Sustainable Cabrillo College

Check Out the Cabrillo Sustainability Council

2010-09-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

These dedicated students and staff have been carrying the torch.

http://groups.google.com/group/cabrillo-sustainability-council?pli=1

2007-10-31T16:05:00.001-07:00

Voice Interview

2007-05-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

The bad news is less than 200 people voted during this election cycle at Cabrillo. The good news is yours truly has been re-elected. Even better news is that there are vacancies to fill- all you need is 50 signatures from enrolled students, a 2.0 GPA and 6 units (actually legally it's only 5). So step up and serve your peers.

Following is how I responded to a Voice reporter's questions about my objectives for the next year on the student senate:

Hey Alex. Thanks for reaching out. It's long. Bear with me... maybe this should be an editorial?

Here's what I wrote for my candidate goals statement:

1. Continue to build the environmental sustainability movement on campus, with the help of faculty and UCSC students.

2. Continue to build the foundation for a student-run organic cafe. I'll work with the new food service provider, but ultimately their decisions come down to economics, not social or environmental responsibility. This means we have to work hard to make up the difference, or just do it ourselves. Basically the new food vendor will be evaluated after 2 years and either the contract will extend, or it goes out again for a bid. At that point we will know if the service is acceptable, or if we know we can do a better job, and we'll remove the cafe from the contract and take it over.

3. Work with the new cafeteria vendor to offer more healthy and local organic foods, especially for the large number of vegetarians and vegans on campus.

4. Work with the new cafeteria vendor and maintenance and operations to develop a compost program.

5. Advocate for the creation of a full-time staff sustainability coordinator position. This person would augment efforts by facilities management to increase energy and water efficiency, research environmentally preferred products and equipment, help coordinate recycling and compost programs, advertise alternative transportation options, support faculty efforts to develop sustainability curriculum, liaise between different departments, write grants, and support student environmental initiatives.

6. Develop programs to support student-run businesses.

7. Sponsor more art and music activities.

8. Partner with more local businesses for student discounts.

9. Reach out to community organizations for events.

10. Increase the CabrilloStudentSenate.com functionality with QNet (See MPCLife.org for an idea of what our website will look like).

... Additionally there is some unfinished business that needs to be settled. Our current constitution is not in compliance with the Education Code, specifically that we require student senators to take 6 units, instead of 5. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's an additional barrier to access for would-be student leaders. To change this, we need to have a special election with 20% of registered students voting. We need to change the constitution anyway, because in the present document there is no ICC representative, though in the bylaws the position does exist. Basically, for a few years now we've been violating the constitution because of this discrepancy.

Also there are some other projects that I will have more time to work on next year.

I would like Cabrillo to draft some procurement policies. In addition to the EPA's Environmentally Preferred Purchasing guidelines for products, we should look into socially responsible purchasing. I want to work with the bookstore to source all Cabrillo apparel from companies that have good labor practices. We can verify this through the Designated Suppliers Program, which was spearheaded by United Students Against Sweatshops with the help of labor organizations. The UC system, after significant pressure from students, has recently drafted an apparel policy. For a $40 Cabrillo sweatshirt, we should expect this kind of standard, but currently this isn't the case. Eventually I would like to see such a policy extend to Cabrillo sports uniforms, too... but my research so far indicates that it'll be a complicated process because the production and distribution systems for uniforms and equipment are so diffuse and unregulated, even the suppliers can't give an answer about where their products ultimately originate.

Students make valuable and insightful contributions to the classroom. Why not extend these contributions to curriculum development? I would like to work with the faculty senate, curriculum committee and instruction council to create a petition process for new courses. Whether for the arts, humanities and social sciences, applied physical sciences, computer science, digital media, physical education, really any discipline or department at our school, we can be offering more courses that interest students. The curriculum process doesn't have much room for creativity and entrepreneurship because of budget constraints, issues of articulation with other colleges and universities (for transfer credit), staffing and faculty limits, and all kinds of other variables. But if we democratize this process to some degree, and the best curricular candidates win (so to speak), then we can offer more innovative classes that are guaranteed to be filled, without jeopardizing existing classes. I'll give you an example. Finance, Environmental Science, and Education are only offering one class this semester. I'm certain there is more student interest than can be met by those course offerings.

