September 10, 2008

Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network September 10 2008 Meeting #7 Notes

Project Staff: Rick Taupier-Research Office of the Vice Provost UMASS, 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), Kirsten Bonanza-Gasoline Alley and Pioneer Valley Local First, Eric Weiss-Hilltown Resource Management Cooperative (HRMC), Jono Neiger-Permaculture Guild and Conway School of Landscape Design, Larry Ely-Pioneer Valley Relocalization Network, Jeff Brown-Ridebuzz, Joanne Sunshower– Sustainable Investment summit and Town of Shutesbury and Sustainable Ag Initiative and NESFI and Five Rivers Council, Rus Peotter-WGBY and CISA, Jessica Collins-Livewell Springfield, Keith Shields-Builder, Sue Bridge, Larry Martin-Hampden Co Regional Employment Board, Pam Howland, Bill Bickley-Sustainability Coordinator Westfield State College, Loren Walker-Clean Energy Connections conf organizer UMASS, Caitlin Gould-Umass Public Policy student, Suzanne Bowles-Arise for Social Justice Springfield, Karen Ribeiro-Bank of Western MA, Tony Taylor-Gasoline Alley, Tom Rossmassler-HAP Inc, Michael Konig-Westfield State College, Patrick Dufour, Joe Sibilia-Gasoline Alley, Patricia Marx-Groundwork Springfield

Each member present shared a brief overview of their organization and recent work on sustainability.

Highlights:

è11/22/08 Green Jobs conference/event in Springfield: http://www.umass.edu/green/

èCSR wire—great resource for corporate sustainability news www.csrwire.com

èsignificant residential construction happening in the Valley—of energy efficient and some zero energy homes!

ènew resource in the Valley—Groundwork Springfield—part of the national Groundwork program—whose mission is to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships which empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social well-being.

èWe should all remember to rideshare to change the world—using RideBuzz—

  • new faces—clearly being in Springfield made a difference for participation from near by individuals and organizations, but in addition, we had some new folks from all over:
    1. Gasoline Alley and CSR wire—Kirsten Bonanza has been adoing a great job of representing these two organizations, but since we were at their offices, we were joined by Tony Taylor and Joe Sibilia—welcome!
    2. Larry Martin of the Hampden county regional employment board attended
    3. Patricia Marx from the new Groundwork Springfield organization
    4. Suzanne Bowles from Arise for Social Justice Springfield
    5. Jessica Collins from Live well Springfield and Baystate Health Systems
    6. Sue Bridge—new the Valley from the east—now lives in an energy efficient home in Conway—a communications specialist who is eager to help us with outreach and communication, after the election
    7. Bill Bickley and Michael Konig-both from Westfield State College joined us, and agreed to host our next meeting on 11/12

—see pvsustain website 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

Value-Added Strategic Questioning with Paul Lipke

Paul Lipke ran an extremely useful hands-on training session on how Network Members can use “Strategic Questioning” http://www.ssne.org/Downloads/SSNEStrategicQuestioning.pdf to enhance their work.

Art of Sustainability

Is almost complete and will be officially unveiled at the Clean Energy Connections conference on Saturday, Nov 22nd in Springfield http://www.umass.edu/green/invites/CEC_announce-green-growth_081023.htm

The conference is at the MassMutual conference center—stop in to see the work of art, “A Table set for Forever”

EPA Grant Effort Updates

decision support tools—no progress

indicators—final list of indicators was reviewed. The list is longer than we anticipated. Members volunteered to write rationales for each indicator which will be posted on www.pvsustain.com and in November we will have a survey monkey survey for both members and the general public to vote on their favorite indicators. Members urged looking at FTSE4Good (http://www.ftse.com/Indices/FTSE4Good_Index_Series/index.jsp) local ownership, and VT’s sustainable footprint model.

NEXT MeetingNovember 12, 2008 Westfield State College in Westfield

8-8:30 am—informal networking with food and drink.

8:30-9-formal networking

9-9:30 Green Building Decision Support tool DATA

9:30-10 Finalize the Indicators of Sustainability in the Pioneer Valley—how to collect data

10-10:45 Planning the 2009 Pioneer Valley Sustainability EVENT

10:45-11 Wrap-up and leave

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