CalPIRG UCSD

First Annual Earth Day: Solar Smoothies!

2006-04-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

April 20th marked UCSD's First Annual Earth Day, and the Clean Energy and Forest campaigns were out on Sun God Lawn representing CALPIRG and all its earthly goodness!

The Clean Energy team gave out smoothies -- Solar Smoothies, powered by a solar panel of course. It was a successful event and the weather was perfect for handing out free Solar Smoothies to passerbyers and telling them a few words about CALPIRG and the Campus Climate Challenge.

Here are some pictures. Someone didn't want to be in the picture, so I ended up posing for the camera.

Campus As A Canvas Project: Day One

2006-04-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

We successfully rigged a cart: The CALPIRG Clean Energy mobile!

Wednesday's Meeting

2006-04-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

We have two projects that we need volunteers for. The projector project is on Tuesday (4/18) and Thursday (4/20). The Solar Smoothies is on Thursday as well.
If you can volunteer in the open slots, or would like to change your hours, let me know (deiri [at] ucsd.edu) or leave a comment.

Projector Project (Campus as a Canvas)

Tuesday 4/18
5pm-6pm (Set up)
1. Michelle
2. Daren

6pm-7pm
1.
2.
3.

7-pm-8pm
1. Jenny
2.
3.

8pm-9pm
1.
2.
3.

Thursday
5pm-6pm (Set up)
1. Daren
2. Jenny

6pm-7pm
1. Daren
2.
3.

7-pm-8pm
1.
2.
3.

8pm-9pm
1.
2.
3.

Here's the schedule for where the project will be taken place at :

6pm Price Center, Bookstore

6:30pm Student Health Center

7pm Muir Biology

7:30pm Student Health Center

7:45pm Price Center, Bookstore

8pm Powell Structural Research Lab

8:30pm Center Hall

Here's another project that will be on Thursday for Earth Day!!
Solar Smoothies

Set up (9:30am - 10am):
1) Daren
2) Jenny

(10:00am - 10:30am):
1) Daren
2) Jenny

(10:30am - 11am):
1) OPEN
2) Jenny

(11am - 11:30am):
1) Chelsea
2) Jenny

(11:30am - 12pm):
1) Chelsea
2) OPEN

(12pm - 12:30pm):
1) OPEN
2) OPEN

(12:30pm - 1:00pm):
1) Michelle
2) OPEN

(1pm - 1:30pm):
1) Michelle
2) OPEN

(1:30pm - 2pm):
1) OPEN
2) OPEN

Clean up(2pm - ?):
1) Daren
2) Chelsea

Lastly, (most likely) after our Monday (4/17) core meeting, we'll be postering for the projector project. Let me know if you're intereseted in helping out!!
Here's the list for current volunteers:
1) Daren
2) Hayley
3) Michelle
4) Jenny

Article: Global Warming Capable of Sparking Mass Species Extinctions

2006-04-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested, I found an article relating global warming and the planet's biodiversity.

“Climate change is rapidly becoming the most serious threats to the planet’s biodiversity,” said lead author Dr. Jay Malcolm, an assistant forestry professor at the University of Toronto. “This study provides even stronger scientific evidence that global warming will result in catastrophic species loss across the planet.”

You can read more here.

Guerilla Theatre

2006-04-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

Post by Francess,

Hope everyone's spring break was great. Earth day is coming up, and so is the projector project! If anyone would like to volunteer and help out with the actual days that we're projecting, please let me know, here's the information / flier:
If anyone has a digital camera we can borrow, that would be great too

Who: CalPIRG
What: Campus as a Canvas: projecting short environmentalist films onto various campus buildings
Where: Price Center Bookstore, Student Health Center, Muir Biology, Powell Structural Research Laboratory and Center Hall
When: Earth Day, April 20, April 18. When the sun goes down (6pm-9pm)
Why: To educate students on the consequences of global warming

Don't worry about asking the building people... haha if anyone actually did it, because I got the approvals from all of the above buildings after a LOT of hunting down and emailing. Here they are, and we're going to go by this order:

Price Center/Bookstore
Student Health Center
Muir Biology
Price Center & Student Health Center (revisited)
Powell Structure Research lab (8pm target)
Center Hall