Cabrillo just started a new committee for marketing and outreach- the committee will be researching all the different populations in the county and who registers as a student, then reviewing their student experience through graduation or transfer. I would like to contribute by outreaching to ASB organizations at county high schools to educate about the Cabrillo experience, and offer peer mentoring to ease the transition. The statistic that the planning and research office has is that 20% of people who register at Cabrillo don't follow up and apply for classes. It's the task of the committee to find out the myriad reasons why this is, and to devise solutions. I'd like to help!

As always, there is more... but you only have so much column space!

Ryan Kaplan,
Legislative Representative

Bike to Work Week... win $1K

2007-05-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung! Perfect weather to ride to school. May is Clean Air Month: http://www.cleanairmonth.net/ ...You can win $1000 if you pledge to take alternative transportation to work/school 4 times this month. It pays green to be green.

Next week is the Tri-County Bike to Work Week. Check out the Santa Cruz County Bike to Work week events here: http://www.bike2work.com/s_cruz/week.html for more details. Here's the condensed version:

Sunday, May 13
Mountain bike rides and bike decorating workshops at the bike church

Monday, May 14
GLOBAL WARMING AND LOCAL COOLING SOLUTIONS, 6 pm @ the Louden Nelson Center Auditorium (301 Center St. @ Laurel St.).

Wednesday, May 16
FOOD DELIVERY DAY, 10-5pm at the HUB (703 Pacific Ave, entrance on Spruce St.). Call to volunteer to be part of the Bike to Work/School Day behind-the-scenes food delivery and distribution day!

Thursday, May 17
BIKE TO WORK/SCHOOL DAY, 6:30am to 9:30am
FREE BREAKFAST FOR CYCLISTS from Watsonville to Felton

Friday, May 18
UCSC BIKE SCAVENGER HUNT, 2 pm @ UCSC Bay Tree Bookstore.

BIKE NIGHT AT SANTA CRUZ MOUTAIN BREWERY, 5-7pm (402 Ingalls St. @ Swift St. Courtyard, around the building from Kelly’s Bakery).

Saturday, May 19
CYCLE-LOGICAL BIKE ART PARADE, 10:30am @ Parking lot between the Metro and Tampicos on Pacific Ave.

BIKE ART CELEBRATION, 11-1pm @ Jamba Juice on Pacific Avenue. Come to the culminating celebration of the Bike Art Parade!

MEET THE BIKE CHURCH, 1-3pm @ Bike Church (703 Pacific Ave, entrance on Spruce St.).

BIKE NIGHT AT SEABRIGHT BREWERY, 7-10pm (519 Seabright Ave. @ Murray St.).

Sunday, May 20
BICYCLE TRIP’S BIKE FEST: BICYCLE AND SKATEBOARD STUNT SHOW, 12-3pm @ Bicycle Trip (1127 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz)

KID’S BICYCLE SAFETY OBSTACLE COURSE, 10:30am @ the Bicycle Trip Bike Fest (1127 Soquel Ave.)

Last Call for Senators

2007-04-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

The deadline to submit applications to run for the Student Senate has been extended to Friday at 5pm. All you need is 50 signatures, a 2.0 GPA, 5 units of classes, and a candidate statement.

Sustainability Club is Official!

2007-04-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you all who attended, volunteered for, sponsored, and presented during Earth Week. I have some good news. The Inter-Club Council today approved the charter for the Sustainability Club, and Earth Week was recognized as covering all of the mandatory events for the incentive program... So we're funded! We have good times and hard work ahead of us.

Thank you for all those who signed up as Sustainability Club members. The list is overfilled already, but a movement requires masses. So bring your friends! The next meeting is an open forum on Tuesday, May 1st. Drop by any time between 10am and 4pm in the Student Senate office. I'll post an agenda soon, but here are some preliminary items:

* The Sustainability Plan
* Website name
* Future Events
* Food Circle
* ? (it's your club!)

