Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network Meeting #8 11/12/08 Notes
Project Staff: Erin Baker-Industrial Engineering, Ben Ewing-Industrial Engineering UMASS, Catherine Miller-Sustainability Planner PVPC, Tony Dover-Sustainability Planner PVPC
Members Present: Paul Lipke-Sustainable Step New England (SSNE), Eric Weiss-Hilltown Resource Management Cooperative (HRMC), Larry Ely-Pioneer Valley Relocalization Network, Jeff Brown-Ridebuzz, Sue Bridge-Conway, Pam Howland, Bill Bickley-Sustainability Coordinator Westfield State College, Suzanne Bowles-Remineralize the Earth, Karen Ribeiro-Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Michael Konig-Westfield State College, Patrick Dufour, Nancy Hazard- Greening Greenfield Co-Chair, Chris Mason- Energy Officer Northampton, David Eggleton, Andrew Glace- Constellation Energy, Lynn Benander- Coop Power, Darren Jones-Coop Power, Marijoan Bull-Westfield State College, Tom Benjamin, VHB
Each member present shared a brief overview of their organization and recent work on sustainability.
Highlights:
- 11/22/08 Green Jobs conference/event in Springfield: http://www.umass.edu/green/
- 11/23/08 Green Rainbow Party Conference in Leominster 9am-5pm; Call Larry Ely for more info or tabling opportunities 413-256-6044.
- Greenfield completed baseline GHG inventory on 29 municipal buildings using ICLEI software.
- If you have an event, article, announcement, etc. that you want published in the newsletter send it to Tony Dover adover@pvpc.org or call 413-781-6045. Members will receive a reminder notice about the newsletter submission deadline. Next newsletter will be out early January.
Reminder: New Members see www.pvsustain.com for background information. If you have not yet submitted your information to the web developer, please email Katy@positronicdesign.com for a member input form.
EPA Grant Effort Updates:
Green Building Decision Support tool DATA- Ben Ewing
Ben presented the green building model of the decision tools. The member questions/suggestions:
- Consider aggregating numbers for town/city/community or region to compare.
- Add primer/introduction for users to gain background. Consider audience.
- Can we look at how choices impact economy? Lots of interest in community scale impacts.
- Need to add implementation page or action steps after user calculates sustainability. The “what next” question should be answered with some detail.
- Ask/Add geographic data about user. Zip code.
- Next model suggestion to calculate – Transportation
- Link to other websites that address city scale – so don’t have to reinvent wheel.
ACTION REQUEST-
If anyone has ideas for data sources, local programs for renewables installation or support, or anything else they’d like to see included in the model, please email Ben Ewing at ben.r.ewing@gmail.com.
Indicators of Sustainability in the Pioneer Valley- Erin Baker
Erin presented update on indicators. She wants the members to go to pvsustain website and look at indicators/rationales/examples; then take a survey voting for your most favored indicators.
- Looking to have 18 total indicators.
- The final list of indicators was complied and posted on www.pvsustain.com.
- An online survey (survey monkey) for both members and the general public was drafted to tally votes on preferred indicators.
The member questions/suggestions:
- Use layman vocabulary for legibility for all users. (Ei.- metrics= measure)
- Create competition-with prizes- between communities/organizations/companies/etc to potentially get more (and diverse) survey responses.
- Give examples of measurements or scenarios for better understanding of Indicator.
- Change title- too long
Network Business- Direction of Network:
Eric Weiss: The network needs direction, and event, or something to focus energy and talent. We are an informational network, a clearinghouse; we need to position the network to move into grants, money, funds for future sustainability. We need to produce something. How can we do this?
- Member comments/suggestions highlights:
- Karen Ribeiro- host a “sustainability week” get colleges involved.
- Larry Ely- We need to identify with lots of organizations not just colleges; get more organizations involved for better representation of sustainability.
- Suzanne Bowles- Celebrate our region in a way that represents/reaches out to ALL of its members in every class…. don’t just focus on colleges.
- Paul Lipke (PL)- religious institutions need to be involved.
- Catherine Miller – We could host an all day professional event and a day for general public.
- Chris Mason asks “what is the vision/mission of the network, informational…networking?”
- PL- Both. Informational AND networking.
- Lynn Benander (LB) – “We’ve jumped into the solution without knowing what the problem is. Members are so busy; this is a networking, rejuvenation space for me”. We need a brand.
- Catherine M- there over 100 members in the network. Host an annual network 1 day retreat, rejuvenate and share with like minded individuals.
- PL- Need a working group for funding.
- Patrick Dufour- Need a business model plan.
- LB- recruit 30 organizations to put in $1000 a year.
- Eric Weiss Summarizes:
- The steering committee needs to meet in the next couple weeks and finish some of the things all ready started- mission statement, vision, business plan, etc.
- Clarify Identity of Network
- Research committees that were started and the members on each (website, steering, membership) and get them to start meeting. This will get folks involved more too and may be a catalyst to get others involved.
- Consider forming funding committee.
- Some of these items will be on the agenda of our next network meeting in January.
NEXT Meeting—January 14, 2009 TBD (either Northampton -new LEED certified Senior Center or Hadley).