions with other betacup community members and contest jurors.

You should consider:

Waste Reduction – how does the Idea reduce the number of non-recycled coffee cups thrown away each year?

Resources Required – what resources will it take to implement the Idea? (money, energy, water, materials, time, etc)

New or Existing Capabilities – does the Idea use existing technologies or approaches? If not, what must be created or invented to implement the Idea?

The Whole experience – Don’t forget the importance of the “whole experience”. Alternatives to paper cups are available today but they are not being widely used. How effective is the Idea likely to be in achieving its goal?

A different contest format (hint: we’re encouraging collaboration)
The betacup differs from most contest formats, because it is open. We are using jovoto, so when you submit an idea, your ideas are open to the public for comment and ratings.

We think this feedback process will help make ideas even better, so we encourage you to submit ideas early and benefit from the feedback. Don’t have an idea? No problem, you can still help out by offering feedback to others.

How will the $20,000 prize be awarded?
The top idea as decided by a jury will earn $10,000.

The top 5 ideas as decided by community ratings will have $10,000 divided amongst them.

It is our intention that ideas submitted belong to the person submitting them. However, because the ideas are posted publicly, we encourage you to discuss possible intellectual property issues with an intellectual property lawyer before submitting. Additional please review the ownership and licensing terms are discussed in the contest rules.

This international contest starts on April 1, 2010 and ends on June 15.

If any members of the Wesleyan community are interested in collaborating as a team, contact:

Rabbi David Leipziger Teva

Director of Religious and Spiritual Life

University Jewish Chaplain

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT 06459

860-685-2278

TAP THAT! Campus water fountain awareness

2010-04-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Look for signs and information about campus water fountains and facts about bottled water presented by the TAP THAT! Bottled Water Awareness week, an Earth Day Week program of EON.

We are also coordinating with the CFA to collect and distribute water from the 350+ water bottles used in the upcoming performance of Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group: The Good Dance—dakar/brooklyn (for event details, see the CFA website!)

Panel on the Present and Future of Sustainable Foods

2010-04-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

This panel will discuss the challenges and successes associated with small-scale local food systems and independent food stores versus large-scale industrial organics and corporations such as Whole Foods. We will also discuss the difficulties of incorporating sustainably grown food into university food services. Panelists will include local food activists like Doug Peterson, a former owner of a health food coop and current produce buyer for the Whole Foods in Milford, CT, and farmers from our area. The panel will be moderated by Courtney Fullilove, Assistant Professor of History.

Date: Sunday, April 25

Time: 4:00 pm

Location: Usdan 107 or 108 (TBD)

Riverfront Clean-up

2010-04-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art

Join us for spring cleaning at Harbor Park with special attention to Lions Landing at the north end and Columbus Point at the south end. This spring, the cleared portion of the park will be freshened up by raking debris and naturalizing the fence line by planting native Connecticut day lilies and ferns to keep out the vines. For the more energetic volunteers, the historic brownstone ferry docks will continue to be uncovered and made accessible for hiking and fishing. The southern portion of the park is bordered by Sumner Brook (next to Wesleyan's boathouse and Columbus Point). The north bank of the brook will be cleared of Japanese knot weed, bittersweet vines and Chinese Sumac saplings.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, hats, sunglasses, gloves and sturdy shoes. We will finish our work with a 1:00 p.m. BBQ at Lions Landing.

Please register your intention to join the effort and tell us if you plan to attend the BBQ by calling Lisa Santangelo at 860-346-1815.

Date: Saturday, 4/24

Time: 9:00 am-1:00 pm

Location: Harbor Park, Middletown

Earth Day Farmer's Market

2010-04-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Get Fresh. Get Local. Get outside and bask in the sun while you eat delicious food from area farmers providing you with cheese, yogurt, bread, jams, baked goods, sweets, honey, maple syrup, soups, produce, and more. Bon Appetit will be there cooking up a local lunch so you can use your meal points to support the market!

Date: Wednesday, 4/21

Time: 11:00 am-2:00 pm

Location: Usdan Courtyard

Feast on Foss

2010-04-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Come enjoy free local food from the Farmer's Market with folks doing Wake up, Sleep out for a Clean Energy Future and WesFRESH, Wesleyan’s new food activism student group!

Date: Thursday, 4/22

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Foss Hill

Lunchtime discussion with Bill Nelligan

2010-04-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

As part of Earth Day Week 2010, join Bill Nelligan, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability at Wes, for a lunchtime discussion of what SAGES, Wesleyan’s Sustainability Advisory Group for Environmental Stewardship, has been up to as of late. Bill will present on Wesleyan’s Green House Gas Report and Climate Action Plan, detailing where we’re going in the future. Bring your lunch!

Date: Tuesday, 4/20

Time: 12:00-1:00 pm

Location: Usdan 136

House Cooking Demos

2010-04-13T23:55:00.001-07:00

WesFRESH, Wesleyan’s new food activism student group, invites you to showcase your cooking specialty during a week of food and environmental activism from Earth Day to May Day. If you are interested in giving cooking (or baking, or brewing, or cheesemaking…) demonstrations in your kitchen on April 23^rd or 30^th, please contact wesfreshcollective@gmail.com asap with a brief description of your idea.

'No Impact Man' Screening at Earth House

2010-04-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Come to Earth House to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by watching No Impact Man!

A guilty New York liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons-loving wife along for the ride. And that's just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year--while still living in New York City--to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television...

What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, through which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more "eco-effective" and, by turns, more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.

Before the movie, there will be FREE dinner. There will also be a short discussion after the movie.
Monday, April 19th @ 5:30 pm

Annual Earth Week Rant by Brian Stewart

2010-04-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Wesleyan professor and Middletown resident, Brian Stewart will be presenting his Third Annual Earth Day Rant, surely to be entertaining and informative! The talk will focus on the interconnections between population, pollution, and resource depletion, along with some economic observations.

Volunteer for Waste Not

2010-04-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Remember the massive recycling of leftover college dorm stuff in MoCon last September? Well, Waste Not! Annual Tag sale needs VOLUNTEERS again to collect items during reading week, finals week and/or senior week (May 5-24).
Housing provided for senior week volunteers.

Interested? Fill out the volunteer form!

Check out the Waste Not! website for more info or e-mail jtrelogan@wesleyan.edu or fcjones@wesleyan.edu

Service Learning trip to New Orleans

2010-04-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

From the Wesleyan chapter of the Youth Coalition for Community Action:

"Join us for a 2 week service-learning trip to New Orleans.

Be a part of a national youth empowerment movement that starts in post-Katrina New Orleans, as residents try to rebuild their communities through a massive food security project. Get trained as a youth organizer and gain skills that you can use to solve important issues in your own community. Learn about urban farming, community organizing, and environmental justice issues. You will get to farm, rebuild, organize, and work with other young people from the area, and meet other awesome people from Wes! And the best part is, you can still have a summer job because our trips are early! And if you want to work during commencement, you can, and still go on the second trip!"

Group 1: May 20th - June 3rd
Group 2: June 4th - June 18th
For more information, and to apply, visit www.youthcoalition.webs.com

Final SBC Meeting

2010-04-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Attn: Student Group Leaders

The final meeting of the SBC will be held on Monday the 19th of April (approximately two weeks from now). If you are planning events and activities to take place later this semester and will be needing funding, be sure to visit us either next week or the following week. The final meeting of the Concert Committee, similarly, will be held the day before on Sunday the 18th of April.

Please notify all members of your student group who have receipts for reimbursement that they should get their receipts in the to WSA Office as soon as possible. The student workers in the WSA Office need to process all receipts in advance of the summer. It is crucial to submit your receipts in a timely fashion lest you lose the opportunity to be reimbursed for payments that you've made.

As always, please feel free to email the SBC if you have any questions sbc@lyris.wesleyan.edu

Earth Day Trail Maintenance Workshop

2010-04-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

OutHouse, EarthHouse, ResLife, and WesCFPA, are partnering with the Connecticut Forests and Parks Association to do a trail maintenance workshop! The trail maintenance workshop will be at Bicentennial Park in Berlin, CT to celebrate Earth Day! Activities will include: checking the dam construction, boardwalk construction, trail building, brushing, blazing, safe tool usage, and construction of a 30' bridge using utility poles. We will be arranging van transportation to and from the park, and will be meeting in the Office of Community Partnerships parking lot (across from 200 Church Street) at 8 am on Saturday, April 24. The event will go officially end at 4 pm, but we may take vans home earlier in the day. Please contact Rosemary Ostfeld (rostfeld@wesleyan.edu) if you are interested in participating.

