Sustainability Workblog

For our meetings this 4th week of the semester:

Please make sure I have your Starting Point Document: am missing a few!

Please create at least one meme for this class / sustainability / environment at OWU:

• Meme Generator
• or Meme Generator

Please review the Week 3 Update 2 posting.

• Check that group info is correct
• Make sure your group can access previous work on your topic in Geog 499 folders from previous years on Drive
  • review and summarize and ask if you have questions
  • check with Emily and John K: we may have other info.
• Make sure you are writing up how you will proceed with your projects, questions, a tentative schedule of efforts, memos and meetings, etc. Discuss or share with Emily and John.
• Meetings: please create a memo for meetings, to share with the meet-ees: include:
  • A clear context for the meeting (example: To discuss Res Life role in May Move Out) along with specific questions.
  • Example memo here.
  • Have Emily or John K. review
  • Include us in on any email about a meeting
  • Add to the class calendar (under Schedule)

Starting Point Document & Updates

Remember that you need to continue to add information to your Starting Point Document. This can be related to your specific work on the project, or broader issues in the 10 readings we did to start the semester.

In addition, I asked you to ponder the issues under Pearls of Wisdom on Week 3 Update 1: in particular “Some Solutions”:

• Social: use the power of social networks.
• Supportive: employ frames that support the message in a positive way.
• Simple: environmentally friendly behaviors easy and convenient.
• Story-based: meaning and community created by the power of stories.
• Signals: use indicators for feedback on societal response.

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I will also pass along additional ideas as they pop into my head (or yours, if you share them with me). They should be worked into your Starting Point Document and related to the practical work in class.

For this week consider these further issues:

• We have already discussed “Scrappy Sustainability” but what about:
  • Subliminal Sustainability
  • Subversive Sustainability
• How does Identity play out in issues you are confronting this semester?
  • example: “Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly?”
    
• Opportunities
  • co-taught interdisciplinary courses: what do students want?
  • Alumni contacts (subversive?)
• Individual Issues of Interest: in my comments on your starting point docs; follow-up on these in particular as the semester progresses. There are a lot of ideas in the first 10 readings; I would like you to address all of them a bit, but you should focus on a few that resonate with you, or start to seem more important as the semester progresses.

I guess, then, that these are feet without meat:

Terrible!

You are finishing up your Starting Point Document (see syllabus for information) and get that to me however – by Thursday February 1.

Projects: We made headway!

• Make sure you are in the groups you are supposed to be in (below)
• If you are under-participating, figure out another project to join
• Review materials from previous semesters on Google Drive: go back starting with last spring
• Begin to organize your group effort:
  • What do you need to do and in what order?
  • Who do you need information from?
  • Draft memos summarizing issues and questions for first meetings (let Krygier or Howald review before sending; always cc Krygier in on emails)
  • Draft schedule of key dates and planned progress for semester
  • Subdivide work for individuals and lay out plans for what to do next.
  • Questions for Krygier or Howald

Remember: get yourself organized, get a succinct memo with what you need, then contact people for a meeting.

Team May Move Out (MMO)
Project Boss: Daniel Delatte
Little Helpers: Justin Smith, Za Hill
First Steps:

• Get details (meetings, dates, promotions, etc.) from previous semesters
• Start to sketch out a calendar with key dates, meetings, etc.

Team Food: Campus Dining, reusable containers, hyper-local food
Project Boss: Peyton Hardesty
Little Helpers: Ellen Sizer, Haley Talbot-Wendlandt
First Steps:

• Get details (meetings, dates, promotions, etc.) from previous semesters
• Start to sketch out a calendar with key dates, meetings, etc.

Team Compost
Project Boss: Juniper Deitering
Little Helper: Ellen Sizer
First Steps:

• Get details (meetings, dates, promotions, etc.) from previous semesters
• Start to sketch out a calendar with key dates, meetings, etc.
• Waiting to hear back from Allie Niemeyer (in kitchen composter)

Team Recycling in Residential Halls, SLUs and Frats
Project Boss: Justin
Little Helpers: Za Hill, Juniper Deitering
First steps:

• Set up meeting with Ryan Bishop (email Krygier for his new email)
• Document previous work (Ryan, etc.) and problems with suggested solutions
• Participate in recycling survey with Emily

Team Sustainable Living: Themed Freshman Floor
Project Boss: Ellen Sizer
Little Helpers: Noah Barehmi, Trevor Martin
First Steps:

• Get details (meetings, dates, promotions, etc.) from previous semesters
• Start to sketch out a calendar with key dates, meetings, etc.

