[Archived] Newsletter
March 19, 2009
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Updates
Cardboard Crew - Leaders = Peter and Jinsu. Meeting with Jennifer Hackett and Jim Kramka this Friday.
Fashion Show - Leaders = Colleen and Leslie. Designer List, reserve Wyatt Lawn, Emma's Capri Sun bags
Rites of Spring Recycling - Leaders = Brent and Becca. Pick up recycling after the concerts, planning logistics in preparation for Rites.
Composting - Leaders = Luke and Liwei. Composting at the Commons started on Tuesday, March 17. Looking for volunteers to help compost this Friday (March 20). Please email liwei.jiang @at vanderbilt .dot edu, luke.c.boehne @at vanderbilt .dot edu, and katy.clark @at vanderbilt .dot edu if you would like to help and/or get on the compost mailing list.
Vanderbilt Biodiesel - leaders = Matt and Becca. Outreach event Monday March 30th on campus. Need volunteers. Look for meetings next week. Contact Stacy Worman.
Kilowatt Ours - Leader = Peter. Educate Elementary School children on what energy is and how to conserve it. Contact Peter Reisz to get involved. 4 SPEAR members going out 3/27/09.
Green Roof - Leaders = Ben, Luke, Jinsu. Working to create green roofs or gardens on campus, use Rand food scraps to expand composting. Going to reroof Sarratt this summer, explore options.
Earth Hour - Leader = Ben. Next team meeting will be Monday, March 23, at noon on the second floor of Rand. Participants are welcome (and are encouraged) to bring lunch. Background: Nashville is one of five U.S. cities participating to turn off electricity in the city to show dependence. On campus, most lights off except in the Medical Center and at special events (Juggleville, for example). Event on Alumni Lawn: glow in the dark Frisbees, live music, food, or candles in bags spelling out Earth Hour photographed from a helicopter. Tell all your friends! Look up Earth Hour on YouTube.
Presentation
Transportation and the Environment
Download the PowerPoint file. Additional notes:
- In general, max fuel efficiency is reached at about 65 mph.
- If one were to buy a hybrid, it makes sense to pursue mileage rating between 25-35 mpg, but anything higher is not nearly as significant (i.e. 40-50 mpg).
- Check out VegTheUsa.com for info on runnnig your vehicle on waste vegetable oil.
Coming up in SPEAR
Next general body meeting
Monday, March 30 at 7 PM in Buttrick 201
Officer Training at Maddox Lake House
Coming up soon. Date TBD.
Officer meeting
The next Executive Officer meeting is on Tuesday, March 24, at 5:15 in Sarratt 112.
Mt. Trashmore for Earth Day
On Wednesday, April 22, all trash from buildings around Alumni Lawn will piled on the lawn. A must see!
News
Time: Recycling the Suburbs
Thanks to changing demographics, including a steady decline in the percentage of households with kids and a growing preference for urban amenities among Americans young and old, the suburban dream of the big house with the big lawn is vanishing. But all the steel, concrete and asphalt that went into making the suburbs can't simply be tossed out in favor of something new, even if it's perfectly green.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884756,00.html
NYT: Harnessing the Sun, With Help From Cities
Cities like Palm Desert, Calif., lobbied to change state laws so that solar power systems could be financed like gas lines, covered by a loan from the city and secured by property taxes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/science/earth/15solar.html
Ars Technica: Climate change and the oceans: bleak prospects for the fish
Climate change is starting to have profound effects on marine ecosystems, according to a session at this year's AAAS meeting. Species are being driven into higher latitudes and deeper waters, which is bad news for countries like Chile and China.
Ars Technica: Good news from the sea: Ocean conservation success stories
Although most oceanic news is full of doom and gloom these days, there are a few success stories. For instance, these are especially good times for New England haddock.
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/03/ocean-conservation-success-stories.ars
Lectures and Conferences
Careers with Impact Symposium
Hear from Industry Leaders about the New Sustainable Economy
Join Net Impact at the Owen Graduate School of Management on Saturday, March 21 for "Careers with Impact" - a full day of panel discussions on profitable environmentally and socially conscious careers. The symposium will take place at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management from 9:00am - 3:30pm. Registration is $20 before March 5 and $25 thereafter. This includes breakfast, lunch, and a gift bag!
Details at http://owennetimpact.org/symposium.
Green Business and Living Summit & Expo at Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University invites you to the Tennessee region's premiere green event, the 2nd annual Green Business and Living Summit and Expo on the Lipscomb University campus, April 2-4, 2009. This event promotes a sustainability focus on building, energy, transportation, home, office, electronics, waste elimination, and the environment.
http://sustainability.lipscomb.edu/page.asp?SID=193&Page=5658
[Lectures and Conferences page]
Internships
Student Temporary Jobs with Fish and Wildlife Service: Summer 2009
The Southeast Region is recruiting candidates for Student Temporary Experience Program (STEP) paid summer positions at various refuges and fish hatcheries throughout the region. See this notice for more information on how to apply. Application packages must be received in this office by March 20, 2009 for acceptance.