Earth Month EON Meeting (04-12-10) Minutes

2010-04-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hey all, we had a really successful meeting tonight. If you are looking for ways to get involved, check out how in the minutes posted here: http://weseonminutes.blogspot.com/2010/04/earth-month-eon-meeting-04-12-10.html

The Story Behind the Food

2010-04-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

Dayna Burtness has a fellowship with Bon Appétit Management Company. Her job involves traveling to different Bon Appétit colleges in the Midwest and hosting events to raise awareness about certain food issues that Bon Appétit as a food service company has encountered. That includes topics like food sustainability, farmworker rights, climate change, the importance/challenges of eating local, humane treatment of animals, and the unsustainability of our current seafood system, to name a few.

This Thursday, she will be giving a short presentation followed by lots of time for feedback from you all about what you care about the most when it comes to your food. Of course, there will be tasty treats!

When: Thursday, April 8th @ 7pm

Where: Usdan, Room 110

Veg Out at Earth House!

2010-04-05T14:44:00.001-07:00

When: Thursday, April 8th
Two seatings: 6pm and 7pm
Where: Earth House, 159 High Street
What: A delicious, local, mostly vegan (all vegetarian) meal

Tickets will be sold at lunch and dinner in Usdan for $4

**Bring your own bowl & utensils!**

Farmers Market Wednesday, April 7th

2010-04-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

*As taken from the Facebook event:*

YO the weather's going to be BEAUTIFUL on Wednesday, April 7th (78 degrees and sunny!) so come outside to USDAN COURTYARD and celebrate springtime with the live & local Wesleyan FARMERS' MARKET---

Bask in the sun while you eat delicious food from area farmers providing you with cheese, yogurt, bread, jams, baked goods, sweets, honey, maple syrup, soups, produce, and more.

Bon Appetit will be there cooking up a local lunch so you can use your POINTS to support the market!

There will be music and straight up chilling, you don't want to miss it.

RECAP:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7th
11am-2pm
USDAN COURTYARD

See you there!

All EON Meeting: 04/12

2010-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Next Monday, April 12th, will be the next All-EON meeting at 9pm in the Woodhead Lounge.

We'll be discussing what each group and campaign has been up to, and also what you can do to get involved with Earth Day this year at Wesleyan.

Hope to see you there for some great conversation, cool people, and cookies!

2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival at Yale

2010-04-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Film Festival at Yale will take place April 6-11 and includes a lineup of feature and short films as well as talks and panel discussions with filmmakers. The festival, which aims to raise awareness about environmental and related social issues, is organized and run by students at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

All screenings and events are free and open to the public.

Film highlights of the festival include:

* The New England premiere of Gasland, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. . The film uncovers the deep consequences of the natural gas drilling boom in the U.S.

* A special advance screening of Oceans, Disneynature's latest film offering an unprecedented look beneath the sea (scheduled for release April 22).

* A screening of Logorama, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, which explores life in a logo-dominated world.

Speaker highlights include:

* A conversation with Dan Rather: Journalism, Justice and the Environment. Sponsored by the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale.

* A talk by environmental advocate and civil rights activist Van Jones and an exclusive first look at the upcoming biographic documentary about him.

Panel discussions and Q&A sessions with film directors and Yale faculty will be held after each film.

Screenings will take place in a number of different venues both on and off campus. Please visit http://environment.yale.edu/film for more information, including the full schedule of events.

Nominate for the Changemakers Competition

2010-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Green Mountain Coffee and Ashoka's Changemakers have come together to find and help fund the most innovative ideas that strengthen and improve communities in Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut or Massachusetts.

Enter or nominate innovations from now until April 21, 2010. The best innovations will be awarded prizes totaling USD $50,000, and nominators are also eligible for prizes. Learn how to get involved.

Access the online entry form or download the entry form in Word.

Join us on Twitter and Facebook to receive regular updates and to give us your feedback.

Congratulations to our three Early Entry Prize winners selected by random draw: Y.E.A.H! (Youth Education on AIDS and Health), Coop Power: Building Community Owned Sustainable Energy and Chemo Comfort Kits - Empowering Cancer Patients One Kit at a Time.

Visit the official website here: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/Revelation

Earth Week and Yom HaShoah

2010-04-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

With Earth Week just around the corner, remember that pollution is not only our over-flowing landfills and rising greenhouse gases, but is also the hate that deteriorates our world. Healing the world does not just mean picking up litter and planting new trees, but doing whatever we can to stop the hate that murders people for their race, religion, gender, sexuality or any other reason...

This upcoming week is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Traditionally, students and professors at Wesleyan participate in a 24-hour long name reading of Holocaust victims. This year, Yom HaShoah falls on the night of the 11th. We will be doing a sunset-to-sunset reading in the lobby of the Exley Science Center from Sunday 4/11 to Monday 4/12.

There will be an opening and closing Community Collective Ceremony 7-8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6-7pm Monday 4/12.
This "Collective Ceremony" is a time and space for the community to contribute music, poetry, stories, and reflections.

READERS NEEDED! Please email Evelyn (eisrael@wesleyan.edu) to sign up for a time-slot between 8pm Sunday 4/11 and 6pm Monday 4/12. (Send her your time preference.)

About Yom HaShoah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah

This event is one of efforts world-wide to never forget the 6 million and more murdered in the Holocaust. Sadly we have yet to see an end to genocide in the world. Reading the names of victims is very powerful both for the reader and the listener. I hope you will consider taking a part in this effort.

Questions?? Email: sbrosenberg@wesleyan.edu

Earth Day Rally on the National Mall

2010-04-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

On April 22nd – Earth Day, cities, colleges and community groups will take action to demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future. However, due to recent obstructions in the environmental movement, we cannot afford to stop there.

On April 25th, hundreds of thousands of Americans will converge on the National Mall to show their support for a comprehensive climate and energy bill, and their disappointment in the government’s ability to act on their behalf. The rally on Sunday, April 25, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., will feature progressive voices from the environmental community, live music from top artists and your vision for a healthier environment, a stronger economy and a brighter future.

Performers include: Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Passion Pit, Q-Tip, Bob Weir, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T and more!

To learn more, please email the Earth Day 2010 Campus Coordinator, Andrew Rozas, at rozas@earthday.net

Sign up here: http://action.earthday.net/t/10584/signUp.jsp?key=5029

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109479499075346&ref=ts

Interested in reserving a spot on the bus? Email weseon@gmail.com! Last day to RSVP is Monday, April 19th.

Flowers, Art, Farmers Market, and More!

2010-04-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Connecticut Barns and Farms Their Beauty and Their Bounty, a Middletown Garden Club and Garden Club of America flower show , will be staged at the Barns at Wesleyan Hills on Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16. The April 15 events are for ticket holders only. All of the April 16 events are free and open to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The event will be a showcase for area flower arrangers who will interpret original art by area artists. All of the art is barn and farm themed and will be for sale. The Middletown Garden Club has in its membership arrangers who have exhibited all over the country and they will be joined by the best of the state’s other garden clubs. The club is celebrating 95 years of serving the community.

The show is dedicated to reminding us of the challenges facing our farmlands and supporting our rural legacy. With funding from a CT Dept. of Agriculture grant, the club’s conservation committee has produced a dvd about buying locally produced food. The dvd will be made available to schools, libraries and organizations and will be part of an informational exhibit at the show. A Farmers Market of locally grown products will be April 16, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

WNPR’s Faith Middleton, host of The Faith Middleton Show is the Honorary Chair of the show and The Lyman Farm is the Honorary Farm. Call 860 632-0880 for information about the ticketed events. The Barns at Wesleyan Hills are at 616 Long Hill Rd, Middletown.

Contact: Ona McLaughlin 860.349.8415 jacobus13@comcast.net

Riverfront Clean-up

2010-04-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

Sat. April 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sponsored by Middletown Lions Club and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art

Join us for spring cleaning at Harbor Park with special attention to Lions Landing at the north end and Columbus Point at the south end. Last year hundreds of volunteers cleared 600' of the northern portion of the park, opening it for residents and visitors alike.

This spring, the cleared portion of the park will be freshened up by raking debris and naturalizing the fence line by planting native Connecticut day lilies and ferns to keep out the vines. As you do spring cleaning in your yards, please consider bringing those extra lilies and ferns down on the 24th and planting them along the fence.

For the more energetic volunteers, the historic brownstone ferry docks will continue to be uncovered and made accessible for hiking and fishing.

The southern portion of the park is bordered by Sumner Brook (next to Wesleyan's boathouse and Columbus Point). The north bank of the brook will be cleared of Japanese knot weed, bittersweet vines and Chinese Sumac saplings.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, hats, sun glasses, gloves and sturdy shoes. We will finish our work with a 1:00 p.m. BBQ at Lions Landing.