Meeting with Gary Mathews

2006-03-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

ok, so i just met with Mr. Mathews two days ago. basically the main point that came across is that in order for us to have an effective policy, cost incentive is key. we can create a policy that works, but how will it be paid for? will it pay off? he basically said it needs to show promise within 2-3 years. the policy should also "have teeth" as he put it, which means it needs to create incentive to be implemented, otherwise, what happens if the policy is signed on to but is not implemented? nothing, since we have no power to enforce it. so we would want to create an incentive to carry it out, or at least make them want it to be done bad enough.

another point he also made is that ucsd is already one of the leading academic institutions in the nation in sustainability. getting the 2 percent reduction a year doesnt seem very realisitc as far as getting a proposal passed. one reason is because its hard to measure energy output from buildings. since there is no gauging to how much energy the buildings use, it would be hard to measure. there needs to be advanced metering for each building, which the advisory committee on sustainability that he heads unanimously was against. advanced metering would basically allow us to meausure energy usage, including all plug in appliances. without it, energy output of buidings is measured by its capacity.

the most promise and effective change that we can do that he suggests is to have certain and specific things done at a time. a 45 year policy is going to be that much harder to get signed whereas specific projects (like the kyocera one) are more feasible.

also, as assistant vice chancellor, he does not make policy, but can suggest them, so we can get into contact with him if we have any questions. his email is gcmatthews@ucsd.edu for future referrence.

thats all i have for now, ill come back later if i remember anything else.

60 Minutes on Global Warming & Bush Admin

2006-03-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Below is a powerful piece that ran on 60 minutes this Sunday about how the Bush Administration is suppressing scientific evidence of global warming. Please forward around!

Dave

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/main1415985.shtml

Clean Energy Tabling Event

2006-03-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday and Wednesday, our Clean Energy campaign team held a tabling event on a major campus walkway known as Library Walk. With a little Johnny Cash playing in the background, we displayed our oven (made out of a used cardboard box!) and asked people to petition for clean energy.

This is just a sample of what's to come for Spring Quarter, so look out!

Thanks to those who helped out!

Meeting Notes - 2006 03-06

2006-03-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

Meeting (core)

· UCSD Cares week: (sometime in May)

o Nonprofit orgs from school take over library walk

§ Must do something other than fundraising

· Earth Day: (April 20^th, 3^rd week in spring quarter)

o Decide on separate or group tables for CalPIRG

o Decide on what to do

§ Speakers, vendors, band, beer

· This week: (Tuesday-Thursday)

o Recruitment for summer jobs

· Hunger Cleanup (April 29^th, 4^th week)

o 22^nd annual, national hunger cleanup week (national day is the 8^th)

o Hands on service around the community

§ Service is sponsored, so money is raised at the same time

· Kio Sera Project (solar panels on buildings)

o Already approved, will be done by year end

§ On Powell Building (one with neon lights)

· Unification

o Should have a grand unifying plan for all PIRG schools

o Work with green campus to get same message across

· Work with Colleges directly

o Work with Provost

§ Muir is creating an organic garden

o Use information from the time registry

§ Database of greenhouse gas emissions for UCSD

· Find out exactly what needs to be blue formed

o Do something for visibility before finals

o Call 534-ROOM to reserve a table, give Vivian’s name

o Should we flyer w/o an event?

Meeting Notes - 2006 03-01

2006-03-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Call

· Policy Choices:

o %/$ of energy from renewable sources

o %/$ reduction of energy use

o % greenhouse gas reduction

· 1^st – Create proposal (or research proposal)

· 2^nd – Bring to administration

· 3^rd – Garner support

· 4^th – Compromise with administration

o Decide if research must be done by you, or if school can do it.

§ The less amount of resources you have to use yourself, the better

Meeting Notes - 2006 02-22

2006-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Call

Use university climate challenge as models for nation campaign

Save $$
Reduce greenhouse gasses

Campus Projects

Get new/existing buildings to meet green standards

Education: Reach people, make clean energy ‘alive’

Things they can do easily
Plug in hybrids - $3k more to buy, up to 100-200mpg

Out right now, don’t have to wait for R&D

Have a steady stream of events

Should break up policy/education (with education being a larger part)

What to do with other school groups that overlap?

Find a niche they don’t fill (education not policy maybe)

Events:

Earth Day Celebrations

Vans with solar panels to vend foodstuffs
Alternitive Transportation – close off streets, encourage biking, lengthen bus hours
Sustainability speakers (must make them appealing to large audiences)
Dorm competitions – compete to reduce energy use the most
Car show w/ plugin hybrids as part of it (pimp my clean ride)

How do you get a band?

