SURGE Meeting Minutes
12/1/2010
11/17/2010
Hey SURGErs!
Here’s what we talked about at tonight’s meeting.
Watch Rob’s latest Climate Science and News Update here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tdD1T3M4xM
Collective Motion was a success! About 200 people came out for the event, where there were many interesting and awesome speakers.
The Sustainability Open House was also a huge success! Going by the amount of popcorn bags given out, there were 900 plus people who attended! We got lots of signatures on our petition for Governor Christie and some new names for the mailing list.
A few of our awesome members did a mini-protest when the CEO of BP came to Princeton for a lunch talk, passing out a flyer with a fake BP brochure on one side reading “No Problem is Unsolvable with Good PR” and a list of questions on the other side. The flyer detailed some not-so-good things that BP has done lately. [note: this was not a SURGE event]
Pull the Plug Update: For anyone who doesn’t know, Pull the Plug is an event being held over winter break to try to encourage students to turn off their appliances when they go home. We will have meters to measure how much energy we’re saving, and have people sign an online pledge to “pull the plug” beforehand! The USG also wants to do a competition in February or March between dorms/res colleges. If you’re interested in helping out email Emma (efernand@princeton.edu), Tim (tbauman@princeton.edu) or Caroline (cyjo@princeton.edu)!
Awakening the Dreamer Update: Awakening the Dreamer will be held on December 5 from 3-6 PM. There will be inspirational footage to inspire action surrounding social justice and environmental issues.
Chabad is raising money for a group that gives solar panels to villages in India as part of “Giving Back at Formals”. If you’re interested in helping, email Derek (mgideon@princeton.edu)
The Sierra Club of NJ is having a dinner soon! Email Aliza (awasserm@princeton.edu) if you want to attend!
Next semester, Derek will be putting together a volunteer day with Isles, a community development and green jobs NGO founded by a Princeton alum. Email if interested in helping! mgideon@princeton.edu
Also, check out Carrotmob’s new website! – www.carrotmob.org
Last, but not least, we will not be having a meeting next week! Enjoy Thanksgiving and stay green! 
Jenna
11/10/10
He Hey SURGErs! Here’s what we talked about at tonight’s meeting!
PEN Updates: Forbes is going to start composting instead of giving their old food to a pig farm. The fertilizer may be sold to local farms. The sustainability kiosk in Frist is now in the works to be built over the summer and will be in place for the fall!
Reminder: If you need to be reimbursed for any SURGE-related purchases, contact our new treasurer Leland at rlbaldwi@princeton.edu or put the receipt in his mailbox, #2674!
Awakening the Dreamer: This is an environmental symposium that also includes social justice issues and spiritual fulfillment. The group behind Awakening the Dreamer wants SURGE and other green groups on campus to host a symposium, tentatively scheduled for December 5th. If you’re interested in helping get things started, email Leland at rlbaldwi@princeton.edu! Also, check out www.awakeningthedreamer.org for more information!
Updates on the Climate Freeze: The first Climate Freeze went well, with around 15 to 20 people “freezing” in Frist during Late Meal while Gideon ran around in a Climate Condom suit! It was a great “pilot project” that helped bring about conclusions about how to make things better next time! Email Danny (dgrowald@princeton.edu) if you want to become part of the Ruckus Group!
Don’t forget to register for Collective Motion, happening this Friday, November 12 from 9 to 3:30 in the Carl A. Fields Center! Also, help out by signing up to work a half hour at the registration table TONIGHT – the schedule will be finalized tomorrow!
Sign up here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEY2TnBKUVdTeEFXcHZwUm15S0h1ekE6MQ.
The Sustainability Open House will take place next Tuesday, November 16 from 3-7 PM in Chancellor Green. Email DJ (djudd@princeton.edu) if you want to help get involved with SURGE’s table at the event!
On Monday, November 29 from 12:30-1:30 PM there will be a talk sponsored by the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PiCScie) entitled“Scientific and Computational Challenges in Understanding Climate Change” in the Lewis Library.
There will be a dinner discussion with Olivia Zaleski entitled A Career in New Media: Environmental Journalism, sponsored by Mathey College and Greening Princeton, on Wednesday, November 17 from 6:30-8 PM in the Mathey Private Dining Room. Olivia Zaleski will discuss her career as a video journalist and producer focused on social and environmental issues. She will also share insight into finding jobs in the ever-changing field of new media journalism and communications, while also discussing the exciting growth opportunities within environmental consulting, corporate social responsibility and new energy management. Questions can be directed to Chenyu Zheng at czheng@princeton.edu.