Please register your intention to join the effort and tell us if you plan to attend the BBQ by calling Lisa Santangelo at 860-346-1815.

Campus Champions Program

2010-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Climate Counts (www.climatecounts.org) is a non-profit founded by Stonyfield Farm in 2007. For the past three years they have been scoring the world's largest consumer facing companies on their environmental impacts. Their aim is to pressure companies into placing a great emphasis on the way in which they interact with our planet.

This semester they have started a Campus Champions Program where students can collectively come together and raise their voices directly to companies. They currently have 35 schools distributing 25,000 of our pocket-scorecards.

Here is a link to one of their two minutes videos about the power of the consumer: http://bit.ly/9ayhlr

Interested in bringing Climate Counts to Wes? Contact Mark Harrison at:

Mark Harrison
ClimateCounts.org | Campaign Coordinator
PO Box 4844 | Manchester NH USA 03108-4844
(603)216-3788 office
mharrison@climatecounts.org

Let's Talk, Connecticut

2010-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, APRIL 6th, 12PM

Join the conversation on climate change with the office of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman! Be part of a statewide conference call on climate & clean energy policy, hosted by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and Professor Gary Yohe of the Economics Department at Wesleyan University

Call (712) 432-3100, code 253385 to participate in this critical educational dialogue. Submit questions for Senator Lieberman ahead of time to climate@bard.edu!

*RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/LetsTalkRSVP

All those who submit a question will be automatically entered in a raffle for a free case of Clif Bars!

*******************

Let’s Talk is coordinated by the Bard Center for Environmental Policy as part of a national initiative connecting campus to congress. Please contact us with any questions at climate@bard.edu. For more information: http://www.bard.edu/cep/lets_talk/

We look forward to talking with you!

*******************

Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107424392610211

Green Projects Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA)

2010-04-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

Wes Alum Eli Allen '09 wants to let you know about an amazing job opportunity in Baltimore:

"This is a one year AmeriCorps VISTA position to expand Civic Works' current green job training programs, develop additional training programs, and expand our home energy efficiency business. This has been my position for the past year and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Over your year of service, you will gain experiences unmatched by most typical entry-level jobs. Over the past year I have written million dollar grant proposals, helped develop a new green jobs training program, launched a home energy efficiency marketing campaign, and started an advisory board. Seriously, at most other organizations this type of work is done my seasoned professionals with years of development experience. However, because this is a VISTA position, we're looking for recent college grads like you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email (eallen@civicworks.com) or phone, (410-929-6757). Please see below for more information on the position."

Green Projects Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA)

Would you like to make a tangible difference in the fight against poverty? Work for a greener future? Help shape the rapidly expanding home energy efficiency industry?

Civic Works, a non-profit leader in green jobs training and home energy efficiency, is hiring a Green Projects Development Coordinator. The Coordinator will work with the Green Projects Director to expand the size of Civic Works’ current green jobs training programs, develop additional career training programs, and expand our home performance business. Recent graduates gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical entry-level job.

Civic Works’ green programs have been highlighted by Green for All, The Washington Post, and the US Council of Mayors. Civic Works operates 12 programs in the areas of Community Revitalization, Education, Energy Conservation, and Workforce Development. In addition to providing green job training opportunities, we convert vacant lots into community gardens, rehabilitate homes for low-income residents, improve home energy efficiency for low-income residents, and tutor and mentored thousands of students in Baltimore City and County schools.

The mission of Civic Works’ Green Projects is to harness the power of green jobs as a pathway out of poverty for Baltimore residents. The purpose of this position will be to develop and expand Civic Works’ Green Careers Initiatives. Since 2003 our B’More Green program has prepared unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents for brownfields mitigation careers. Beginning in the summer of 2010, Civic Works will start offering an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installer training course. Along with these training programs, Civic Works operates a full service home performance company, offering energy audits, energy retrofits and cool roofs.

AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Created in 1965 by President John F. Kennedy, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years. Through AmeriCorps VISTA, you’ll find the fulfillment that comes from using your knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality.

VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. With passion, commitment, and hard work, you’ll create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. For more information, see http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp.

Responsibilities

* Conduct strategic planning and a needs analysis to determine opportunities for expanding Civic Works’ green careers programs.
* Prepare accurate and persuasive grant proposals with strict adherence to funder’s guidelines.
* Establish and implement an educational marketing campaign to motivate homeowners to implement residential energy efficiency retrofits.
* Design and implement a new Solar Installer training curriculum that will prepare trainees for jobs in the renewable energy sector.
* Maintain and develop relationships with community stakeholders.
* Develop a plan for program sustainability.
* Regularly contribute posts on energy efficiency topics to Civic Works’ blog and new media sites.

Qualifications

* Bachelor’s Degree
* Strong analytical and organizational skills
* Ability to prioritize, multi-task and work under strict deadlines
* Excellent oral and written communication skills are a must
* Ability to recognize problems, develop innovative solutions and implement them
* Ability to successfully develop and cultivate relationships with community leaders
* Commitment to the environment and social justice

Benefits

* Receive an end-of-service education award of $5,350 or a $1,500 stipend
* Modest living allowance of $11,500
* Student loan forbearance or deferment while in service
* Healthcare benefits while in service
* Childcare assistance while in service
* One year of noncompetitive status for a federal government job
* Access to the network of VISTA & VISTA alumni (170,000 strong)
* Gain experience and skills in marketing, community outreach, grant writing, coalition building, business and program development.

How to Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, and a 3-5 page writing sample to eallen@civicworks.com by May 15, 2010. This is a one year position with an anticipated start date of early July.

Civic Works Is An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Earth Day Meeting this Thursday!

2010-03-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

There will be an organizational meeting to coordinate various groups' plans for Earth Day/Earth week/Earth month. If you are planning any festivities in celebration of Earth Day, please come to the meeting so that we can all be on the same page about what events will be taking place.

Date: Thursday, April 1st
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: Woodhead Lounge

Manage a farmers' market in NYC

2010-03-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Grace Peterson '09 sends this information in about a job for graduating seniors or anybody interested in local sustainable food systems and environmental work:

Greenmarket, of GrowNYC, is looking for seasonal market managers to manage markets in all five boroughs. Individuals familiar with farmers' markets in the city know that they are large, well-run, well-publicized, and spread out over the city. The position would comprise of operations and promotion. They are looking for candidates that are outgoing, decisive, detail-oriented, flexible, and early-risers. Strong communications skills are necessary. Training begins in May and pay is $14/hour with no benefits.

Check out the job description

Please contact Grace at gepeterson@wesleyan.edu if you have any questions or would like her to pass your information on. Applications should be submitted in the next three weeks or so. You may also visit www.GrowNYC.org.

Free film screenings

2010-03-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hey EON,
Interested in putting together a film screening on campus? Campus Progress has put together 10 films that can be screened for free at college campuses. Check out how here. They are as follows:

The Garden
Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Running Time: 80 minutes

The Garden is an engaging and powerful film about the famous political and social battle over the largest community garden in the United States, located in South Central Los Angeles. The film follows the plight of farmers, most of them immigrants, from the tilled soil of their urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. The Garden shows how the politics of power and greed — backroom deals, land developing, green politics, money — tragically clash with the needs of working class families who rely on this communal garden for their livelihood. The Garden exposes fault lines in U.S. society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

Trailer: http://www.thegardenmovie.com/trailer/

FLOW : For Love of Water
Directed by Irena Salina
Running Time: 93 minutes

Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab. Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

Trailer: http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer

King Corn & Big River
King Corn directed by Aaron Wolf
Running Time: 88 minutes

Big River Directed by Curt Ellis
Running Time: 27 minutes

In King Corn, best friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis move to the heartland of Iowa to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most- productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm. In their follow-up film, Big River, they return to Iowa with a new mission: to investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has sent to the people and places downstream. In a journey that spans from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, Ian and Curt trade their combine for a canoe––and set out to see the big world their little acre of corn has touched.