If you have any suggestions, please forward them.

Peace

Biofuels!

2007-04-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

3rd Annual Biofuels & Sustainable Transportation Exposition:
Fuel for the Revolution!
MAY 19 & 20
at the UCSC Women's Center

This year's event offers free food, music by Harry + The Hitmen and Local MC Soup, workshops on
BIOFUELS 101 & HOW TO BREW BIODIESEL IN YOUR BACKYARD?
Special Guests
Chris Paine, Director of Who Killed the Electric Car?
Ray Newkirk, Founder of Pacific Biofuels, Santa Cruz's local Biodiesel distributor
Film screening of Who Killed the Electric Car?

Gather together in a network of peace-activists working to create change for today and tomorrow, share skills and celebrate the revolution in transportation taking place by our own hands!
Learn how to be SELF-SUSTAINING, create COMMUNITY and objectively consider the implications of the industrial transportation transitions happening in our society today, including the impacts of genetic engineering, clear-cutting rain forests, and industrial-scale fuel processing. Do it yourself! Let's do it together!

This event is FREE
sponsored by the Santa Cruz Biofuels Cooperative, the Student Environmental Center, the Campus Sustainability Council, Porter College, Santa Cruz businesses + community members, and UCSC
Register with us at scbiofuels@gmail.com so we can adequately feed you.
Let us know how we can accommodate any one with disabilities or eating extremities.
Register your alternatively fueled vehicle (car, bike, roller skates, whatever) so we can include it in our Expo Saturday afternoon, we'll make sure you have a space to park your ride.

SCHEDULE
Saturday May 19th beginning at the Barn Parking lot at the base of the UCSC campus.
1-4 Bring your alternatively fueled ride + self, share conversion skills + music by Harry & the Hitman!
5-6 talk with Chris Paine, director of Who Killed the Electric Car? at the UCSC Womens Center
6-7 Dinner
7-8:30 Film Screening: Who Killed the Electric Car?
Sunday May 20th at the UCSC Womens Center
10-11 Opening Circle! coffee + tea
11-12 Biofuels 101
12-1 How to brew Biodiesel in your backyard
1-2 Lunch
2-3 Meet Ray Newkirk + Pacific Biofuels, learn about our local Biodiesel distributor
3-5 Open Space Networking
5-6 Closing Circle!

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

2007-04-23T12:53:00.001-07:00

The Cabrillo College Planning Council meeting agenda for Tuesday, April 24th includes an item about the American College & University President's Climate Commitment. Cabrillo would only be the 189th campus to sign on. Do I smell leadership? Let's show our support at the meeting! From the website:

"The fight against global warming will shape the 21st century. Colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to eliminate global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality. Campuses that address the climate challenge by eliminating global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society. We hope you will join us in supporting the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Sincerely, The Signatories of the Americal College & University Presidents Climate Commitment"

Email Dr. Brian King, Cabrillo College President, to voice your support:
brian.kingcabrillo.edu or call 831.479.6302

Below is the meeting agenda:

COLLEGE PLANNING COUNCIL

Wednesday, April 24, 2007

1:00 pm

Room 804A

AGENDA

  1.0    Call to Order

      Introduction of Substitutes

  2.0    Review of Agenda

  3.0    Minutes
      Approval of the minutes of April 18, 2007

  4.0    Oral Communications
      Members of the audience may speak to non-agenda items
      (2 minute time limit per speaker)

  5.0    Management Dialog

  6.0    One Year CMP 2007-08    30 minutes

  7.0    Accreditation Plans (Bullet Points)    15 minutes

  8.0    The Vision Thing (Accreditation)    10 minutes

  9.0    Retiree Benefits Funding Plan    15 minutes

  10.0    American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment    10 minutes

  11.0    Shared Governance Definition – Final Approval    10 minutes

  12.0    Role of CPC    15 minutes

  13.0    Agenda Building

  14.0    Adjourn


Next Meeting:  Wednesday, May 2nd – 2:00 pm
• Diversity Committee Update
• Task Force:  Personnel
• Tech Plan (30 minutes)

Future Agenda
• Policy Revision Overview

Separate Meetings
• Component Structure – May 30, 2:00-4:00?
• Enrollment trends

Cabrillo Earth Week Program

2007-04-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Cabrillo Earth Week Program

Earth Week
April 16-20, 2007
Cabrillo College, Aptos California

Meet each day, in the Cabrillo Cafeteria, for programs, locations and times of events
Admission to Events: Complimentary entry.