Last, but not least, 1Sky will be having a conference call next Thursday, November 18 from 1-2 PM to discuss and share ideas about what direction to move in after the elections. RSVP to ebonie@1sky.org if you’re interested!
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Jenna
Happy Earth Week SURGErs! We’ve got a jam-packed four days, so get psyched.
Earth Day (Thursday, April 22nd, from 4:30 to 7:30)
SURGE is tabling at Earth Day Festival! We’ll be looking for last minute additions to our Climate Rally in DC, and we need people to table for us. This event is going to be SUPER fun, we’ve got great food, great music, and great weather forecasted. Sign up here: http://www.doodle.com/c46ktysd8zw6akkb
Teaching in Trenton (Friday, April 23rd, from 3 to 5)
SURGE is teaming up with Energy Corps to design a wind-energy lesson plan for 4th and 5th Graders in Trenton! We’ll be making origami pinwheels, and teaching about the pros and cons of wind power, so come and help out! E-mail Alex (alandon@princeton.edu) if you’d like to come along, we’ll be leaving from behind Frist, Friday, April 23, at 2:50PM
Communiversity (Saturday, April 24th, from 12 to 5)
We’re looking for people to table for SURGE and Energy Corps on Communiversity. This is a super fun day, and a great opportunity to meet interested people in the town. Frosh board (Emma Fernandez, efernand@Princeton.EDU) and Aliza (alizaw13@gmail.com) could definitely use help with setting up our table, so give me a heads up if you’re interested. Sign up to work a shift here: http://www.doodle.com/p8swbwxm2hqzdh9t
Climate Rally! (Sunday, April 25th, from 8AM to 11:30)
It’s almost here. We’re making a last-ditch pull for people to come, so if you have a friend who wants to come, email me their name and number. Our schedule for the day is as follows. SURGE will be providing breakfast, but you’re on your own for Lunch and Dinner, so bring some cash.
Rutgers Pick-Up:
7:30am at Rutgers New Brunswick Campus (Is that correct??) Location is still TBD
Rutgers contact is still TBD
Princeton Pick-Up
8:00 am at Baker Rink on the Princeton Campus
Contact DJ Judd (917.684.4637) or Alex Landon (713.303.7498)
Arrive in DC
11:30am at RFK Stadium
Metro to National Mall will be $1.45 each way per student.
Depart DC
8:00pm form RFK Stadium
Return to Princeton: 11:30pm
Return to Rutgers: 12:00am
Monday
Breathe
Also, shout outs to Andrew for his publicity work, Rob for his videos, Lauren and Cindi for the GP 5K, and Derek for his great work on the blog. Check it out sometime!
http://princetonsurge.wordpress.com/
Happy Earth Week!
DJ
4/7/10
Hey SURGErs! Hope you’re enjoying the weather, here’s what’s new this week.
Debate Debrief
Congrats to Rob and Aliza for doing such a great job at the Whig-Clio Debate on Cap and Trade. Because of you guys, we totally shot down climate change denier William Happer.
5th Grade Lesson Plan with Energy Corps
If you’re interested in designing a lesson plan for 5th Graders on alternative energy, be sure to contact Alex sometime this week (alandon@)
Greening Princeton Farmer’s Market
The Greening Princeton Farmer’s Market is back! be sure to stop by this Tuesday afternoon for some sweet local organic food! Also, SURGE is looking for people to TABLE– we’ll have our “Do Not Mail” signup this week, and we’re looking for other issues to table about in the future! Sign up at the doodle below:
http://www.doodle.com/9e239x643qg5re7c
GP 5K
The Greening Princeton 5K is Saturday, April 17th, with a pasta dinner at Tower the night before. You can register ahead of time (http://www.princeton.edu/greening/5Krun_2010.html) or at the run for an extra $5. Let’s get a good turnout for SURGE!
April 25th Climate Rally in DC
So far, we’ve only got 7 people interested in the Climate Rally in DC– this is super important guys, primarily because Climate Legislation is released the week of Earth Day. This is our chance to be heard! Contact Alex (alandon@) or me (djudd@) to sign up.
Carrotmob
We’re waiting on our second response for Twist, but things are looking good!
Office of Sustainability Fellowship Position
To take into account current seniors distracted by their theses, we have extended the Office of Sustainability 1-year fellowship application deadline to May 14th, 2010. Please contact Shana Weber for application materials (shanaw@princeton.edu).