King Corn Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8
Big River Trailer: http://vimeo.com/6760135

Oil on Ice
Directed by Bo Boudart Boudart
Running Time: 56 minutes

Oil on Ice is a vivid, compelling, and comprehensive documentary connecting the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to the decisions the United States makes about energy policy and transportation choices. This film shows the beauty and grandeur of ANWR against the political backdrop of oil exploration and development, and its impact upon the culture and livelihood of Gwich’in Athabascan Indians, Inupiat Eskimos, and the migratory wildlife in this fragile ecosystem. Oil on Ice exposes the risks of oil extraction in this extreme environment. The issue of oil extraction from ANWR brings into sharp focus the broader debate over energy conservation vs. unbridled consumption and global warming.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcdzUdVVifc

A Snowmobile for George
Directed by Todd Darling
Running Time: 94 minutes

When President George W. Bush reversed regulations that would have banned the two-stroke snowmobile, filmmaker Todd Darling asked the question: why would he bring back a machine that pollutes dozens of times more than any automobile? Baffled by this regulatory change, Darling straps his own family’s sled onto a trailer, and drives across the United States looking for the answer. Along the way he digs into de-regulation and looks at how changes in environmental laws have affected a wide range of Americans, from West Coast salmon fishermen to Wyoming cowboys to New York City firemen. His trip culminates in Washington DC, where the damage to the environment unmasks the political agenda of de-regulation and the pervasive role of corporate lobbyists.

Trailer: http://www.asnowmobileforgeorge.com/view_trailer.html

Earth Days
Directed by Robert Stone
Running Time: 90 minutes

It’s now all the rage in the age of Al Gore and Obama, but can you remember when everyone in America was not “Going Green?” Earth Days looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement—from its post-war rustlings in the 1950s and the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s incendiary bestseller Silent Spring, to the first wildly successful Earth Day celebration in 1970 and the subsequent firestorm of political action. Earth Days’ secret weapon is a one-two punch of personal testimony and rare archival media. The extraordinary stories of environmental pioneers are beautifully illustrated with an incredible array of footage. This film is both a meditation on man’s complex relationship with nature and an engaging history of the revolutionary achievements—and missed opportunities—of groundbreaking eco-activism.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsdKxew6FM8

Garbage Dreams
Directed by Mai Iskander
Running Time: 79 minutes

Garbage Dreams follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade and growing up in the world’s largest garbage village, on the outskirts of Cairo. It is home to 60,000 Zaballeen, Arabic for “garbage people.” Far ahead of any modern “green” initiatives, the Zaballeen survive by recycling 80 percent of the garbage they collect — compared to just 30 percent in Western cities — creating what is arguably the world’s most efficient waste disposal system. This innovative and successful recycling system costs the city of Cairo nothing. However, when their community is suddenly faced with the globalization of its trade, the boys are forced to make choices that will impact their future and the survival of the community.

Trailer: http://www.garbagedreams.com/

Burning the Future: Coal in America
Directed by David Novack
Running Time: 89 minutes

Burning the Future: Coal in America examines the explosive conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Confronted by emerging “clean coal” energy policies, local activists watch a world blind to the devastation caused by coal’s extraction. Thousands of people living in Appalachia are under environmental assault. Their land is destroyed, their loved ones are ill, and the mountains they love are being blown away – in the name of “cheap energy” for the United States. Faced with toxic ground water and the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, the residents launch a fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life. But with every new coal-fired power plant proposed, their fight becomes harder.

Trailer: http://www.burningthefuture.org/page.asp?s=burningthefuture&content_id=14092

A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil
Directed by Giovanni Vaz Del Bello
Running Time: 52 minutes

There is hope! A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil is an informative, inspirational documentary aimed at sharing ideas to provoke environmentally-friendly and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide. The documentary focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits like affordable housing, seasonal parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world. The film shows a city where urban solutions are not just theory, but a reality. Cities should be a solution, not a problem for humans, and Curitiba has demonstrated for the past 40 years how to transform problems into cost-effective solutions that can be applied in most cities around the world.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQTTG3NcYY

The Greening of Southie
Directed by Ian Cheney
Running Time: 72 minutes

What happens when you’re asked to build the city of tomorrow… today? Set on the storied streets of South Boston, The Greening of Southie is a feature documentary about Boston’s first residential green building, and the men and women who set out to construct it. From wheatboard cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring to dual-flush toilets, The Macallen Building is something different––a leader in the emerging field of environmentally friendly design. But green building has its challenges, and the jobsite has its skeptics. And when things start to go wrong, a young developer has to keep the project from unraveling. The Greening of Southie is a story of bold ideas, new environmentalists, and the future of urban America.

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/3125436

Summer Job: Fund for the Public Interest

2010-03-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

The Fund for the Public Interest is a national non-profit organization that works to build support for progressive organizations across the country. We run campaigns for the Sierra Club, the Human Rights Campaign, USPIRG, and Environment America. This summer we will be in over 50 cities, working and lobbying to help win environmental and social justice campaigns.

Currently, we have paid positions open on our campaigns in each of our locations. We require that interested candidates are hard workers and have excellent communication skills.

As a member of our staff, you will fundraise, build membership for our partner groups, and educate and activate citizens on pressing issues. You will also have the opportunity to organize press conferences and build coalitions with other non-profit organizations. While on staff, you gain knowledge of pressing concerns our country is facing, learn how to effectively generate public support, and obtain a firm understanding of the political process.

We will be holding interviews on the Wesleyan campus on March 29th and 30^th and April 1^st. (This Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

- Earn $4000-$6000 working for something you believe in!

- To find out more, call 1-800-75-EARTH, or visit www.JobsThatMatter.org.

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-03-29T17:32:00.001-07:00

The Story of Bottled Water

Posted using ShareThis

Sneaker Recycling

2010-03-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sneaker Recycling Runs April 1– May 1^st 2010!
Last year, Middletown recycled 1.49 tons of sneakers. All the sneakers are shipped to Nike manufacturers, who recycle the sneaks into athletic surfaces such as basketball courts, tracks and playgrounds.

Sneaker recycling starts again on April 1^st, 2010. Because of changes at the National Recycling Coalition this program will ONLY be offered April 1^st – May 1^st

If you have old sneakers, bring them to the Middletown Recycling Center or the lobby of Middletown City Hall.

Green Jobs/Green NY: Helping the Economy and the Environment with the Center for Working Families

2010-03-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

WHEN:

March 23, 2010 | 4:00 – 5:30PM

WHERE:

Kroon Hall - Burke Auditorium (195 Prospect Street)

COST:

Free and open to the public

ORGANIZER:

Connecticut Fund for the Environment and the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale

Join Emmaia Gelman, Policy Director of the Center for Working Families who will talk about Green Jobs/Green NY, an unprecedented statewide initiative to retrofit one million homes and small businesses in five years.

Emmaia Gelman guides the Center for Working Families’ portfolio of policy ideas and strategy linking jobs, housing, economic development, equity, and climate change.

This event is organized in collaboration with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

If you would like to attend this event online - REGISTER NOW!!!

The Center for Working Families works with community based organizations and policy advocates to provide elected leaders with the research support to make bold policy proposals, and to strategize with organizations and activists to enact them.

One of the Center’s big achievements is the policy blueprint for Green Jobs/Green NY program, an unprecedented statewide initiative to retrofit one million homes and small businesses in five years. The program will make New York homes energy efficient, lower fossil fuel emissions, and combat climate change. It will save households an average of 30-40% of energy consumption, create around 60,000 quality green job-years and obviate the need for new power plants. Most importantly, the upfront costs of the retrofit work will be paid for through third-party investor, such as pension funds or private investors, and fully paid back through energy bill savings — all off of the state’s budget. This public/private initiative is the largest residential retrofit program ever initiated: a model for the nation at a critical moment in national energy planning.

March 23, 2010

4:00 p.m.

Kroon Hall - Burke Auditorium

If you would like to attend this event online - REGISTER NOW!!!

Flim Screening & Discussion: A Chemical Reaction

2010-03-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kim O'Rourke, Middletown Recycling Coordinator, is pleased to announce the film screening and discussion of A Chemical Reaction on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 7pm in MIDDLETOWN at the Middletown High School Lecture Hall.

A Chemical Reaction is a documentary movie about how three Canadian provinces came to ban cosmetic pesticides. It started when Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patient's health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. This is the story of her bringing these serious health concerns to her neighbors and fellow citizens.

Pre-registration is encouraged. Call 860-344-3526 or email kim.orourke@cityofmiddletown.com to register or for more information.

Suggested donation: $5 to help offset the costs.

Great door prizes!

This event is co-hosted by the Project Green Lawn committee and the Middletown Regional Agricultural Science & Technology Center.

It is co-sponsored by the City Recycling Office, the CT River Coastal Conservation District, The Jonah Center, and the Mattabaset FFA Agricultural Communications Team.

Project Green Lawn is a City of Middletown public awareness campaign to encourage residents and businesses to maintain healthy lawns free of chemicals that are harmful to people, pets and the environment. It is a collaborative project of the Middletown Public Works Dept., Resource Recycling Advisory Committee and Conservation Commission, with support from the CT River Coastal Conservation District and The Jonah Center.

