“Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress.” – John Clapham
Article of the week:
Dennis Salazar reflects on what it is that will drive policymakers to truly implement a green economy (and more so, what keeps them from it). He argues that perhaps the reason why the Copenhagen talks were not hugely successful was due to the harsh reality that economies must be financially sustainable before they are willing to dedicate themselves to being environmentally sustainable. (click the link to read the article: http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/02/reflections-on-copenhagen-the-economics-of-green/) What is your opinion of his assessment?
Please nominate yourself to run for a position on GSC’s executive board next year. Below is a list of the positions open and their job descriptions.
Note that being a member of the e-board requires a serious time commitment, and your job may involve more than what’s listed in the following descriptions, but it’s a rewarding experience and we highly recommend you run, regardless of experience.
Appalachian string band Here’s to the Long Haul came to Gainesville yesterday to share music and stories about mountain culture in Appalachia and to tell us about how the coal industry is harming America.
The guys gave a workshop on mountaintop removal at UF, followed by a performance last night at the Civic Media Center along with Lars Din and Dirty Fist.
Play the video below to see parts of Here’s to the Long Haul’s performance at the CMC, and to hear what Willie Dodson and Joe Overton had to say to UF students about the challenges we face in our coal-powered country.
Student Government at the University of South Florida passed a bill that will allow students to vote on whether to increase tuition by 75-cents per credit hour in order to contribute to renewable energy initiatives on campus.
This referendum is similar to the one at the University of Florida in 2007, when 78 percent of our student body voted in favor of a renewable energy fee. No green fee has yet to be approved by the state legislature, but it’s promising to see so many colleges on-board.
Google PowerMeter is a really cool new service (currently in beta) that will receive information from smart meters and energy management devices in your home to show you a real-time graph of your energy consumption.
That means you can see which of your household activities consume the most energy, and make changes that will help you reduce your impact and your energy bill.
Watch this video to learn more:
Think about the way we use energy in our homes today.
If you’re a student splitting the electric bill with 3 other people, you pay 1/4 of the bill even if you use only 1/6 of the energy, while your roommates have no incentive to reduce their energy consumption because they can’t even track how much they actually use.
With smart meters and services like Google PowerMeter, we will be able to track who uses what and split the bill accordingly.
The Student Green Energy Fund is a grassroots, student-led initiative to give students in Florida's public universities the option to create a fund for energy efficiency and clean energy improvements on campus.
After passing a referendum on the student ballot by 78 percent in 2007, University President Machen has supported the Green Fund and the Board of Trustees has approved it as well. We are currently working with students at UCF, FSU, FAMU, USF, FIU and FGCU to pass a bill in the state legislature that would permit individual universities to implement Student Green Energy Funds. Learn more on the Student Green Energy Fund website.
Sustainability Outreach
GSC gives campus-wide sustainability presentations that consist of a PowerPoint and Q & A, covering questions such as "What is sustainability?", "What are we doing to promote it?" and "What can I do to help?"
Greening Local Schools
Parents at J.J. Finley Elementary were concerned about waste at the school, so they've asked for our help to develop a recycling plan and a more sustainable lunch program. The school hopes to serve as a model for other public schools in Alachua County.
The Green Team
The Green Team leads the Tail-Gator Recycling Program, a volunteer-oriented mission to provide recycling services to on- and off-campus tailgates at all home football games.
Consumption Reduction
Help us campaign to raise awareness about the impact our consumption habits have on the planet.
Recycling
GSC participates in the annual RecycleMania, challenging schools around the country in a competition to increase on-campus recycling.
Food Systems
Our Food Systems task force works to raise awareness about local and organic food issues. We maintain an organic garden plot at the UF Organic Garden Co-op.
