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The Green Cycle Group

Next meeting date:
Thursday 16 October 2008 - 1:40pm (Activity Hour)
then November 6th & 20th
Fine Arts Building - Room B-158
Regular schedule: 1st and 3rd Thursdays
Check the Student Activities Calendar for more dates
(get on the Mail List to stay informed!)
New Members always welcome! (What's this about?)


  The Meeting on 18 September, 2008 in the Student Union

  


Earth Day Observance at NEIU was
21& 22 April 2008
See the pictures here!


What we've done...
Initiated, and passed, a campus-wide "green fee" to support environmental and energy initiatives on campus
Convinced the computer facilities management to the set the printer default to print double-sided
Conducted educational Going Green Workshops on campus
Worked to use recycled printing paper in all the print workstations
Appointed two representatives to the committee overseeing the Green Fee Fund
What we're doing...
Flyers!
Grab a file, print it, and hang it up in your classroom!
Turn off the lights!  (Microsoft Word)   (Adobe .pdf)
Cheap(er) Coffee at Descartes!
(Microsoft Word)   (Adobe .pdf)


Recycling Report
First Quarter Report (.pdf) Jan-March 2008 of the University Recycling Efforts
Third Quarter Report (.pdf) July-Sept 2008 of the University Recycling Efforts

Environmentally-conscious shopping?

Be aware of misleading labels and advertising - click on the image above to learn about "greenwashing" -...the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.  Learn about the six sins of greenwashing, from TerraChoice, http://terrachoice.com/

Eight Earth-Friendly Resolutions

1. Replace my conventional light bulbs with energy-efficient ones. One of the simplest things you can do to save energy and pollution is to swap out your old incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Today’s high-tech bulbs dim, come in decorative shapes — and radiate a warm, rosy glow. If you’re not ready for a full-house makeover, resolve to start by changing just one light. See our bulb guide for details.

2. Calculate my carbon footprint and see what I can do to reduce it. Do you live in a large apartment building or a small house? Do you drive a hybrid car or a pickup truck?  How many times a year do you fly? Taking stock of your habits is the place to start in cutting "carbs".

3. Make small changes at home. An easy place to start is unplugging your chargers and computers when you’re not using them. Another simple change that pays off: Turn down your thermostat in winter (55 degrees when away or at night) and up in summer (to 85 when away). Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot. See more adjustments that add up to energy savings.

4. Drive like the Earth depends on it. The way you drive can affect gas mileage and cut global warming pollution from your car's tailpipe. For one, traveling with a light load will increase fuel economy. And driving without rapidly accelerating and braking also improves gas mileage. Get more tips.

5. Buy carbon offsets to help offset my emissions further. If you've already slimmed down your carbon consumption as much as possible, there is more you can do. Buying carbon offsets neutralizes what you can't cut, like flying for business or heating your house.

6. Choose seafood that's good for me and the ocean. Did you know that wild salmon from Alaska comes from a well-managed fishery and is a much better choice than conventional farmed salmon? (And, fortunately, canned salmon is mainly wild pink or sockeye from Alaska.) Do you know which fish you should eat only in limited amounts to avoid mercury or PCBs? It’s all in our seafood guide.

7. Write my members of Congress demanding a strong global warming law. Time is running out to solve the global warming crisis. Waiting just two years to pass national climate legislation would mean we’d have to cut emissions twice as quickly.

8. Pass this list to my friends and family. If everyone you knew made small everyday changes, think what a big difference it would make! Together we can make 2008 a banner year for the environment.



Don't throw it away!  Post it on Freecycle - someone else may want it!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagofreecycle/


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What's the point of all of this?


To promote ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY on campus at NEIU, through education and community involvement. To get likeminded people to join us, bring their  concerns and empower them to create meaningful change in the name of our  environment.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!
If you want to get involved, or if you are just interested in what we are up to, read on and visit our web site www.neiu.edu/~gcgroup


Are you an "idea" person? We need people to get involved with the event planning process. Join the event planning committee and come up with themes for our events, help  us review movies to be shown. Come up with cool, and environmentally friendly raffle  prize ideas.

Do you enjoy design and/or composition?? We need you to produce a snappy pamphlet that explains who we are and what we do, and our current campaigns. To be given out at  bake sales, awareness events and any other occasion upon which people show an interest  in our organization.

-OR-
Get involved with the GCG advertising committee and help design flyers promote one of our many events next semester.

Are you passionate about the environment and even a tiny-little-bit outgoing?? We need you to run our information table at the student organizational fair. There will be a  TON of other student orgs set up and it will be a GREAT opportunity to get them to cosponsor  the Student Fund for Renewable Energy. It's also a good opportunity to gain new  members, maybe freshmen that settled in to NEIU in the fall and are ready to become  active.

Do you love the attention of an adoring public?? Perhaps you'd enjoy public speaking! We're currently developing a power point presentation about the Student Fund  For Renewable Energy and we need any and all members with charisma to learn and  deliver the presentation at our awareness events and at meetings of other student  organizations who invite us!!


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Officers


Georgia Yelton, President (Email)
Nathan Ziccarelli, Vice President


Kate Ekman, Treasurer
Whitney Behr, Secretary

Faculty Advisor

Abhijit Banerjee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
email: A-Banerjee1@neiu.edu
Environmental Policy and Planning, Environmental Geography
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Click here for the:
Link to G & ES Dept.


Some of the things we've done - when somebody remembered to bring a camera!
Earth Day Fair and observance, Spring of 2006
Awards Ceremony for the students at the North Side Learning Center, 2006
Awards Ceremony for the students at the North Side Learning Center, 2007
Earth Day Fair and observance, Spring of 2007
Picnic!, Summer of 2007
Save the CTA & Water Taste Test, November 2007
Going Green Workshop, November, 2007
Earth Day Fair and observance, Spring 2008
The Constitution of the Green Cycle Group               The Bylaws of the Green Cycle Group

Past Presidents

Stephanie Creegan
Kristina Lo Russo
Amanda Woodall Gayle Tulipano

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