After Climategate: Rethinking Climate Science and Climate Policy

2010-03-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

The Center for the Study of Public Life is sponsoring a forum on “After Climategate: Rethinking Climate Science and Climate Policy,” on Thursday, March 25, at 7 PM in 001 PAC.

Presenters are Joe Rouse, Suzanne O’Connor, Paul Erikson, and Gary Yohe. There will be time for questions and discussion with the audience.

Please join us to discuss this important topic, and forward this announcement to anyone you know who might be interested.

Green Corps 2010-2011 Field School for Environmental Organizing

2010-03-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Time is running out to apply for Green Corps - the field school for environmental organizing. In this one year paid program, you'll receive hands-on training running some of today's most crucial environmental campaigns, and learning the fundamentals of grassroots organizing in the field.

** Applications due April 1st, 2010 – apply online today at http://www.greencorps.org **

Green Corps is looking for college graduates who are ready to take on the biggest environmental challenges of our day.

In Green Corps’ year-long paid program, you’ll get intensive training in the skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. You’ll get hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems — global warming, deforestation, water pollution and many others — with groups such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace. And, when you graduate from Green Corps, we’ll help you find a career with one of the nation’s leading environmental and social change groups.

For more information, read below or visit our web site: www.greencorps.org.

In your year with Green Corps:
You’ll get great training with some of the most experienced organizers in the field: Green Corps organizers take part in trainings with leading figures in the environmental and social change movements: people such as Adam Ruben, political director of MoveOn.org, and Bill McKibben, author and organizer of the “Step It Up” rallies for climate action.

You’ll get amazing experience working on environmental issues across the country: Green Corps sends organizers to jumpstart campaigns for groups such as Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Environment America in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and dozens of other places in between.

You’ll have a real impact on some of the biggest environmental problems we’re facing today: Green Corps organizers have built the campaigns that helped keep the Arctic safe from drilling, that led to new laws that support clean, renewable energy, that convinced major corporations to stop dumping in our oceans and much, much more.

You’ll even get paid: Green Corps Organizers earn a salary of $23,750. Organizers also have a chance to opt into our health care program with a pre-tax monthly salary deferral. We offer paid sick days and holidays, two weeks paid vacation and a student loan repayment program for those who qualify.

And when you graduate from the program, you’ll be ready for what comes next: Green Corps will help connect you to environmental and progressive groups that are looking for full-time staff to build their organizations and help them create social change and protect our environment.

In the next few months, we‘ll invite 35 college graduates to join Green Corps in 2010-2011. We’re looking for people who are serious about saving the planet, people who have taken initiative on their campus or community, and people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work for change over the long haul.

If you think you’re one of those people, visit http://www.greencorps.org/apply to submit your application to join the 2010-2011 class of Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental Organizing.

Green Corps’ year-long program begins in August 2010 with Introductory Classroom Training in Boston, and continues with field placements in multiple locations across the U.S. Candidates must be willing to relocate.

A Message from Wes Alum, Miller Nuttle '09:

I graduated from Wes last year, and started Green Corps last fall. I've had an awesome time so far, and learned way more than I thought possible in such a short period of time. I'm now working on Binghamton University's campus with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign - working to transition the campus heating plant away from coal to renewable energy. We held a press conference yesterday for National Clean Air Day. Check out our coverage:
http://www.wicz.com/news/video.asp?video=03-16-10+coal.wmv.flv&zone=News
http://centralny.ynn.com/content/all_news/southern_tier/498982/coal-fired-power-plant-protest

Organizing has proven to be a very fulfilling career for me, and I think it would be great for you as well. I'd love to chat with you about Green Corps over the phone, and answer any questions you have. You can reach me at (607) 592 9500, or by email: miller@greencorps.org. Please let me know when you're available to talk. Thanks!

Miller Nuttle ('09)
Green Corps Organizer
607 592 9500
miller@greencorps

Recycled Art Supplies

2010-03-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Want to make some cool art from recycled materials?

A local resident has some recycled materials that could be used for art projects. If you have any interest in them or know of someone who might be, please pass this on.

The items are:

-1 trash bag of bubble wrap

-1 box of foam peanut

-The equivalent of 2 full rolls of wallpaper

Please contact the resident directly:

Jennifer Weymouth at jaweymouth@yahoo.com.

New England Climate Summer

2010-03-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

NEW ENGLAND CLIMATE SUMMER:

What are YOU doing this summer?

The climate movement is at a crossroads. Copenhagen was a failure of leadership from polluting nations, especially the United States. Legislation pending in Congress fails to meet the emissions reductions demanded by physics and chemistry. Passing bold legislation will require a genuine people's movement arising outside of Washington, DC demanding real change, and we here in New England must be the drivers of that movement to achieve 350.

New England Climate Summer puts students on the bike seat of the movement, working as the catalyst to alter our political landscape to make real change possible. Teams of students in every New England state will bike from town-to-town for two months, knitting together student organizations, environmentalists and faith communities. Teams will spend a week in each town, implementing a rigorous program of relationship building, training and public events. Participants will live and work closely with trained and motivated peers, forming bonds that will endure long after the program ends.

Climate summer is the most fun summer internship you'll ever find. You'll get serious and effective training in community organizing theory and put it into practice for two months. Housing and a food stipend will be provided for all participants.

This is your chance to put serious bricks and mortar in the foundation of the movement for a just and stable future for all. Find out more at http://www.newenglandclimatesummer.org or call or email Jay at 774-313-0881 jay@justandstable.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through April 1st.

"Thinking back on this past semester and summer, I wouldn't be where I am now had it not been for Mass Climate Summer... I will not pretend that I have any idea what will happen in the future, but I do know that 2009 has been the most intense, surprising, meaningful, sad, happy, and self-realizing of my life so far. Climate Summer played a large role in that." -Heather Bulis, Climate Summer '09 Participant

Brazilian Ecosystems Program

2010-03-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Antioch Education Abroad's Brazilian Ecosystems Program, a 16-credit fall semester undergraduate program, is NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.

This is an outstanding opportunity for direct field experience with biodiversity concepts and real world conservation problem solving in Brazil.

Students return to campus inspired and energized about continuing their education towards more realistically defined career goals.

The program travels to the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado Savanna, Amazon Rainforest and Pantanal Wetland, across 6 different states: Paraná, Bahia, Goiás, Pará, Amazonas, and Mato Grosso.

Internship also included.

Program dates: 31 August - 5 December

Now accepting applications! Please encourage your classmates to learn more about this ultimate field experience in biodiversity conservation by directing them to aea.antioch.edu/brazil

For more information, contact:
Suzanne Kolb, Ph.D. Ecology
Associate Professor of Environmental Science
Director, Brazilian Ecosystems Program

T 937-769-1018
M 937-751-9506
skype: suzanne.r.kolb

Antioch Education Abroad
Antioch University
150 E. South College Street
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

35th Peter A. Leermakers' Symposium: Green Energy and Biofuel Technology

2010-03-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

The 35^th Peter A. Leermakers’ Symposium will be held on May 7, 2010 at Wesleyan University. This years’ symposium, entitled Green Energy and Biofuel Technology, will feature an outstanding program of talks from leaders in government, industry and academia. Additionally, all attendees who conduct biofuel and energy research are encouraged to participate in the poster session.

Online pre-registration is open through May 1^st. The registration fee includes a box lunch and a reception at the conclusion of the symposium; $15 for students, $35 for others ($5 discount for all poster presenters). There will be a promo code for members of the Wesleyan Community. With this code, Wesleyan Non-Students will pay just 10 dollars (enough to cover the cost of lunch and the reception) and Wesleyan Students are free.

Space will be limited, so please pre-register soon to obtain the reduced rate. On-site registration will be available for an additional fee, but cannot be guaranteed without pre-registration.

We look forward to seeing you and your posters at the symposium. For more information on presenting a poster or general inquiries contact me directly or refer to the symposium web page.

http://www.wesleyan.edu/chem/Leermakers/index.htt

Contact Professor Erika A. Taylor with any questions:

Assistant Professor
Chair, 35^th Peter A. Leermakers’ Committee
eataylor@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-2739

SIERRA STUDENT COALITION’S SUMMER PROGRAM (SPROG) SUMMER 2010: BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE

2010-03-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

SIERRA STUDENT COALITION’S SUMMER PROGRAM (SPROG)
SUMMER 2010: BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE

APPLY NOW

Questions? trainings@ssc.org

Make an investment in yourself, in your world and in your future. Attending Sprog will provide you the opportunity to learn and hone your skills for improving your community and your world.

