ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES COMMITTEE
January 29, 2007
Metolius Room

Attendees: Jim Blick, Paula Staight, William Cresko, Brian Smith, Kelly Hansen, Tim King, Christine Thompson, Karyn Kaplan, Cathy Soutar, J.R. Gaddis, Anne Forrestel; Guest: Tara Burke, Co-director of Survival Center

Campaign for Tree-Free Paper

Tara Burke presented a proposal for a tree-free paper campaign. She shared that her decision to move from the Midwest to attend UO was primarily due to the high level of awareness and environmental values here. The recycling and renewable energy programs are amazing.

Tara ’s vision for this campaign:

Require that all university departments use only 100% recycled, tree free paper from reused materials obtained through waste reduction techniques. She expressed concern about ordering supplies from Boise Cascade and questions their environmental practices.

Phase out the use of endangered forest materials. Use only recycled or plastic composite materials that concur with the Forest Stewardship Council guidelines and do business only with companies that do not log or supply products from old growth or public land. Don’t purchase from companies selling new conserving or oriented strand board (OSB) from virgin tree materials or products made from genetically engineered trees. Use only wood products from tree-free certified, sustainably harvested wood, and reclaimed composite and recycled lumber or post consumer recycled products.

The committee thanked Tara for her awareness, interest, and support concerning this issue. Karyn shared that UO has been a nationwide leader and pointed specifically to our campus environmental policy and a number of sub-policies such as wood product procurement policy, campus sustainable development guidelines, and the recycled paper policy. The recycled paper policy’s default is 100% recycled, post consumer, unbleached paper. Also we have substantially reduced the amount of departmental mailings by using e-mail whenever possible.

She also feels that Boise Cascade has been proactive by providing an affordable and high quality, 100% post-consumer, unbleached, chlorine-free recycled paper. In addition, all UO letterhead and business cards are printed on Vanguard paper made of hemp and recycled content paper stock.

Karyn suggested two areas that need attention: In general colleges have made great progress, but grade and high schools need a lot of help. Secondly, students and student groups need to be encouraged to follow the recycling policies. Information is provided in orientation packet, but tends to get over looked due to the massive amount of handouts they receive.

Updates

Brian Smith is meeting with Mike Eyster on January 30 and will discuss the wind energy and green dorm room projects at that time. He is still following up on the progress of the Talloires declaration. He will be talking to Rich Linton about the CASL Memorandum of Understanding.

Subcommittee Reports

Smoke Free Campus : Paula said that six members of SHAC have expressed a lot of interest in working on this issue. Some of the students are thinking about writing a letter to Frances Dyke, Tom Ryan, Mike Eyster, and Linda Brady about working toward this goal. A survey is being developed to gage student interest in a smoke free campus.

Green Dorm Room : Cathy Soutar asked to be added to the subcommittee.

Campus Energy Policy/Global Warming : Jim questioned whether the subcommittee should be split into two separate groups.

Campus Energy -- Education is needed in a more focused, action-oriented format to better implement the energy conservation components of the environmental policy. Karyn said she would be happy to work on a user policy.

Global Warming – Consider setting specific goals and date to work toward a carbon neutral campus. Link this to the Governor’s Executive Order. The first step would be to ask Frances Dyke for funding for a greenhouse gas inventory in order to develop a long-term carbon neutral plan or policy. Anne offered to begin gathering information from Josh Skov and Bob Doppelt.

The next Environmental Issues Committee meeting will be held from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the EMU Umpqua room on Wednesday, February 28, 2007.