Notes STARS tutorial on 9/13/12
Overall:
Joy's goal for course-- have a presentation by spring (April-ish of next year, coinciding with east coast STARS conference, so she could possibly present) on what STARS means for a small school like Marlboro. (Her take is that it is not so great for us...)
The students will divide the above STARS categories/questions amongst themselves and complete the page by mid-semester, around Oct 11. Taking a first stab at the questions, they will skip the big research ones for now, but this is a good start. Then will make a plan to help fill it in and chase people down.
Joy - Planning, Administration & Engagement
Kendall - Education & Research
Louisa - Operations
DEADLINE: NEXT WEEK, 9/20
Habit: sign your name at the end of each comment so we know who it is coming from.
Regarding the "ideal Marlboro" section, think about it as you go... And for next week, come up with notes on where you had difficulties, what questions arose, etc.
Other/additional projects:
Random road going to THC... possible goal to fill in the road near the large rock so it does not hit/break a gas tank and gas leaks all over campus.
Campus lighting, it's bad. It's stupid. It is not green. We could propose super-efficient lights, do the research and make a case. KP is all over this so could be a great support person. We could invite her to come to class next week.
Chickens
Outdoor trash receptacles... think about bears, dog poop, etc. etc... With each idea, think about assessment, benefit to community, and how to measure it all...
Other reading:
SJ can share what she learned at RBA seminar, Transition Companion. Transition towns... small towns thinking about how to shift energy usage from fossil fuels... But Matt says it's now becoming kinda culty and nutty. Also The Key to the Sustainable Community, The Sustainable University.
Notes STARS Tutorial 9/20/12
KP is here, lots of convo about lighting... about options on campus for putting new LED lights. Also other options for saving energy/electricity... lighting was bulk of talk, and Maintenance does not have money for new efficient bulbs. KP alternates bulbs to save energy. Hendricks is oversaturated with light... Most dorms are underlit.
Howland needs rewired to increase light
Schrader is a light issue, would be quick and easy, may cost about $150. $300-500 max. Lots of weird wood boxes around the lightbulb in Schrader, very dim and ugly. Group wants to get rid of boxes and put nicer fixtures in. KP says lots of options... A project like that may cost around $70 for each fixture.
SJ suggested that the need to improve lighting can also be tied to retention-- better moods, easier studying, etc. are tied to students feeling at home and happy.
Other electricity issues:
- lighting outside of Whittemoore -- that parking lot is overlighting the campus. (KP overdid it on purpose outside the welding shop).
- More solar hot water would be great! PV approved, for Maintenance Hill and Library Hill. People really want to see a solar farm... but issues with approval, septic system, metered, etc. etc.
-solar hot water would be more useful in dorms because higher use. Talk of cutting trees down near Halfway to put solar panels there...
- KP will ponder projects, she wants input from dormies who live there. Matt talked about survey following up on LED project, we could make it more extensive and ask about other needs/lamps
kp will follow up on recycling containers in semi-independent
Lots of talk about changing bulbs in Gander, but won't do right away because we want to measure them beforehand. Joy has experiment idea, compare kw use of 2 bulbs next to each other. Matt says no need to do both, all we need to know is how long are they on.
To do for next week:
- Continue working on STARS questions, make sure to put your name and month/year
- If your questions relate to a person on campus you need to talk to, list their name