SPROG is a week-long youth leadership and grassroots organizing training program, led by the nation's top youth organizers. You’ll develop your organizing and leadership skills, network and bond with fellow young change-makers, engage in fun activities, and enjoy tasty vegetarian cooking. Not only will you come away changed, you'll have the skills and confidence to be a FORCE for CHANGE!

There may be a dozen other things you could choose to do this summer…so why choose to take a week for SPROG? Here’s why:

Right now, we’re seeing our future slip away. Many of our leaders are failing to react to the gravity of climate change and the impact it will have on our future. We can’t sit back and let our future be fueled by fossil fuels, when we know there are better alternatives. If we don’t raise our voices and take a stand, our future will be one choked with coal, oil-slicked water, and communities living in fear of nuclear catastrophe.

But we CAN reclaim our future and rebuild our communities and our economy! Imagine communities coming together everywhere, insulating and weatherizing every home, putting solar panels on every roof, and erecting windmills across the horizon.

Change only happens when we organize, and organizing is a craft that must be learned like any other. As youth, we have a special role to play in demanding more from our leaders, in becoming tomorrow’s leaders today. At Sprog, you’ll learn the skills you need to be a FORCE for CHANGE:

Public Narrative: The art of telling your story in a way that moves others to act;
Leadership Development & Team Building: Engaging volunteers, helping them become leaders, and developing an effective team;
Strategic Campaign Planning: Setting goals and devising a winning strategy, planning and implementing your campaign for change;
Communication Skills: How to frame issues and talk about them in a way that speaks to values; use the media to get your message out;
Anti-Oppression: Examining how dynamics of power and privilege play out in our organizing work, and exploring how we can become more inclusive, diverse and welcoming; and
Grassroots Tactics: Strategically applying various tactics like tabling, event planning, coalition building, fundraising, and more!

This summer, we can go on with our normal, busy lives, and watch our future slip away…OR, we can choose to rise to the greatest challenge we have ever faced, come together to learn the skills we need to create the future we all deserve. It’s your choice!

APPLY NOW

Questions? trainings@ssc.org

More Details:

Our Time is NOW: Why you should attend--the choice is yours.
2010 Locations & Dates
Testimonials: What have other people said about their experience?
Costs: Tuition rates, deals, and scholarship info.
APPLY NOW!

Walk for Water

2010-03-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Live Earth is proud to partner with Walking for Water, a school-based program to raise awareness around World Water Day on March 22nd. Participating students are sponsored by friends and family and commit to walking 6 kilometers, carrying 6 liters of water in backpacks to raise funds to finance water projects in developing countries. In 2009 this program raised more than 1 million Euros to support clean, safe, drinking water projects!

Click here to read more and click here to get your school involved and to download the free information.

Climate Action + 10 seconds = Free Music

Take 10 seconds right now to let our leaders know climate and energy issues should be a top priority and you will receive an entire album of music FOR FREE from artists like Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, O.A.R., Wilco, Deathcab for Cutie, Phish and more!

You work hard on climate and energy issues every day, so consider this a well-deserved reward from some bands who share your values and commitment to action.

Click here for more info.

You can help solve the world water crisis by participating in the April 18, 2010 Dow Live Earth Run for Water.

Join the Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC)

2010-03-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC), which formed earlier this semester on Wesleyan's campus, is comprised of a group of individuals who have come together on common purpose: to foster greater campus involvement in Wesleyan's corporate invesments and to gear those investments towards companies which respect basic levels of social responsibility. They believe that many of Wesleyan's current investments violate these principles, especially when it comes to issues of environmental degradation and sustainability. Please take a moment to read the SRIC's mission statement (see below)

They would like to invite you to join our growing coalition of multi-issue activists working to change our investment strategy. Based upon initial research into our current visible security holdings, they have uncovered numerous worrisome investments which speak to incredibly destructive environmental practices. Among these, Wesleyan invests in companies which engage in tar sands oil extraction, natural gas "fracking," crude oil drilling, deforestation, and agribusiness. They believe these practices cause significant social injury, as to warrant corporate engagement and/or divestment strategies.

They would like to have environmental concerns be at the forefront of the effort towards responsible investment and re-investment.

Questions? Contact Mica Taliaferro '11

Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC)
Mission Statement

Wesleyan’s Socially Responsible Investing Coalition (SRIC) is a grassroots, student-led initiative whose mission is to ensure that Wesleyan’s core values are reflected in our corporate investments. We strive to build a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff encompassing a wide range of political, environmental, and social justice causes, who come together on the common belief that the Wesleyan community should have greater control and influence over our University’s investments.

The goals of the SRIC are threefold:

1. Engage with the newly formed Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR) to facilitate corporate engagement, letter writing, proxy voting, or divestment strategies to constructively influence socially irresponsible corporate behaviors.

2. Work within the Wesleyan community in order to engage and educate those around us on responsible investment issues. While our primary initiative will be to work through the CR, we also commit to operating campaigns for socially responsible investing which seek to alter our investment strategy through other means.

3. Build a sustainable, diverse coalition of multi-issue grassroots organizers who come together to reconstruct our investments in a responsible manner, gearing our endowment towards investments which bring about positive changes in our world.

Wesleyan University has a longstanding history and dedication to social justice, and we believe that the University’s investments should reflect this commitment. We challenge the assumption that monetary investments are politically neutral. Many of the security holdings of this University currently rest in companies that violate the CIR’s provisions against causing “social injury.” We seek to use this institution’s shareholder leverage to pressure these corporations to change their policies or, if it becomes necessary, to remove our complicity from their socially reprehensible practices. We emphasize socially responsible re-investment of funds into environmentally friendly, human rights-based mutual funds and corporations that will aid efforts for worldwide sustainability and social equality.

Become a Summer of Solutions Fellow (or volunteer)!

2010-03-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Summer of Solutions is a program run by Grand Aspirations to train youth leaders to create, implement, and strengthen community-based solutions to climate change, economic recession, and environmental injustice. We bring young people together for a summer to learn not only about the problems of dirty energy, the economy, and environmental discrimination, but also to figure out solutions that create livelihoods for ourselves and our communities. They work to create solutions through energy efficiency, community-based energy, green industry, urban farming, smart design, and more. The program began in 2008 in St. Paul, MN, and has since expanded through our diverse national network to 13 programs nationwide.

This summer, they're running programs in:

Asheville, NC
Austin, TX
Burlington, VT
Cleveland, OH
Corvallis, OR
Dallas, TX
Fayetteville, AR
Harrisburg, PA
Iowa City, IA
Detroit, MI
Santa Fe, NM
Twin Cities, MN
Worcester, MA

For more information about specific programs, and to apply, check out the Grand Aspirations website (http://www.summerofsolutions.org) and their blog (http://solutionaries.net).

Full-time fellows will spend two months working building their skills as green economy innovators through mentorship with existing solutionaries and hands-on practice in creating careers in sustainable community development. Please apply and/or encourage other who you think may be interested to do so. Apply online at www.summerofsolutions.org - deadlines vary by programs (see the website), but are typically in March and April for programs that start in June.

This spring Solutionaries will be hosting a blog series featuring 1-2 local programs every week. So check them out on Wednesdays for updates, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for lots of updates about projects running all over the country.

Greenpeace Organizing Term (GOT)

2010-03-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Wes Alum Jean Pockrus '08 sends this info in:

The Greenpeace Organizing Term (GOT) is a semester-long program packed with trainings on grassroots organizing, campaigning, and media skills. Students get a chance to travel and work on real Greenpeace campaigns in the field. Green job growth is on the rise and the GOT provides the skills and training students need to jumpstart their green careers. The GOT has something for every environmentally-conscious student -- whether you're interested in direct action campaigns, community organizing, advocacy, environmental research and reporting, or a host of other fields. Students also participate in a Greenpeace Expedition and travel to meet international activists and take action for the planet. Previous GOT students have witnessed the destruction caused by the Canadian tar sands, campaigned for the climate in Japan, and learned about sustainable agriculture and land rights from Zapatista communities in Chiapas, Mexico.

The program takes place in Washington D.C. and San Francisco every Fall, Spring, and Summer, so check out our website and apply now! For info about applying, scholarships, and credits, see our website or feel free to contact our staff: got@wdc.greenpeace

Earth Day Planning

2010-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Anne DeBoer '12 send this in...

Since this April is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we thought it would be great to celebrate it right....the whole month! A whole bunch of environmental groups on campus have things planned / are in the planning stages and if we work together to advertise and brainstorm we can draw a big group of students to get involved. If you have any interest in joining this collaboration or have any ideas please please please get involved! We hope to meet the week we get back from spring break to get this awesomest Earth Month started.

Farmer's Market this Wednesday

2010-03-02T13:54:00.001-08:00

This week’s Farmer’s Market is the final indoor market (spring is almost here!) and there are lots of great things happening!