Monday, April 16th

Week long Town Hall in the Cafeteria
Surveys, petitions, Announcements, event signups, community building
This is the last week to submit an application to run for Student Senate!

12pm. Cafeteria

Leave the Trees in the Forest: Demand Recycled!
Victoria's Dirty Secret- DVD 6-8 minutes
Kristin Phillips-Matson
Forest Ethics

Video presentation will include a talk and capsule view of forest issues, highlighting the story of the victoria Secret Catalog policy turnaround. Kristin's talk will also cover areas of United Paper Campaign's success in addressing large corporate paper waste, (i.e. Kinko's, Staples, Office Depot, etc.). Prizes to who can guess Cabrillo's 2005 paper consumption from its main supplier! Bring your lunch and we'll supply the coffee and tea.

1:15pm. Room 506.

Sustainability Innovation
Michele Merrill, PhD-
Biological Anthropology, Cabrillo Instructor
Interactive Lecture and Powerpoint

Biomimicry, Cradle to Cradle design, Gaviotas Intentional Community (Colombia).

EARTH WEEK Tuesday, April 17th
Food and Society 11am Outdoor Amphitheater (weather)
Allan Lonnberg, Anthropology Instructor
Anthropology 17, Global Perspectives on Food and Culture
_________________________________________________________________
Santa Cruz County Food Scrap Composting Program 12:00pm Cafeteria
Dan De Grassi, Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works.
Slideshow about County of Santa Cruz Food Scrap Composting

The County of Santa Cruz, in conjunction with Vision Recycling, operates a food scrap composting program on a small-scale start-up basis. This unique program is to divert food scraps and food-soiled paper from landfill disposal, thereby saving capacity at the County's Buena Vista Landfill. Find out the scoop on scrap.

Saving the World with Sky Power! 1:30pm Room 506
Joe Jordan:, NASA, SETI, Cabrillo College Sky-power.org
Renewable Energy and the Future.
__________________________________________________________________
By now you’ve heard of “peak oil”, and so are all too familiar with the huge environmental and geopolitical problems we face. But what about the SOLUTIONS? This session highlights the coming revolution in how we manage the issue most central to everything else: ENERGY. (To start out, we’ll do some outdoor hands-on demonstrations with sunlight, and then look at amazing pictures of beautiful sky phenomena you can see if you know where and when to look.) Presenter will help us turn (on) to the sky, for both fun and prosperity! Not to mention, the big space!
__________________________________________________________________
Sustainable Buildings 101 4:45-6:15pm. Meet at Building 100.
Karsten Mueller, Ecology Action, PhD Environmental Science.
Steve Murphy, Cabrillo Instructor, Construction and Energy Management department, owner of consulting engineering firm “Engineered by Murphy.” Karsten and Steve are both LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Talk of buildings 200, 300 & 400, for sustainable renovation. Checklists provided, for LEED Existing Buildings standards. Discerning evaluation of each of these buildings, and a discussion of the LEED EB approach to the building renovation. Also a “How to” work with clients.
Open Channel will announce opportunities for natural building.
__________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY April 18th 11:30am-12:45pm Cafeteria
Ryan Kaplan, Student Senator Daily Sustainability Announcements/Survey/Event