Keep on keepin’ on,
DJ
3/24/10
Hey SURGErs! We had a great meeting tonight, and if there’s one thing I love more than the environment, it’s NEW MEMBERS! I hope you’re all psyched for Princyclopedia this weekend– we’ve got a lot of cool updates for the week.
Princyclopedia– This Saturday, March 27th, from 10AM-3PM
Please sign up to volunteer! We really need enthusiastic participants to teach young children about sailing, wind power, and windmills. The lesson plans have been written and a poster has been made. Now we just need manpower. An important note– Kids aren’t the only ones attending Princyclopedia! Parents will be hovering nearby and we can tell them about pertinent policy changes or things they can do to help the environment. We have decided to push forward Do Not Mail—a group that is trying to establish a national Do Not Mail registry to prevent people from receiving junk mail. A huge amount of junk mail each year ends up in landfills, becoming a waste of time, energy and fuel.
To sign up for a spot to table, contact Cindi (yim@princeton.edu), Alex (alandon@princeton.edu) or check out the Doodle below!
http://doodle.com/cz4rhr89bqkpbuei?adminKey=&participantKey=
Earth Day Updates!
Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd. PEN has officially booked the Frist South Lawn for our Earth Day festival! We’re planning with the other student environmental groups to have performances from student music groups, displays of the green business and green fashion design competitions, sustainable and local snacks, educational tables, green art and fashion design contest winner displays, and much more. SURGE is still trying to find a speaker for the event. Dining Services is already planning a sustainable menu for the evening and another bottled-water/drink ban at Frist late meal and we’re talking to college councils about having a no food waste pledge.
An excellent opportunity with 1Sky
1Sky is hosting a conference in D.C. at their headquarters on May 1st and 2nd. Training and lobbying at Congress will take place. It will be an excellent opportunity to learn about environmental activism, grassroots organization, and how to lead demonstrations. If anyone is interested in attending the conference, email Aliza at alizaw13@gmail.com
Carrotmob Updates
Good news!
Twist has expressed interest in becoming involved with our Carrotmob. We’re still waiting to hear back from Halo Pub, T-Sweets, Fruity Yogurt, and Bent Spoon but outlook is good.
Green Design Contest
If you like fashion and design, and want to turn your salvaged goods into a trendy apparel, then don’t miss out “Greening Project Runway”, Greening Princeton’s Sustainable Design Contest
Sign up here by Sun March 28th 5pm. Preliminary Paper Submission to 1035 Frist Center or email scan/digital presentation: by April 8th. Final Submissions are due by April 15th. Prizes may include gift certificates and multiple fashion show placements and displays on campus. Questions and concerns, please email Chenyu( czheng@princeton.edu)
Looking for a job next year, Seniors? NJPIRG wants you!
Attention Seniors: Want to work with college students next year and help community members save resources and the environment? Then apply for NJPIRG Energy Service Corps!
Energy Service Corps is a joint project of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG) and AmeriCorps that works to improve energy efficiency in New Jersey. This year we are hiring graduating college seniors to join our program and work to tackle one of the most pressing environmental issues in New Jersey: energy efficiency. We organize service projects that bring together the community, educate local youth in classrooms and in youth groups about the importance of environmental stewardship, and provide our community members with energy assessments and home weatherization. The position is for a nine-month AmeriCorps term of service based out of one of the NJPIRG Energy Corps Campus Chapters, including Princeton University. To find out more and to apply email Daniel Brookshire daniel@njpirgstudents.org . Also visit http://www.njpirgstudents.org/energy-service-corps for program information.
That’s all for this week– hope you guys enjoy the rest of your week,
Keep it green,
DJ
3/3/10
Hey SURGErs! Hope your week isn’t too stressful! Here’s what’s new this week.
Earth Day
Cindi’s begun talks with potential Earth Day Speaker Van Jones! Stay tuned for updates!
Conference Technology
Vijay’s been in discussions with faculty, doing a cost-benefit comparison of videoconferencing on campus. There are currently 5 rooms devoted to vid conferences, all of which are well equipped– our next steps involve surveying to see how well they’re used.
72 Hours for Clean American Power
All the big environmental groups (including 1Sky, Clean Energy Works, Sierra Club and National Wildlife Fund) are partnering on “72 Hours for Clean American Power,” this week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 2-4. They will provide us the script and free phone lines via the web to call Senators to pass climate policy.