Garden Boxes: funded (check on progress, issues)
Project Boss: Peace and Justice House
Little Helper: Buildings & Grounds

Database of OWU Sustainability & Environment Projects
Project Boss: Emily Howald
Little Helper: tba

Delaware Run Restoration
Project boss: (Lucas Farmer, Geog 360)
Little helpers:

Activity Courses
Project Boss: tba
Little Helpers: tba

Energy Challenge
Project Boss: tba
Little Helper: tba

To get off on the right foot, some pearls of wisdom from reading 10:

1. Reading 10: “Scrappy Sustainability: Presentation” by John Krygier with input from students in Geog 360 and Geog 499, Spring 2017. [PDF updated with notes 1/28/2018]

Focus in particular on the section “Some solutions:” below.

• Consider those solutions, and how they might shape how you go about working on your projects this semester.
• End the semester by assessing the impact of the solutions
• End the semester by developing additional, “pearls of wisdom” solutions that are not among the five below

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Pearls of Wisdom

Persistent enthusiasm for sustainability projects at OWU. But…

• It’s easy to start projects, but hard to make real things happen.
• Lots of started projects, few completed.
• It takes time. More than a semester, more than a year.
• It costs money to make things happen (but can be relatively cheap)
• It’s hard to sustain projects once established.
• Success requires collaboration.

It’s easy to get pessimistic.
Individual action is largely ineffective.

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Pascal Bruckner, The Fanaticism of the Apocalypse (2013)

Pessimism, or worse…

Humans are a cancer on the earth. We are invasive species. We are parasites. We are all going to die and we deserve it.

Our carbon footprint is “the gaseous equivalent of Original Sin, …the stain that we inflict on Mother Gaia by the simple fact of being present and breathing…” (2)

“Western humanity has taken a sudden dislike for itself.” (2)

An era of ecological apocalyptic catastrophism.

“Saving the world requires us to denigrate everything that has to do with the spirit of enterprise and the taste for discovery.” (15)

“A vision of the earth as an impoverished family that has to scrimp on everything in order to get along. A rehabilitation of meanness and stinginess.” (151)

“Ecology has a choice: declaring anti-humanism as its principle, celebrating rivers and forests the better to castigate human beings, or adopting an open anthropocentrism that embraces humanity, nature, and animals in general good will, so that no category suffers pointless harm.” (100)

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Stoknes, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming (2015)

Individual action is largely ineffective

We can’t opt out of the system, we like the perks.

The message we hear: we are individually responsible for collective economic system impacts on the environment.

Cognitive dissonance: painless behavior (reusable grocery bags, recycling, etc.) that allows us to feel we are doing our part – and to avoid despair and pessimism.

“Individual solutions are insufficient or even counterproductive unless they contribute to structural changes, too.” (Stoknes, p. 89)

The problem: It’s a social psychological issue: Stoknes, What We Think About… (2015)

• Distance: environmental problems are often far from us and in the future: humans are not good at dealing with the future, nor things remote from us.
• Doom: framing climate warming as a disaster to be addressed by loss, cost, and sacrifice forces most people to avoid the topic: humans are loss-adverse.
• Dissonance: when we can’t resolve what we do with what we think; engage in symbolic but largely ineffectual activities (recycling, reusable grocery bags, etc.).
• Denial: that there is a problem at all; humans do this in self-defense, believing that their livelihoods and lifestyles are being attacked.
• Identity: humans seek information that strengthens existing belief and identity; identity is difficult to change; easy to be offended if you think your identity is being attacked; fear of and anger about being “controlled” by others. (82)

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Some solutions:

• Social: use the power of social networks.
• Supportive: employ frames that support the message in a positive way.
• Simple: environmentally friendly behaviors easy and convenient.
• Story-based: meaning and community created by the power of stories.
• Signals: use indicators for feedback on societal response.