Noon: Earth Day dedication. Elder Ted White Wolf, Ohlone Medicine Man Chris Shea, Open Channel CEO, Earth Day Co Founder
Announcement and sign up for historic tribal events. Ongoing Round Table: Community Building: Survive Trauma, Sustainable Food as Medicine, Wellness Quests. Plan your future, with an Elder Eco Care & Green Retirement Project. TV/Broad/Pod/Blogcast opportunities, Natural Building Teams for the Lakota Medicine Lodge/Organic Farm Project, Cabrillo Bio Fuel Station, Native American Drum & Feathers Events, Camp Outs, Organic Beach Walks!
Natural Building Techniques and Practices 1pm Room 508
Mitchel Slade, Principle of Eco-Struction
EcoStruction was founded in 1994, and has always been a sustainable building company specializing in rammed earth, strawbale, RASTRA, passive and active solar technologies and conventional framing techniques. Presentation will detail sustainable building practices.
Lakota Sioux Ceremonial Living Center in South Dakota 2pm Room 508
Mitchel Slade, Principle of Eco-Struction
The Lakota Sioux Ceremonial Living Center project was developed with a common vision by the medicine men of differing tribes with the intention of forming common meeting grounds for those tribes. The South Dakota project is the first of several Ceremonial Centers to be built. Please join us to find out moreabout the project volunteer opportunities, funding opportunities and educational opportunities.
Vitalism vs Physicalism; Brief history of Environmental Movement.
Dr. Paul Lee, Professor emeritus of Cabrillo, UCSC, MIT, and Harvard; Co Founder of Earth Day 5pm Room 508
"The undermining and reaffirmation of the integrity of organic nature,
and the true story of our environmental crisis, is the deepest conflict
in our culture." Organic musings, at the Roundtable. 6:30pm Room 508
__________________________________________________________________
Thursday, April 19^th
Ryan Kaplan, Student Senator Daily Announcements/Event Signups!
10am. Cafeteria!
Organic fair trade coffee, for select participants. Bring your helmet! Free raffle drawing for Bike & Alt.Vehicle drivers, carpoolers, bus riders! Yea!

Piet Canin, Ecology Action (ecoact.org), Bike Week coordinator.
Alternative and Sustainable Transportation.Update on the Cabrillo College Transportation Committee. Sign the pledge to take sustainable transportation 4 times in the Month of May. 11:15-12pm Cafeteria
Delectable Organic Food on a Student Budget.
See La Vie Chef Chris Howe, whip up a gourmet vegan dish LIVE!
11:30-1pm Amphitheater.
Drum and Feathers Performance
Drum and Feathers is a Southern Plains style Native American Drum Group based in San Jose, CA. The Drum is very active in the Native American community in Northern California and throughout the West Coast, participating in the last few years in Native Celebrations and Gatherings in California, Oregon, and Hawai'i.
The elders who founded the group in the 1950s are Kiowa. Songs are predominantly Kiowa and southern plains style, and are sung for social and ceremonial occasions.

Drum and Feathers is multicultural and intertribal, including members descendent from Shawnee, Papago (Tohono Odem), Chiricahua Apache, Cherokee, Cherokee Choctaw, Nebraska Ponca, Athabascan, Karuk, Lumbi. Drum and Feathers also focuses on community service, intergenerational community, cultural interchange and education. Cabrillo College is honored to host members of Drum and Feathers for a performance in the amphitheater.

12pm, Cafeteria.
Biofuels Panel and Roundtable
John Hayes, Owner Hayes European
John has a long established car repair facility. He knows the market, finds and
repairs biofuel vehicles and assists on site projects of stations.

Ray Newkirk, Pacific BioFuels and Eco Depot (biodiesel station)
Ocean St. and Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz. Opens April 21st!
Inside perspective on the Agribusiness interest in BioFuels.
Student Senate Meeting (open and public). 3pm. Sesnon House
Voice your passions during public comment period.
Friday, April 20th
12pm. Amphitheater.
Next Steps Gathering and Closing Ceremony
Local band Kombucheros
Form affinity groups for Natural Building, Eco-Art, Food Circles,
Gardening, Curriculum, Community Solidarity

Saturday, April 21st
9am-3pm Aptos Campus
1st Annual Social Justice Conference

Sunday, April 22nd
Earth DAY !!!