Once again, straight from google images

Smaller meeting this week due to Yom Kippur, but we still got a lot of exciting things done! Highlights include:

• Beyond the Bottle
• CCURB
• ICE
• Dorm Energy Reduction Competition (Do it in the dark!)
• Lobbying
• Better by Design Conference
• Media Corp
• And much much more!

Read on for minutes.

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I get a lot of questions asking me what emPower is planning for this year. Well, let me try and elucidate that for you. This year emPower is trying to do a whole bunch of projects. Quick once overs of each:

1. CCURB – Do support for CCURB projects in motion and brainstorm new ideas to propose to the CCURB board
2. Beyond the Bottle – eliminate plastic water bottles from Brown’s campus
3. Lobbying – increase awareness and involvement of the Brown community to political events occurring on the national level.
4. Outreach – going into local high schools and doing global warming presentations to involve local Providence youth
5. ICE – Finding synergies in all of the Brown community’s Climate + Energy groups; Organizing an interdisciplinary seminar series, proposing new UTRAs, and regular meetings with Ruth and the VP’s.
6. Campus Climate – This one’s a doozy. In fact, it gets its own sub list.
   1. Low-flow showerheads (Tim)
   2. Solar water heaters on roofs (Tim and Mona)
   3. “Beyond the Bag” (Melanie)
   4. Paper product sustainability investigation (Eric)
   5. 350.org global day of action Oct. 24th (Maya)
   6. Motion-triggered light sensors (Rajan)
   7. water-free urinals (Rajan)
   8. half-flush toilets (Rajan)
   9. Thermal assessment of energy efficiency on campus (Adam)
   10. Brown Webpage (or section of Brown is Green) on campus buildings that are environmental or LEED certified (Dan)
   11. Kegs are Green (Jon)
   12. Photovoltaic awnings on campus dorms (not sure what your name is but you left your e-mail! – esoucy@g.risd.edu)
   13. Increase the prevalence of composting bins on campus (Michelle)

So all of these are really great ideas and are worth pursuing. The best way to find out what we’re doing is to come to meetings, but we know not everyone can make those. Thus, we’re going to start posting minutes on this website under the emPower category, and you can always find out who to contact by looking through this list or by emailing us (tips-at-empowerbrown.org OR empowerbrown@gmail.com). We’re really excited and we have huge potential for change this year, so come and find out what emPower’s doing NOW!