Environmental Activism : EAC Networks and Campaigns

1. Environmental Activism: EAC Networks and Campaigns Environmental Action Coalition At Earth Adventures February 24, 2006

2. EAC’s Mission Statement • The Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) aims to educate and engage the Mount Holyoke College community in ecological responsibility, which shall be both locally and globally focused. As members of this community, we challenge the College to adopt and commit to conservation and sustainability through its institutional practices. We shallencourage studentsto consider their individual impact on, responsibilities to and relationship with both their immediate and larger environments. Through a process of collective learning, interactive campaigns, and community involvement both within and beyond the College’s Gates, EAC empowers the College community to be a leader in sustainable practices. EAC leads the Mount Holyoke community in the pursuit of environmental justice, as it pertains to each person, each place, and each living system. • http://www.mtholyoke.edu/go/eac

3. Contents • Past Campaigns - Fall Semester • Healthy Foods Initiative • Energy Awareness • Recycling and Waste Reduction • “Every Day is Earth Day” • Challenges and Collaborations

4. Picture of Black Box

5. Successful Fall Semester Campaigns • Million Monitor Drive • Local Foods Harvest Festival • Kill-a-watt Competition

6. Healthy Foods Initiative • Local Foods Festival • Kickoff for C.A.U.S.E.’s Hunger Week • April 3, 2006 • Key Partners: Danielle Connors (’06), C.A.U.S.E., local soup kitchen/org, local farmers and El Jardin • Challenges • Linking local foods/actions and global hunger • Diversifying participation

7. Healthy Foods Initiative • Mount Holyoke Dining Services • Peer Educator – Work Study position for a student • Raising consciousness about sustainable agriculture and public health

8. Recycling and Waste Reduction • Recyclemania • Trash on the Lawn Day • Weekly count by EACers • Coordinated by: Ecoreps! • Box for REUSING one-sided paper – library • Communal laundry detergent

9. Recycling and Waste Reduction • Seeing and Visualizing • Environmental Art: the impact of large art installations • Life cycle analysis – cradle to grave • Where are we?

10. Energy Awareness • Environmental Audit • Next step after Million Monitor Drive • Black holes of energy: Computers • Paper Usage, recycling, turning off energy-suckers • Key Players • EACers doing the dirty work • Administrative and academic offices • Behind the scenes: Nancy Apple, Todd Holland, Roger Guzowski

11. Energy Awareness • Alternative energy sources in the Pioneer Valley and alternative transportation • Global impacts • Clean Air Cool Planet – “In signing the partnership agreement, Mount Holyoke joined a host of other organizations committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the local, state, and regional level.” (June 21, 2004) • Who is initiating change? Who is committed to action? ES Senior Seminar 2004 http://www.mtholyoke.edu/proj/cel/cep/index.htm

12. “Every Day is Earth Day” • Green Up Day • Alumnae Association • Green Parade • April 28 – All-campus picnic and ES seniors’ projects • Key Players • Public Safety • Smithees from the Bicycle Kitchen • Maybe MassBike (of Critical Mass) • Grease car/alternative fuels vehicles

13. “Every Day is Earth Day” • General environmental awareness integrated into daily lives • Example: tie used Coca-Cola bottles to water faucets in bathrooms with a note inside reading: “More than 7,000 people, mostly women, turned out to protest a proposed Coca-Cola factory in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu.Residents are justifiably worried that Coca Cola's operations in the area would lead to scarcity of water and contamination of water.”

14. “Every Day is Earth Day” • Challenge • Engaging students who don’t identify as environmentalists, staff, and administration • Goals: increase visibility for EAC and the environmental issues

15. Challenges and Collaborations

16. Challenges and Collaborations • EACore and the larger EAC base • Public face - tech guru and website • Internally solidarity (communication) while establishing partnerships each year on and off campus (networks) • Mostly first-years and sophomores • “Just sustainability” (ACE in Boston)

17. “Mutual Alliances” (Hillary Hosta) • Look for overlapping goals and agendas • Brainstorm together; mutual investment • Intersections of issues of race, gender, class, environment, social justice, public health • Bridging • academia ↔ activism • students ↔ staff ↔ faculty • student organizations ↔ the institution • MHC ↔ the Pioneer Valley

18. Let’s Rock and Roll Together Let's Rock 'n Roll TOGETHER!!

19. International Club Branching Out and Strengthening our Environment Facilities Management E&E majors and students Students against Sprawl Botanic Garden E&E faculty C.A.U.S.E. Center for the Environment Student Coalition for Action Five College Recycling Coordinator Kick Coke Off Campus Clean Energy for Smith Student Government Association Environmental Management Systems Five College Energy Manager Ecoreps Society of Art Goddesses Whole Foods

20. EACore (EAC’s Board) • Emily Wheeler - Co-chair, Green Up Day, Local Foods Fest • Tracy Zhu - Co-chair, Communal Laundry Detergent, Biodiesel on PVTA • Molly Buerman - SGA Senator, Healthy Foods Initiative • Morgan Lindsay – Health Foods Initiative • Ann Fisher – Secretary • Gennie Noyce - Tech Guru, Environmental Audit • Michelle Moon - Field Trip Coordinator • Leah Ingeno - Earth Day/Month Coordinator • Katie Dunn - Recycling Initiative • Andrea Caluori - Environmental Art • Eco-reps - Recyclemania