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Solution: Act as Social Citizens.

“Pushing changes in personal behavior as the main solution … can also make us complacent and less vocal for change at the political and social level.” (91)

Proposed OWU Sustainability Plan Students, Faculty, Staff on STF, in courses, 2+ years

The voluntary work is spread around, taking advantage of different skill sets, collectively created (rather than the work of one person, or based on external criteria.)

 

 

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Solution: Supportive Frames

“I have a nightmare” way of communicating environmental concern is not effective.

Instead focus on insurance, health, security, preparedness, and opportunity (111)

May Move Out (4 years)

 

In the case of May Move Out: it’s about donations to a good cause.

 

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Solution: Keep it Simple

Modify “choice situations” to make green options easy: Green nudges.

As long as there are few opportunities for easy green behavior, and the message causes fear and guilt, there will be backlash against the message. (64)

Green carryout food containers
2+ years

The struggle to make the use of reusable containers simple.

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Solution: Social Signals

In the presence of others, behavior, attention, and
performance are changed. Social attention is a very
powerful motivator. (55)

People have to be convinced that many others are
Doing something, and it is the norm, before they
change their behavior. (31)

Hydration stations 5+ years

Carrying a water bottle is OK.

 

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Solution: Stories

Meaning and community created by the power of stories.

OWU’s Green Week
5+ years

Emergence of stories on campus: May Move Out, Green Containers, Green Week, maybe even the sustainability plan.

 

 

 

 

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Even if we do all those things (social citizens, supportive frames, simplicity, signals)…

The hippie, counter-culture, eco-warrior image …

The problem of identity & sustainability

People with hierarchical and individualistic values tend to be skeptical of environmental risks and to dislike regulations to limit those risks, since regulations restrict free choice, commerce, and industry.

People with egalitarian and communitarian values see commerce and industry as self-interested and polluting entities that create unjust disparity, and which require regulation. (73)

Conservatives or libertarians don’t question climate science (and other environmental concerns) because they are ignorant. Rather, it is a way of of expressing who they are – their identity. (74)

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Scrappy Sustainability?

Students, staff and faculty figure out how to make sustainability happen on campus with no full time staff and few funds: sustainability isn’t going to get done otherwise, at least in the short term. It is a good experience to try to make something real happen under challenging circumstances.

• Benefits to distributed, community-based sustainability diverse group of active collaborators (vs. dependence on sustainability coordinator).
• many people involved: less likelihood of any one person getting in trouble.
• many people involved: diversity of ideas and approaches.
• excellent theory-into-practice and practice-into-theory experiences.
• it is possible to get some things done, maybe more meaningful.
• there is something a bit troubling about high-cost, conspicuous sustainability.
• building a strong foundation for sustainability, into which a sustainability coordinator could step, and make even more progress.

1. Reading and reflecting: sources 1 through 10 (on syllabus)
2. Write a starting point document (on class blog; info on syllabus)
   1. Notes, comments, questions and thoughts on 10 sources (organized by source, about 3-5 pages)
   2. Synthesis: pull out the most important points, issues, etc. (about 1 page)
3. Develop a strategy for adding notes, thoughts, ideas to the starting point document: revise all of this into the Final Reflection Document (due at end of the semester)
4. Projects and Priorities: review last spring’s week 2 posting about planned projects and priorities. We will create a similar plan and post to the blog by the end of next week.
5. Schedule visitors to invite to class
   1. Caroline Cicerchi, Watershed & Sustainability Coordinator, Public Utilities Department, Delaware
   2. Steve Herminghausen, OWU class of ’86, FLOW member, FLOW volunteer, OWU alumni and a Certified Master Gardener (Delaware Run and watershed issues)
   3. Grants: Sue Haidle, OWU Foundation Relations Manager (meeting with Sue, Emily & I 1-2pm, Wed. Feb 7; schedule class meeting after that.
   4. Jenifer Way-Young: Delaware General Health & Keep Delaware County Beautiful Coordinator
6. Schedule major events and dates: Mini May Move Out, Student Research Symposium, Green Week, etc.
7. Schedule meetings (B&G, Chartwells, ResLife, Goodwill

