Hello EcoAction! Thanks for stopping by our table yesterday at SAC Fair. It was awesome to see new and familiar faces.
In the spirit of Georgetown, this year EcoAction is going to "think globally, act locally." We'll focus on university-based issues in our initiatives and campaigns, and on global issues for our larger events.
Our first meeting will be this Wednesday (9/7) at 6:30pm @Healy Lawn. We'll be eating delicious food from the Farmers Market, introducing EcoAction to new members, and talking about what's to come this year.
Psst...like us on Facebook to stay updated on all EcoAction's events this semester!
On-campus initiatives & campaigns after the jump!
On-campus Initiatives & Campaigns
1. Paper in Indonesia Campaign
Are you passionate about deforestation, animal rights, or the protection of indigenous peoples? Do you want to help fight climate change?
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| APP's deforestation threatens the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. |
This semester, Madeline (mec234) will be working with Greenpeace on a campaign to cut Georgetown’s contract with a distributor of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) products. APP is one of the largest paper operations in the world and is responsible for a huge amount of deforestation on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This deforestation destroys ecosystems, threatens the population of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, displaces indigenous communities, and results in dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
Georgetown is one of several U.S. universities that has a contract with a paper distributor that sells APP products. This campaign will have three goals: 1) to cut Georgetown’s contract with this distributor; 2) to have Georgetown’s Purchasing department send a letter to the distributor and to APP explaining that we will never buy APP products because of APP’s forest destruction; and 3) to write a forest-friendly purchasing policy so that Georgetown can always avoid buying products that are linked to deforestation.
For more information about this campaign and to get more involved, email Madeline at mec234@georgetown.edu, and/or come talk to her at our first meeting! Also, keep an eye out for information on the campaign on our Facebook page and here on the blog.
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| Compost with us! |
Do you live in a university townhouse? Are you interested in a project to weatherize the townhouses? Are you interested in contributing to a community compost? If so, contact Madeline at mec234@georgetown.edu.
Do you want to contribute to Renewable Energy Turns Me On?
Just send me an email at mec234@georgetown.edu! We're looking for anyone who's interested in blogging, whether it's photographs, short posts, longer articles, or blogrolls, on any environmental topic, from Georgetown issues to international news to personal reflections. Send me an email and I'll add you as a contributor!
Opportunities: Looking for a leadership position or internship? Apply to one of these green programs.
1. Apply to be on the board of the Off-Campus Student Life's Stewardship Council
The Stewardship Council consists of 10 students. The Council plans events and programs for off-campus students and takes suggestions from the community. If you'd like to be a Council member, please fill out the application and send it to Brian Cain, OCSL's West Georgetown Community Advisor.
2. Internship Opportunity with the Clean Water Associate for Environment America
Clean Water Associate for Environment America is a non-profit environmental advocacy group that works to protect clean air, clean water and open space. The internship program gives students an invaluable opportunity to make a difference working to protect our waterways and preserve our open spaces. Interns work closely with our full-time staff to analyze environmental problems, advocate for smart solutions, and build public support. Interns organize grassroots mobilizing efforts, do media outreach, help plan events and press conferences, and many other hands-on experiences. We give our interns real responsibility in working to protect our environment. The internships are unpaid, but we will work with Georgetown to provide class credit. We frequently hire our interns to be a part of our two-year paid Environment America Fellowship Program after graduation. If interested, send cover letter and resume to Sarah Hyman at shyman@environmentamerica.org.
3. Internship Opportunity at the US Green Building Council
The Advocacy and Public Policy department of the U.S. Green Building Council is seeking a current graduate or undergraduate student to work full- or part-time during the fall semester. The position is unpaid but available for school-credit. Please send a resume and cover letter to Maggie Comstock at mcomstock@usgbc.org.
Duties include:
· Track and research green building legislation at the local, state and national levels
· Assist staff in drafting policy briefs and reports
· Assist in administrative tasks as needed
Required qualifications:
· Current enrollment in a graduate or undergraduate program
· Excellent writing skills
· Excellent communication, organization and computer skills
· Commitment to USGBC’s mission
Hello from an old alum! Just wanted to make sure you guys knew about / considered going to the VA Powershift. I see you at least knew about the DC one in the spring. But it's GREAT TRAINING and community ... I'll try to find a better way to get this info to you guys, too... vapowershift.org
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