There will be live music (provided by Zach Schonfeld ‘13 and Emily Kianka ‘13), apple cider, and your favorite vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, soaps, jams, honey, goat cheese, spices, and breads! In addition, Maria’s Kitchen Crafts will be coming with homemade soups and preserves! Swipe points or pay cash for a fresh lunch from Bon Appetit (vegetarian option will be available) made with ingredients from the market.

This week’s featured vendors are:

Hidden Brook Gardens: working towards becoming one of the first organic apple orchards in Connecticut providing a variety of apple products including apple butter, apple sauce, and apple cider.
Bodhichitta Farms: selling mushrooms and organic green house grown vegetables.

Date: March 3

Time: 11:00 – 2:00

Place: Beckham Hall, Fayerweather

Ohio Student Environmental Coalition summer internship

2010-03-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Join the Ohio Student Environmental Coalition and its partners for a summer of community greening and environmental justice work on Cleveland's near West side! Summer interns will work with community partners in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway and Clark-Metro neighborhoods to address structural and material environmental challenges in three basic ways. These three tracks are not mutually exclusive, meaning that program participants will choose to participate in any combination of the following initiatives:

Proximity to Lake Erie spells harsh winters and hot summers for local residents. Interns will be trained in basic weatherization processes, and spend the summer using their training to effect immediate material change. Using program funding, field teams will work with families to weatherize their homes at no cost, thus investing resources and knowledge in the Detroit-Shoreway and Clark-Metro neighborhoods.
Although some Cleveland neighborhoods enjoy an abundance of healthy, local food, many lack even a single grocery store. Residents instead rely on overpriced and unhealthy food from convenient stores. These "food deserts" stretch over 90 blocks, and categorize large swaths of Cleveland's East and West sides. OSEC interns will identify ideal locations for urban gardens and work with community members to make local agriculture a reality.
For 70 years, a highway has severed the impoverished Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood from its valuable lakefront in order to allow West Side suburbanites quicker access to Downtown. The Lakefront West Plan proposed by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, and the Connecting Cleveland 2020 citywide plan put forth by Cleveland's Planning Department and passed by the Ohio Department of Transportation, both call for replacing this Shoreway with an all-access, 35 mph street. After years of discussion, however, little of this plan has been put into action. Through research, policy advocacy, and community organizing, summer interns will create much-needed momentum to remedy this structural injustice.

Living on the near west side of Cleveland, interns will also come to love shopping at the West Side Market, volunteering at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, and catching a nice dinner at Ohio's only LEED-certified restaurant. Interns will have the option of living with one another in housing provided by the program. A living stipend of up to $2000 will be available to those who most need it.

By the end of the summer, interns and neighborhood residents alike will have gained knowledge and experience related to home weatherization, urban planning, community organizing, and inter-community bridge-building. All will have enjoyed an unforgettable summer of fun and hard work on Cleveland's Near West Side!

The PRIORITY DEADLINE for applications is Monday, March 22nd at midnight. Those who apply by this date will receive priority in decisions about acceptance and stipends; these decisions will be announced on Monday, April 5th. The final deadline for applications as full-time interns will be Monday, April 19th at midnight; these applicants will be notified on a rolling basis, and will hear back no later than April 26th. The date on which you start and finish your Cleveland Summer of Solutions Internship can be flexible, although full summer internships are expected to last 10 (not necessarily consecutive) weeks.

To apply, please EITHER fill out the online application form, OR send your resume and cover letter to OSECSummer@gmail.com, OR do both. This is your official application, so be thoughtful and concise throughout. If you have questions, you can leave them in the Final Comments box or send us an e-mail. Please note that you cannot save this application and continue working on it later; you may want to write and save your responses elsewhere and then enter and submit this form when you are done. Questions with "*" next to them are required and cannot be left blank.

Interested in Organizing a Screening of 'Big River'?

2010-02-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

Carla Fleisher is the Outreach Producer and screenings coordinator for Big River, a new documentary telling the ecological story of our nation’s industrial and chemical-dependent agriculture. It is the companion film to the award-winning documentary King Corn.

She hopes that someone here at Wesleyan is interested in joining the Big River Harvest Tour: a nationwide screenings tour of the film during the fall harvest season. As part of this effort they are rallying groups across the country to screen the film, either with or without King Corn, in an effort to raise consumer awareness. They’re especially interested in having university organizations screen the film and would be honored to have our participation.

Author and environmentalist Bill KcKibben has called the film, “A sharp and clever reminder that nothing ever really goes away, certainly not the soup of chemicals we’re pouring into our fields.” Already, the film has been chosen by the Center for Disease Control to be screened as one of only two films at the 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference.

Watch the trailer and visit our website. If you're interested, email weseon@gmail.com and we will forward you the application. DEADLINE TO APPLY IS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH.

If you have any questions, contact Carla Fleisher directly, either by phone or email:

Carla Fleisher
Outreach Producer, Big River
www.bigriverfilm.com
(781) 540-9240

Farm Meeting Potluck, Friday, 2/26

2010-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Farmers,

FARM MEETING this FRIDAY at 6 PM at FARM HOUSE (located at 344 Washington Street).

Anyone is welcome to come.

It will be a potluck. and lots of fun!

Please come with ideas of what we want to say in our upcoming meeting (time TBA) with Dean Mike.

Beets, love, and happiness!

Competition for Local Changemakers

2010-02-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

Do you know a local Changemaker?

Green Mountain Coffee and Ashoka's Changemakers have joined up to launch Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. Believing that real change starts at home, we will find and help fund the most innovative ideas to inspire community action and improve communities across the Northeastern US.

PRIZES

- 3 competition winners will each be awarded USD $5,000

- 7 state winners will each be awarded USD $5,000

- 3 early entry prize winners will receive a Keurig® Coffee Brewer and a 12-month coffee supply

- Recommend an organization and if it wins, your prize is a Keurig® Coffee Brewer and a 6-month supply of coffee

- Re-tweet about the competition and you will be eligible to enter a drawing for one bag of fresh Green Mountain Coffee® and fun competition items

NEXT STEPS

1. Visit http://www.Changemakers.com/Revelation

2. If you are new to the site, create a profile, it only takes 5 minutes

3. Sign-in with your username and password

4. Download the entry form in a word document so that you can edit your entry and save changes before entering online; this ensures that your work is saved

5. Enter your idea or organization here: https://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/69520/entryform

6. When you are finished make sure to click the "Publish" button to complete your entry

Early Entry Deadline: March 24, 2010
Final Deadline: April 21, 2010

For complete rules and regulations for this competition, please visit our website at http://www.Changemakers.com/Revelation, and click on Eligibility, Criteria and Prizes.

Should you have questions, feel free to contact Alexis Ditowsky:
Alexis Ditkowsky
Ashoka's Changemakers
Email: aditkowsky@ashoka.org
Phone: 347.321.4748
Skype: alexisditkowsky
Web: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/revelation

Program on The Asian Longhorned Beetle

2010-02-22T13:56:00.001-08:00

Thursday, March 4th, from 3 to 5 pm

in the Hubbard Room of Russell Library in Middletown

The Asian Longhorned Beetle, an insect first found in New England in 2008, has caused the destruction of more than 30,000 trees in nearby Worcester, Mass. The State of Connecticut has crafted a response to the invasion and is pairing with the Middletown Garden Club to educate professional, municipal and home gardeners about the beetles. The presentation by Rose Hiskes, entomologist at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station CAES. The lecture is jointly sponsored by the Middletown Garden Club Conservation Committee and the CAES. Light refreshments will be served.

Because of the unusual life cycle of this beetle, it is very difficult to identify until enormous damage has been done. Targeted trees include many of the hardwood trees native to Connecticut. The only cure when the beetle infests an area is to clear-cut the targeted trees, which is what happened in Worcester, MA. A web site that describes reporting procedures for the beetle when it is identified is: http://www.massnrc.org/PESTS/alb/

RECYCLEMANIA: Official Week #2 Results

2010-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

Here are standings after the 2^nd week of the eight week contest.

Grand Champion - Competition Division

Schools participating in both the Per Capita Classic and the Waste Minimization competitions are eligible to become the Grand Champion of RecycleMania. The Grand Champion will be the school that, based on their combined results, demonstrates the greatest achievement in both source reduction and recycling.

National Rank = 172^nd of 294 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recycling rate (%)
1	Tufts University	36.48 %
2	Amherst College	36.03 %
3	Middlebury College	33.71 %
4	Connecticut College	33.39 %
5	Wesleyan University	23.43 %
6	Hamilton College	12.05 %
7	Trinity College	10.70 %

Per Capita Classic - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can collect the largest amount of acceptable recyclables per person.