Projects for Spring 2018

• Sustainability Plan Promotion
• May Move Out
• Database of projects (Library help?)
• Gardens & Activity Course
• Themed Floors: get a sustainability floor
• Energy challenge
• Green Infrastructure: Free store / May Move Out / Themed Floor/Sustainable Living on Campus & Activity Course (repair)
• Campus Planting (rain garden)
• Recycling Fiasco (dorms, slus, frats; beer cans)
• Delaware Run: move to restore (see Streams to Dreams)
• Composting
• Chartwells: reusable food containers & local foods (enforcement, upgrades)

Access to Previous Work: folders shared with you on Drive. See email sent to class.

Relevant Things I Forgot About:

 

 

Progress and Plans:

1. Progress on actionable items for Mini May Move Out, and ideas for promotion (written down in a planning document)
   
   1. select date (Wed or Thurs)
   2. promotion (faculty, staff)
   3. cow
   4. stickers ordered and on way
2. Revised May Move Out schedule (adjusted as our academic calendar shifted this semester):
   1. Monday, May 8: noon – 8pm
   2. Tuesday, May 9: noon – 8pm
   3. Wednesday, May 10: 9am – 1pm
   4. Sunday, May 14: 9am-1pm
3. Progress on reusable food container project
4. Progress on activity courses
   1. switch time or dates
5. Progress on locations to grow perennial crops on campus
   1. Map locations then talk to B&G
   2. SIP to pay for plants and plan to plant
6. Plan for Green Week. If it is ok with Eva, we can meet Monday eve at the Haüs of Tree to attend the Green Week meeting. We should have a plan for what we are doing (as a class) for Green Week.
   1. 499 Green Week Coordinators: Maddie & Larynn?
7. Blurry!

 

 

2/22/2017 May Move Out Meeting with Dan Vroegop / Goodwill

Dan’s responses in italics. Actionable items in red:

Dan will share any suggestions for improvements from his perspective.

Overall a process that is working. Goodwill happy to have trucks stop by and pick up materials from the pods every day. Students will be the primary staffing.

We also hope to work recycling into the May Move Out this year. We are working on getting stand-up recycling bins which can be placed by the pods. When our Buildings & Grounds person comes around in the morn to open the pods, he will grab any recyclables and take them to the recycling dumpster.

No problem. Goodwill will leave behind recyclables that are left in the pods.

We need to finalize the date for the Mini May Move out, so letting us know about the availability of one of your trucks for the day is important.

• Option: Wed March 22, noon-5
• Option: Thurs March 23, noon-5

Decision within the week on which day and time. Goodwill can show up earlier.

Estimated dates for the May Move Out (I think these are off due to OWU schedule shift)

• Wednesday May 3: noon – 8pm
• Thursday May 4: noon – 8pm
• Friday May 5: 9am – 1pm
• Monday May 8: 9am – 1pm

Waiting to hear from Res Life.

The last few years we had a group of students come down to help sort stuff at the Del. Goodwill store on a Sat or Sunday, just to see how your process works. It would be good to consider scheduling that again this spring.

• Some time in late March or early April

Once we have volunteers (or most of them) schedule this for a weekend.

For the last few years OWU has paid a company (College Hunks Moving Junk) to clear out things left in the dorms. This includes junk, but also things students did not want to move, or things they did not want to throw away (but did not move to the pods). We are contemplating having our students help move the stuff out (B&G will then donate the savings to a Green Fund). This effort would potentially involve help from Goodwill to take away any of the donate-ables pulled from the dorms.

• Alternative: does Goodwill do this kind of thing? Worried about having enough of our own “college hunks” to move the junk.

Goodwill does pickups but does not clear buildings like College Hunks

They are willing to help with this but we need a better sense of how much stuff has to be removed

College Hunks filled at least two pods last year, but also took a few truckloads of stuff

We may be able to get Goodwill to help clear some of the left behind things, but let College Hunks do the final clear

Contact Kathy Wink (Goodwill marketing) for materials other Goodwill sites use for May Move Out type efforts

Set up meeting with Tanna & Res Life