Friday, October 24, 2008

Sustainable Dance Club

A new dance club in Rotterdam has a dance floor that powers the music and lights from people dancing on it.. and it looks awesome. Check it out. And rain water toilets for the lady's restroom. Nice.

NY times article on the "First Sustainable Dance Club"




Dance Club Video

Monday, September 29, 2008

Success at the Community Involvement Fair

So this past friday, we ran around campus interviewing people about sustainable efforts on campus while wearing our new shirts and some promotional messages in paint.




Brand New Trash Talk Shirts!!



Here's the crew hanging out with the beloved recycling bin!


REMINDER: Meeting tonight! We need to talk about Rock the Vote this friday and what our plans are. See you then!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Community Involvement Fair!!

Trash Talk is going to be supporting the Sustainability Committee this Friday at the community involvement fair in Cohen Plaza. There will be food and lots of organizations. Stop by during lunch to support our efforts! We are planning on interviewing students on camera about sustainability. If you want to help out, send me an email. hello@ktmac.net.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

MEETING!

REMINDER: Trash Talk meeting tomorrow @ 10pm in Java corner. If you have class, just come after. We will be talking about our plans for the upcoming semester and planning some events. We may even bring pizza for everyone.

See you tomorrow!

Monday, September 8, 2008

MEETING!

The first meeting of Trash Talk will be MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH at 10pm at Java Corner. Bring your friends and we will talk about all of the exciting things going on. See you then!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Summer Updates

Sorry for the lack of posting as of late. I promise we will pick up our game this coming semester. Here are some updates so you guys can stay in the loop:

1) The new sustainability site is being coded as we speak. It will have WAY more information than the old one including a page for Recycling, a list of farmers' markets, energy conservation tips, parkhurst initiatives and more. Look for it this coming semester at www.mica.edu/sustainability

2) The sustainability committee really stepped into gear this past semester and genuinely listened to the few students that attended the meetings. Discussions of solar panels, community/roof top gardens and going trayless in the Hoff took place. I would encourage any student interested to come to these meetings this semester. I'll keep you posted on the schedule once it's made.

3) Finally our prayers have been answered! After much talk about the dreaded stickers on the trashcans, the school will be ordering cardboard trashcan covers that will hopefully clear up all confusion in this matter. I have not actually seen what they look like yet, but they sound like they will help the situation immensely.

4) Trash Talk calendars have sold out! Stickers are still available at the school store for those who are interested. Also, limited edition, hand-printed canvas bags will be sold in the school store this coming semester.


Well I think that's all for now. See you FALL 08!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Under the Ozone: Tan While You Can


Come to Cohen Plaza to drink smoothies, tan, and listen to music. Bring your instruments if you want to play. Ride our bike blender to make your own smoothie, or have one made with a solar panel. Bring your own cup for a discount on the smoothie. It will be a fun post-earth day party.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Hot Stuff for Sale

Trash Talk Calendars are on sale! Get yours today for just $20 before they're gone! All the proceeds go straight back to the Trash Talk budget so we can continue with our initiatives, so thank you so much if you've bought one.


Saturday, March 22, 2008

REMINDER: Sustainability Lecture Series

Michael Hindle (painting faculty) and Carrie Harlan (Brennan and Co. Architecture) will be giving a lecture next Monday, MARCH 31ST at the art/tech center at NOON. It should be a good talk. Plus there will be pizza and drinks for anyone who goes.

Global warming bill heads to the House

Here's a new article about the terrible amendments that seem to be getting passed for the Global Warming Solutions Act :(

Here's another article with more detailed information on this matter.

'Trash Talk' Shoe


Sorry, I had to post this, it was too perfect.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/03/16/sustainable-style-nikes-recycled-scrap-sneaks/

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

BAKE SALE!

VEGAN BAKE SALE TONIGHT!!
Brown Center, 6:00 - 7:15
Delicious baked goods will be sold for your enjoyment during tonight's film "Everything's Cool" (an awesome movie about global warming). For more info on the film go to http://www.everythingscool.org/. Also, the new, hot-off-the-press Trash Talk Calendar will be available to purchase at the table. It features naked students doing things to save the world. Come and take a peek!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Single Stream in Baltimore


Check out this article in Citypaper about single stream recycling in Baltimore. 

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Virtual Water






This site is all about water conservation and has a really cool poster illustrating how much water is used to produce everyday things. The other side of the poster illustrates several countries' water footprint. Check it out Here.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Hi all,

I got this from Jessica Keating the St. Mary's College of Maryland Chesapeake Climate Action Network Intern, and I thought you might be interested. I am planning on going, and I am going to try to figure out transportation.

see you Monday,

Lilah

On **Monday, March 3rd** students from all across Maryland will be gathering in Annapolis to lobby their representatives for the Global Warming Solutions Act. If passed, the Act will be the most progessive state legislation about global warming to date, with a mandate to cut emissions 25% below 2006 levels by 2020 and 90% by 2050. The legislation also requires the environmental department to have a timeline and figure out what programs to implement to meet these targets and would set up a cap and trade system of carbon credits within Maryland.