National Rank = 56^th of 417 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recyclables Pounds/Person
1	Tufts University	8.17
2	Connecticut College	7.48
3	Williams College	7.24
4	Amherst College	6.47
5	Middlebury College	6.41
6	Wesleyan University	5.37
7	Hamilton College	3.68
8	Trinity College	3.19

Waste Minimization - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which produces the least amount of municipal solid waste (including both recyclables and trash) per person.

National Rank = 193^rd of 214 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Waste Pounds/Person
1	Middlebury College	19.01
2	Connecticut College	22.39
3	Tufts University	22.40
4	Wesleyan University	22.90
5	Hamilton College	30.53

Gorilla Prize - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can collect the highest gross tonnage of recyclables, regardless of campus population.

National Rank = 211^th of 421 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recyclables Pounds
1	Tufts University	107434.80
2	Williams College	23364.00
3	Middlebury College	22949.02
4	Connecticut College	19210.00
5	Amherst College	16355.00
6	Wesleyan University	15900.00
7	Trinity College	9742.00
8	Hamilton College	9120.00

Targeted Material - Paper - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of paper per person.

National Rank = 18^th of 257 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Paper Pounds/Person
1	Wesleyan University	3.08
2	Williams College	2.88
3	Middlebury College	2.72
4	Amherst College	2.39
5	Connecticut College	2.29

Targeted Material - Corrugated Cardboard - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of corrugated cardboard per person.

National Rank = 66^th 270 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Corrugated Cardboard Pounds/Person
1	Connecticut College	3.43
2	Williams College	2.68
3	Amherst College	2.64
4	Middlebury College	2.28
5	Wesleyan University	1.55

Targeted Material - Bottles and Cans - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of bottles and cans per person.

National Rank = 52^nd 269 schools

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Bottles and Cans Pounds/Person
1	Connecticut College	1.75
2	Williams College	1.69
3	Amherst College	1.45
4	Middlebury College	1.40
5	Hamilton College	0.75
6	Wesleyan University	0.74

Bike to Bring High Speed Rail to Connecticut!

2010-02-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

Krista Dressler of ConnPIRG sent us an email about this, check it out!

This semester ConnPIRG is working to bring high speed rail to Connecticut!

High speed rail lines are energy efficient trains that can travel at over 200 miles per hour and the exciting part is that President Obama shares our vision. He included $8 billion in the last stimulus package for new high speed rail projects.

So they’re working to build support for a new rail line that will connect Springfield, MA and New Haven, CT. During Spring Break they will be riding bikes along the proposed rail route, stopping in major towns along the way and holding press conferences with local politicians

They're going to be engaging the media, working with our politicians and having a lot of fun on our way to bring high speed rail to CT.

Are you interested in getting involved in the bike ride?

Please email Krista Dressler at kristad@studentpirgs.org and she can get you all the information you need to make a really big difference on this issue, and have a great time doing it!

Krista Dressler
Field Organizer
Student PIRGs
work: (860) 233-7574
kristad@studentpirgs.org

First Official Week of Recyclemania Results!

2010-02-21T19:56:00.001-08:00

Here are the current results with our peer NESCAC schools. These results do not include the first two weeks of collections. Those were practice weeks. This is the first week of the actual eight week contest.

Our national standing for Waste Minimization is listed at the end.

Grand Champion - Competition Division

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recycling rate (%)
1	Tufts University	40.10 %
2	Amherst College	35.96 %
3	Connecticut College	34.15 %
4	Middlebury College	33.71 %
5	Trinity College	15.78 %
6	Wesleyan University	12.40 %
7	Hamilton College	8.05 %

Per Capita Classic - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can collect the largest amount of acceptable recyclables per person.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recyclables Pounds/Person
1	Tufts University	4.38
2	Connecticut College	3.86
3	Williams College	3.58
4	Middlebury College	3.20
5	Amherst College	3.15
6	Trinity College	2.59
7	Wesleyan University	1.80
8	Hamilton College	1.18

Waste Minimization - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which produces the least amount of municipal solid waste (including both recyclables and trash) per person.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Waste Pounds/Person
1	Middlebury College	9.50
2	Tufts University	10.91
3	Connecticut College	11.31
4	Wesleyan University	14.53
5	Hamilton College	14.64

Gorilla Prize - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can collect the highest gross tonnage of recyclables, regardless of campus population.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Recyclables Pounds
1	Tufts University	57559.80
2	Williams College	11558.00
3	Middlebury College	11474.51
4	Connecticut College	9925.00
5	Amherst College	7950.00
6	Trinity College	7905.00
7	Wesleyan University	5340.00
8	Hamilton College	2920.00

Targeted Material - Paper - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of paper per person.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Paper Pounds/Person
1	Williams College	1.46
2	Middlebury College	1.36
3	Amherst College	1.33
4	Connecticut College	1.17
5	Wesleyan University	0.55

Targeted Material - Corrugated Cardboard - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of corrugated cardboard per person.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Corrugated Cardboard Pounds/Person
1	Connecticut College	1.75
2	Williams College	1.29
3	Middlebury College	1.14
4	Amherst College	1.14
5	Wesleyan University	0.97

Targeted Material - Bottles and Cans - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which can recycle the largest amount of bottles and cans per person.

Rank	School Name	Cumulative Bottles and Cans Pounds/Person
1	Connecticut College	0.95
2	Williams College	0.84
3	Middlebury College	0.70
4	Amherst College	0.67
5	Hamilton College	0.31
6	Wesleyan University	0.28

Waste Minimization - Competition Division

In this competition schools are competing to see which produces the least amount of municipal solid waste (including both recyclables and trash) per person.

National Ranking = 186 of 203 schools

Apply To Live In Farm House!

2010-02-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

Interested in Food Politics?

Apply to live in Farm House next year!

Located at 344 Wash, it is the best program house on campus!

Any questions email aketchum@wesleyan.edu.

New England Regional Climate Summit

2010-02-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF) would like to invite you to apply to attend the 1^st New England Regional Climate Summit.

Participants at this Summit will:

Learn new organizing skills;
Plan for the launch of a regional network based on calls for science-based policy; and
Lay the groundwork for a unified regional grassroots movement that will chart the path for a national base of grassroots climate leadership.

The summit will occur in Boston at Harvard University, on Saturday March 6th at 10:00am through Sunday March 7th at 3:00pm. Housing will be provided to accepted applicants. A more specific itinerary will be provided to accepted applicants.

Please click here to fill out the attached application.

www.theleadershipcampaign.org

Reminder: Middletown now accepts # 1- 7s

2010-02-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

All residential trash haulers in Middletown will accept #1-7 plastic containers with their recycling!

These items can be put in your recycling bins or carts with the rest of the bottle and cans. You don't have to take them to the Recycling Center (although you still can, if you prefer!).

We can recycle ONLY plastic containers. No film or bags. No caps. Labels are ok.

Apply to attend CGI U 2010 for free

2010-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

CGI U 2010: APRIL 16-18, Miami, FL.

Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, President Clinton launched the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in 2007 to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world. CGI U's driving philosophy is that anyone, anywhere can make a difference through a Commitment to Action—a tangible contribution towards solving a specific problem on their campus or in the wider global community. Each year, CGI U hosts a meeting for students, national youth organizations, and university officials to discuss solutions to pressing global issues.

Over the three-day meeting, attendees will participate in forums and working sessions to formulate new ways to make a difference.

Apply Now to Attend CGI U 2010

CGI U is hosted jointly by President Clinton and the University of Miami; applying and attending are FREE. The deadline for applications is February 22, 2010, but they accept students on a rolling basis.

Wes to New Orleans/South Africa Info Session

2010-02-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Interested in anti-oppression work and community organizing? Interested in issues of environmental justice, food justice and youth organizing?

Want to learn about opportunities for Wesleyan students in New Orleans and South Africa?

This Thursday, join Wes2NO (a new student group) & the Mellon Mays Fellows for dinner and a joint info session about their trips to New Orleans and South Africa!

Join us for a discussion about injustice in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. We'll discuss youth empowerment, urban farming, environmental justice and how to get involved!

Free and delicious Jambalaya for Dinner!

Date: Feb. 18
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Place: PAC 004

wesRUM Meeting

2010-02-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

notice: wesRUM to schedule a meeting for this coming week.
If you are interested in planning free markets or a "free store" email aprovo@wesleyan.edu

Lock-In at Earth House

2010-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Earth House will be hosting a lock-in on Friday, February 19th.

It's going to be awesome, but they can only fit 20 people.

First come, first serve. Email weseon@gmail.com to reserve your spot now!