Campus programming board – Ones who already bring in bands

Have them set up the band, and tell them you have power needs met:

Solar panels from prof/companies
Other widgets

Tips for success

Plan thourougly – make a checklist

Separate checklist into catagories (logistics, advertisement, etc…)

Divide work to take care of catagories

Look at what is planed

How can you make the event more for the students

Try to make it appeal to a large audience, not just those who are already interested in clean energy.

If you don’t have the right resources, look at what you can cut and still have the event be meaningful

Meeting

Projector Project delayed until next quarter (spring ’06)
Flyering – Meet at office Monday @ 12:30
A compromise on the 90% by 2050 is better than nothing at all

After compromise is made, can continue to badger them
Sets a good example for other schools to follow

Earth week is 3^rd week next quarter (spring ’06)

Meeting With Deputy Director of ESI

2006-03-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Today I had a meeting with Dr. Schaffer, the Deputy Director of Environmental Sustainability Initiative. My meeting would have taken place with Dr. Kennel, who's the head of ESI, but because he's out of town, I met with Dr. Schaffer.

Although the meeting lasted for just about thirty minutes, we went over a lot of topics and hopefully we can use this information to further our campaign goals.

I discovered that ESI is not the people to work with. ESI is structured to focus academically and on research opportunites regarding environmental sustainability. They do not specifically work with the campus. ESI brings together experts in specific fields and studies issues that are on campus and global. For example, ESI is currently working with medical research teams and discussing the health benefits (or side effects) of biodiesel emissions compared to carbon emissions. In short, ESI is an academic/research group that designs sustainability solutions from a campus to global scale.

Dr. Schaffer informed me that it is better to get in contact with John Dilliott, Gary Matthews or the Advisory Committee on Sustainability (ACS).

John Dilliott is focused on conservation issues. He loves to work with students, so he would be someone to keep in touch with in the future. He worked with Kyocera to construct PV solar panels on Powell (the building in Warren witht the neon signs). Completion of this project is to take place by the end of the academic school year, or possibly sooner. This project with Kyocera is actually the first grant by Kyocera to a government institution. It would be good to give positive reinforcement so Kyocera knows that students care.

Gary Matthews is a head member of ACS. He would also be a good person to get in contact with.

ACS (Advisory Committee on Sustainability) does the actual campus operations for sustainability. They basically focus on what the campus' goals should be. Krista Francis is the person to contact regarding ACS.

Students are also actively involved with environmental sustainability. Kylie McGee and Tolar Hovanian are a few of them. They are green campus interns and they are heavily involved with sustainability.

There are plans for Earth Day. And when I say that, I mean an organized coalition of campus groups concerned with sustainability will gather together for Earth Day. This is taken from the first year agenda of ACS:

Plan a one-day Sustainability Forum, to be held in spring 2006 around Earth Day. The agenda would include the chancellor's vision and campus goals, research presentations, community outreach, and public education events to learn about the ecosystem of UCSD, as well as recognition of outstanding contributors to campus environment and sustainability initiatives.

*Jody Gowen (I know I spelled her name wrong) is the person to get in contact with the Green Campus program.

Dr. Schaffer recommended a few things we should do:
1. Talk to Provost of colleges for sponsorship. Muir college is working with their provost to make some kind of garden?
2. We can propose a Greenbean meeting to discuss our interests of working together for sustainability.

I probably missed a few things, but this is the gist of it. I will also discuss this at tonight's CALPIRG core meeting at 6pm.

Permission to Post

2006-03-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

If you want permission to post here, send an email to either CalPIRG@gmail.com or CalPIRG.UCSD@gmail.com. Within about 24 hours I will send you an invitation to be a poster for this blog. When you recieve it, you must log into an existing blogger.com account, or create a new one.

Once you have an account, you will be able to post immediately. You can also set up a secret email so you can create posts via email instead of logging into blogger.com.

Poster Ideas

2006-02-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the poster ideas I've come up with so far. The first two being for the projector project, and the rest for general CalPIRG. Some of them are quite stupid, so bear with me.

CalPIRG Blog

2006-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

From now on, it should not be nessecary to make posts from this admin account (CalPIRGUCSD). Anyone can be added to the list of people allowed to post to this blog.

What needs to be done from this account is the following:

Edit profile to include description of CalPIRG and it's goals
Add links to sites related to above goals
Add list of emails for allowed posters