STUDENT LOBBY DAY will include a training session on how to lobby as well as time to talk with your school's representatives about the bill. Students are encouraged to come in groups of 5 or more, so bring your friends, classmates, or student group to Annapolis and get your voice heard!

What: Student Lobby Day

When: Monday, March 3, 2008 -- Registration will begin at 3:00 with a lobby training from 3:30 to 4:30, with time to meet with your representatives after.

Where: Annapolis, Maryland

Why: To lobby for the Global Warming Solutions Act

If you plan on going to Student Lobby Day, please click here and register! Tell all your friend, classmates and family to register as well. The more people we can get to Annapolis the better! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP PLAN STUDENT LOBBY DAY, we are holding a phone conference every Tuesday night at 9pm until the lobby day. Please call (616) 597-8000 then enter pass code is 351296#, Tuesday nights at 9pm to join in. If you would like to RSVP for the conference calls or if you have any questions please email JessicaKeatingCCAN@gmail.com.

Also, TAKE A MINUTE NOW to write an email to your representative. Whether you plan on going to Student Lobby Day or not, it's a great way to get your voice heard. Simply click HERE and follow the instructions. Tell your representatives that you want them to support the Global Warming Solutions Act!

Hope to see you all at Student Lobby Day!!



Registration Link:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/423/t/1906/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=37182.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Sustainability Lecture Series


Everyone should try to go to these if they can. Get your friends to go too! Click on the image to see the dates close up.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Sustainability Committee notes 2/1/08

Hi,
To keep everyone updated on what the Sustainability Committee is doing, here are the notes from last meeting. If you have anything you want brought up next meeting, just comment or send me an email lcrewspless@mica.edu

Committee on Sustainability

February 1, 2008

Meeting Notes

It was expressed that there is a need for obvious leadership from the highest levels of the campus Administration. A statement from the President on MICA’s commitment to sustainability and the reduction of greenhouse gases would carry a lot of weight with the students. Students are being asked to make significant contributions and sacrifices, but they are not seeing a high level of commitment from the faculty and staff. It appears as though MICA Administrators are not taking these efforts seriously.

Currently it appears that there is no recycling effort at campus events. Is there something that can be done about this?

The idea of a Ride Share program was introduced. This will be looked into with Human Resources. This would need to be an opt-in program, with a meeting date set up for those to attend if they’re interested. It would be up to the individuals to participate and make their own ride sharing arrangements.

Trash Talk is taking inventory of cans for recycling and landfill trash in all the buildings, will put cans together where necessary, and will place stickers on all cans. Additional cans may be needed. Cans are needed in all studio areas; currently only a very few exist and there is no recycling effort. Recycling maps will be placed in all buildings to make it easier for everyone to find out exactly where they can take their waste.

In order to get students to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), we may bring in a vendor to sell to students at the beginning of each semester. This would require a 10% fee from the vendor on all sales (as per MICA’s standard vendor agreement). There is also the possibility of Trash Talk buying directly from the vendor and selling CFLs at their Student Involvement Fair on February 22. A special deal could be arranged for students to get one free bulb when they buy one and bring in an incandescent bulb.

There is a solar decathlon in Washington, DC every two years. Is this something in which MICA could partner with JHU? For more information, go to http://www.solardecathlon.org/.

Rana Silver has offered to look into the possibility of partnering with other organizations for sponsorships (Whole Foods, etc).

Michael Hindle is looking into research and implementation of renewable energy and solar panels.

Daphne Porter is looking into the possibility of being able to shut down all computers at the end of the day. If this is reasonable, we will include this in the next community update email.

As part of an ongoing effort to get the word out to the MICA community, the Committee has come up with the following ideas:

Sustainability web site – needs to be updated and have more of a “fun and energetic” feel, with interactive links. Nicole Evanshaw will check with the Communications office to see how much flexibility in design exists, and if Trash Talk can share in design and maintaining content.
Installations – large or small scale installations across campus, which would incorporate the web site url (to drive traffic).
Bulletin boards – placed in key locations (Java Corner, Café Doris, and the Meyerhoff Dining Room) could have one side chalk board, and one side posters that will change periodically, and will include the web site url.
Email – a new email will be sent to update all MICA students, staff and faculty on the recent sustainability initiatives.
Trash collection – to visually illustrate the need for recycling, students may collect trash for one day (maybe in the Fox Building, maybe in Cohen Plaza) and then sort for recycling.

eco-friendly cold cups and dessert plates at MICA

Hey everyone,

Libby Francis is the Assistant Director of Retail at Parkhurst Dining Services @ MICA. She just sent ou an email to the Sustainability Committee,

"...Parkhurst will be rolling out our new line of eco-friendly cold cups and dessert plates this Friday, February 8th at Java Corner. We have been working with our vendors to ensure both the availability and affordability of these products. Snack cups and iced coffee drinks will now all be served in “Greenware.” Cakes and pies will be served on “Green Wave” dessert plates.