We’re still looking for people to table! Check out this link if you’re able to help tomorrow afternoon! :http://www.doodle.com/68r3wa4einpincux
Princyclopedia
There is a frosh board meeting this Friday, March 5, at 2:30 PM in Cafe Viv. We’ll be discussing our table on windpower– if you plan to attend, check out this website for info: http://www.need.org/Guides-Subject.php
Any questions, contact Cindi (cindiyim@gmail.com)
Carrotmob
We’ll be making our trip to Twist to propose our Carrotmob this Friday, March 5, at 3:30 PM. If you’re interested in joining, be sure to be at Twist at 3:30! Contact Alex (alandon@princeton.edu) if you’re down to help.
Tim Tips
Our resident Carrotmob expert had a few tips from his experience with Carrotmob in the past.
He cautioned that, when speaking to businesses, too many people can be overwhelming– usually only one or two people do the talking. Remember to stay positive, and know ahead of time what the letter says. Remember your audience as well, as it can tell you what aspects of Carrotmob to emphasize– whether it’s the increased business Carrotmobs can bring them, or the karma that comes with being environmentally conscious.
Farmer’s Market
Is starting up April 13th! Try to leave your Tuesdays free, since we’ll be tabling one week.
Greening Princeton 5K
The GP 5K is officially set for Saturday, April 17th. GP/SURGE Pasta dinner will take place in Tower Club at 5:30 pm on Friday, April 16
Relevant Events
Michael Oppenheimer is giving a speech tomorrow, March 4th, at 4:30 in Friend 101.
And, as always, the Energy table is meeting at 6:30 in Mathey. Meal swipes are available for those who aren’t on the Princeton Meal plan.
SURGE on,
DJ
2/17/2010
Action Steps (to be completed before the next meeting):
1. Look into how surveying faculty would work to gather more information about videoconferencing. – Vijay
2. Come up with a list for how to get tabling together in less than 24 hours. What is needed? Necessary contact information, etc. -Derek
3. Figure out a plan for SURGE’s involvement with Do Not Mail – Bennett
4. Lesson Plan for Princyclopedia – Frosh board and Cindi
5.Submit proposal to Carrotmob Headquarters – Alex
Proposal for Green Space on Campus
Everyone present at the meeting approved PEN’s (Princeton Environmental Network) proposal for a green space in Frist Campus Center to house the Office of Sustainability and serve as a hub for green groups.
There was some concern over the possibility of this center being presented as being equivalent to the LGBT, Women’s and International Student center. These concerns will be brought up with PEN.
Carrotmob: Green Ice Cream Challenge
From their website… “Carrotmob is a method of activism that leverages consumer power to make the most socially-responsible business practices also the most profitable choices. Businesses compete with one another to see who can do the most good, and then a big mob of consumers buys products in order to reward whichever business made the strongest commitment to improve the world. It’s the opposite of a boycott.” Please view http://carrotmob.org/ for more details. We are trying to organize a similar event in Princeton this spring between the different ice cream stores (Twist, Fruity Yogurt, Bent Spoon, T-sweets, Halo Pub) in town. If you are interested in helping with Carrotmob, email Alex (alandon@princeton.edu).
Video Conferencing
Instead of physically inviting speakers to our campus, we could utilize the video conferencing equipment that we have on campus. We could possibly invite a speaker via video conferencing this on Earth Day this year.
Cotsen’s Children Library Event – Harnessing the Wind
This is Cotsen’s huge, annual event where Princeton brings a book to life through hands-on projects, activities, and demonstrations! This year’s theme is Treasure Island, and SURGE’s specific project will be explaining wind energy. This is a Frosh Board Project, but if anyone else is interested in volunteering on the day of (March 27 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.), email Cindi (yim@princeton.edu).
Don’t Mail It Event
Tabling to get people to sign a petition for a national “Do Not Mail” http://www.donotmail.org/ registry. If you are intereted in helping with SURGE’s efforts for the Do Not Mail Mail campaign, email Bennett (bgbernst@Princeton.EDU).
Announcements
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What: Sustainability Discussion Table
When: Monday, February 22
Time: 6-8pm
Where: Wu Hall Special Dining Room
Come join us at the Wu Hall Special Dining Room to talk about ecology and sustainability. The first sustainability table of this semester will be a discussion with Prof. Eileen Zerba. She is a senior lecturer in ecology and evolutionary biology and director of undergraduate laboratories at the Princeton Environmental Institute. She was involved in the green roof project at Butler College as featured on the Princeton website http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S25/01/12M89/index.xml?section=featured.
