Meeting Minutes for September 4th, 2007 Meeting:

Participants: 24

Contents
-       Officers
-       History of KyotoNOW!
-       Cornell's Climate Commitment
-       Semester Projects/Activities
-       Saturday KyotoNOW! Picnic
-       Calendar
-       Other Announcements

Officers

-       This year's officers are Katherine McEachern (President, kpm35), Carlos
Rymer (Vice President, cmr55), Fil Eden (Treasurer, wje6), and Ian Tse
(Kyoto Task Team Representative, ict2).

History of KyotoNOW!

-       KyotoNOW! started as a project of the Cornell Greens in 2001 and became
an official student organization after the U.S. government pulled out of
the Kyoto Protocol. Students wanted Cornell to commit to the goals set by
the protocol even though the U.S. had pulled out. They organized a sit-in
and convinced the University to reach the goals under the Kyoto Protocol.
That led to the creation of the Kyoto Task Team and several projects and
initiatives that have allowed Cornell to reach the Kyoto goals.

Cornell's Climate Commitment

-       In the Spring of 2006, KyotoNOW! began its Beyond Kyoto Campaign to
convince Cornell to set targets beyond those under the Kyoto Protocol. The
motivation was 1) the fact that Cornell was set to reach and bypass the
Kyoto goals, and 2) new studies showing that much more aggressive targets
were necessary to prevent dangerous climate change.
-       Last Spring (2007), the campaign took on a new goal: to make Cornell
commit to climate neutrality under the American College and University
Presidents Climate Commitment (see www.aashe.org) . With some 5,000
student signatures, over 90 faculty endorsements, support from many
student organizations, and a strong media campaign, KyotoNOW! successfully
convinced President Skorton to sign the commitment.
-       Since then, President Skorton has made this issue a priority and has
placed sustainability as a main goal of the University.
Semester Projects/Activities
-       New York Climate Summit 2007: Bringing campus and community
organizations from around the state to Cornell to 1) train activists on
effective energy campaigns, and 2) agree on a statewide plan to put
pressure on Albany for legislation binding the state to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.
-       Sustainable Investment Initiative: forming a coalition of student
organizations to ensure that Cornell invests in sustainable and
responsible companies.

-       Green Energy Fee: creating a fee to fund renewable energy/energy
efficiency projects. May include $10,000 prize from Break the Oil
Addiction. Options include creating a fund with the BOA prize, making the
fee mandatory, going back to the SA and talking about engaging students,
making slope day live earth day, or creating renewable energy fund for
alumni.

-       Energy Independent Caroline: see attached document. Making the Town of
Caroline a model of sustainability and clean energy. Projects include work
in wind energy, energy efficiency, outreach, and much more!

-       North Campus Outreach Team (new, to be discussed next week): speaking to
students in North Campus Residence Halls about sustainability, what they
can do, and how they can get involved.

-       Biodiesel: potentially producing biodiesel using Cornell Dining waste
vegetable oil.

-       Trainings: Anna will lead trainings on weekends. We will prioritize
trainings on highest preference. More updates on this next week.

Saturday KyotoNOW! Picnic
-       This Saturday, September 8, @ 12:30PM in the Arts Quad (in front of
Goldwin Smith Hall). It will go until 4PM. Ian will bring hummus, so don't
bring hummus. Bring something else.
Calendar
-       Check http://my.calendars.net/cu_ac

-       Environmental Justice Series, September 5th @ 7PM in HEC Auditorium of
Goldwin Smith Hall.

- Confronting the Triple Crisis Conference (www.ifg.org), September 14-16
- Green Festival in D.C.
(http://www.greenfestivals.org/content/view/625/280/ ), October 6-7
- Trustee Council Weekend, Skorton Annnounces Sustainability Initiative,
October 18-20
- Campus Sustainability Day, October 24th
- Special Guest Speaker, Bill McKibben, October 26
- Step It Up 2 (theme is leadership; www.stepitup07.org), November 3rd
- Powershift 2007 (National Youth Climate Conference;
www.powershift2007.org), November 2nd-5th
Other Announcements
-       Committees will be formed next week to engage new members.

-       Please blog on campus sustainability @
http://sustainablecornell.blogspot.com . Username is hub.blog@gmail.com and
password is "cornelluniversity."

-       Campus Life Green Team would like to have students at their Friday
meetings. Next one is the Friday of the following week @ 11PM in the
Residential Programs Office (Dickson Hall)