Greenware is a line of premium cold drink cups and lids, “grown” and made in the USA. Products are made from NatureWorks™ Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), a resin derived entirely from natural corn materials. PLA is 100% renewable through annual corn harvests and fully compostable in municipal and industrial facilities.

Green Wave biodegradable plates are an environmentally friendly way to serve food. Each plate is made out of all-natural, annually renewable resources that break down quickly in both water and landfills. Products are made of environmentally conscious natural fiber, such as sugarcane, grass and reed plasma.

Café Doris will be bringing in these products, too! In addition to the Greenware cups, On-the-Go sandwich and salad containers will be converted to PLA products as well. Plastic forks, knives and spoons will soon be corn-starch based in both locations.

Please join us at Java Corner on Friday from 1:00 PM till closing for a special afternoon treat. Buy a slice of Dangerously Delicious Pie for $5.00 and get a 20 oz. Iced Zeke’s Coffee for FREE! See you at Bunting on the second floor Friday afternoon!”

Feel free to forward the portion of this message in quotation marks. As many on the committee will recall from this past Fall, these products were simply unaffordable at the time. Thanks to Parkhurst’s corporate-wide commitment to sustainability, we now have the purchasing power to bring costs in line with conventional products..."

See you Wed.!
-Lilah

Trashcan Fixing

Last meeting (Feb 4th) Trash Talk went around and organized the trashcans and recycling bins in Bunting, Fox, and Brown. We will meet again on Wednesday at 7pm in Main to do Station and Main buildings. We are planning on making sure Fox has a waste and recycling in each classroom, so we'll probably be ordering more. If you have any ideas about what else we should do with the trashcans or if you've noticed a problem with how they have been rearranged, let us know. Thanks for everyone's help!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Lights-Off Stickers

We recently received permission to put up "turn off the lights" stickers all over campus. They come in four different colors and say "Thanks" in glow-in-the-dark ink that you can see when you flip the lights out. Made with 100% recycled adhesive paper, and hand silk screened, these stickers will hopefully help conserve some of the energy that our school is constantly wasting through empty, lit up classrooms. Look for these sweet stickers within the next week. If you find a room without one, email me at katie@ktmac.net and we will be sure to slap one up.

For Next Week:

We are going to take a little more time with the Trash Cans so that they are very clearly labeled and so we make sure we make the recycling and trashcans different from each other. Why don’t we meet on Monday at Java Corner at 7:15 and we can quickly discuss what was said at the sustainability meeting on Friday, and then count/ re arrange the recycling and trashcans.

Brief Notes for last meeting:

Shorter-term goals: Work with Baltimore Sweep Action to…
*Count, map out and label trash and recycling cans in all buildings so that each trashcan is next to a recycling can.
*Advertise and promote the coffee at Java Corner to get Starbucks off campus
*Advertise and promote sustainability on campus
*Get blue boxes in all rooms
*Research the possibility of a community garden
* Baltimore Sweep Action project
*Make Energy audits easily accessible to students
* Working with JHU

Longer Term Goals:
*Pushing for composting on campus
*Pushing for supplementary power from wind and solar: solar panels on the gateway, etc.

Also Gov. O’Malley has the opportunity to sponsor the Global Warming Solutions act of 2008. Currently there is a letter writing campaign underway to get him to pass the bill that, according to the Chesapeake Climate action network, does three things:

Limits: It establishes limits on greenhouse gas emissions based on what is scientifically necessary. Maryland would need to reduce its emissions by 25 percent below 2006 levels by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050. The first limit is achievable with current technology, while the 2050 limit would require technological breakthroughs. 

Timelines: It creates timelines for state agencies to design cost-effective programs to meet the emission limits. Regulations for policies that are close to the rulemaking stage already would get finalized by September 2009. Policies that need more work to develop would be done by June 2010. Complicated policies for which we want to use regulations developed by other states would have a June 2011 deadline. 


Cap-and-Trade: It creates a cap-and-trade system so that companies can continue to search for the cheapest ways to comply.

For more info: http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/pages/page.cfm?page_id=173

It would be great if we could get a lot of student signatures, because if this bill passes, then MICA would be forced to cut down on waist, and force President Lazarus to consider conservation methods that he currently conceders too costly.

Also: Feb. 22nd is the student involvement fair. At Friday’s sustainability meeting we discusses selling compact florescence to the student body if they bring in their old light bulbs. We will also, hopefully be selling our Trash Talk Calendar and trying to rally student support for the Global Warming Solutions act of 2008, composting on campus, alternative energy on campus and Starbucks off campus. If you could help out by sitting at the Trash Talk table, let me know.


- Lilah

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Hello Trash Talkers

Welcome to our new venue for everything Trash Talk. Post interesting links, check out meeting notes and upcoming events, make suggestions for initiatives, or anything else you can think of.