Environment Tikkun Olam Team

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Environment Tikkun Olam Team

• May 18, 2008

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Goals for Todays Meeting

• Identify "low-hanging fruit
• Prioritize the areas where we need to do more
  research
• Assign next steps

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First Things First

• Introductions
• Assign Note-Taker

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Workgroup Reports Categories

• Things CRC is doing well now
• Areas for improvement Free, low-cost, or save
  money
• Areas for improvement Moderate cost
• Possible Areas for Improvement More Research
  Needed
• Long-Term Areas for Improvement Costly or
  Impractical at Present

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Workgroup Areas

• Water Conservation and Landscaping
• Transportation
• Energy Conservation
• Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Member Education and Programming
• Purchasing, Investments and Advocacy

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Water Conservation Landscaping
• Water heater is set at 120 degrees
• Water heater pipes are insulated
• Transportation
• Bike Racks available outside of building

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Energy Conservation
• HVAC system is zoned, so areas of the building
  (i.e., classrooms) are not heated/cooled when not
  in use
• Replacing lightbulbs with energy efficient
• All lights turned off at night

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Waste Reduction Recycling
• All faxes printed on back sides of used paper
• Most materials are printed two-sided when
  possible
• Most mailings sent in closed-face envelopes
• Recycling Paper in the office Cans and bottles
  in kitchen

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Waste Reduction Recycling, cont.
• All discarded siddurim, Shabbat bulletins, etc
  are recycled
• Staff and teachers are encouraged to recycle
• Disposing of toxic Education materials, such as
  paints, properly

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Programming, Member Education, Advocacy
• Students in teen programs (7th, 9th grades) work
  on environmental issues
• Some advocacy alerts in This Week at CRC
• SR Shabbat in January

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Purchasing and Investments
• Buying in bulk whenever possible, which reduces
  wasteful packaging
• Purchasing recyclable or recycled products when
  possible purchasing many products through
  Pedros Planet

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1. Things CRC is Doing Well Now

• Purchasing and Investments, cont.
• Transitioning from Styrofoam coffee cups to paper
  cups, thanks to 9th graders
• Buying fair trade chocolate for birthdays
• Using environmentally-friendly cleaning products
  when possible

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Transportation
• Sort membership list by zip code and generate
  density maps, then offer to set up car pools for
  services
• Class or tutoring on biking, low-traffic bike
  routes, Metro, or Metrobus commuting
• Explore car sharing, either as a community or
  among individuals

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Transportation, cont.
• Ask people to keep a driving journal for one week
  to spot patterns and reduce driving
• Ask people to forgo driving one day a week
• Hold prize drawings (challah?) for people who get
  to CRC by walking, biking, or public transport
• Have a ride board at CRC and on-line

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Energy Conservation
• Keep window blinds drawn during the day in the
  summer.
• Plug "ghost" energy users, especially computers,
  into power-strips and switch the strips off.
• Set computers to go to sleep instead of
  screensavers. At night, shut down computers.
• Consider a screw-in motion sensor switch for
  restrooms. No special wiring and turn off after 4
  minutes with no motion. 29.99 at
  http//www.smarthome.com/2512.html

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Waste Reduction Recycling
• Print more non-faxes on back sides of used paper
  dedicate tray in copier?
• Educate staff on difficulty of recycling window
  envelopes
• Encourage staff to always look for
  recycled/recyclable office supplies
• Offer members the choice to receive the monthly
  Memo electronically

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Waste Reduction Recycling, cont.
• Make recycling bins more accessible throughout
  building outside of sanctuary, in classrooms,
  in Oneg, etc
• Add cardboard recycling in kitchen
• Empty kitchen recycling more frequently
• Educational materials about recycling posted by
  recycling bins
• Designate volunteers to oversee recycling at CRC

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Programming, Member Education, Advocacy
• Designate an Environmental representative to
  CRCs Soul of the Building Committee, Education
  Steering Committee, and Religious Events Circle
• Encourage bnai mitzvah families to print one
  siddur for every two guests

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2. Low-Cost Improvements

• Programming, Member Education, Advocacy, cont.
• Include Environmental Tip in monthly Memo
• Post environmental tips around CRC, including by
  recycling bins, trash cans
• Include teachable moments in appropriate
  events, especially Tu BiShvat, Lag BaOmer
• Designate Advocacy Expert to provide advocacy
  alerts to CRC staff for e-mails

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3. Moderate Cost Improvements

• Water Conservation Landscaping
• Create compost pile for CRC garden
• Waste Reduction Recycling
• Use or offer biodegradable plates, cups, flatware
  - need to dispose of properly for degradation
• Create and sell reusable CRC water bottles
  stainless steel? to discourage disposable
  plastic bottles

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4. Research Needed

• Water Conservation Landscaping
• Cost of installing rain barrels who could
  install?
• Does MSD do a water runoff audit? Do they offer
  credits for reducing runoff?
• Less toxic alternatives to weed control and
  fertilizers currently used
• Can a rain sensor be installed on CRCs
  irrigation system?

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4. Research Needed

• Transportation
• What would the cost be of providing Metro passes
  to CRC staff, or to members who cant afford
  them?
• Energy Conservation
• Conduct an Energy Audit
• Installing green energy sources, such as solar
  panels

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4. Research Needed

• Waste Reduction Recycling
• Need to identify recycled copier paper that
  doesnt create damaging dust in the copier
• Which is better for the planet using
  biodegradable single-use plates etc or using the
  energy and water to wash durable dishes?
• What is the best way to dispose of compact
  fluorescent lightbulbs? (Bulbs contain a small
  amount of mercury.)

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4. Research Needed

• Purchasing and Investments
• Where can we find environmentally-friendly
  cleaning products in bulk size/quantity?
• Where is CRC invested? Are there
  environmentally-friendly investments that would
  meet our needs?
• What would the cost difference be if CRC went to
  fair-trade coffee?

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5. Long-Term Areas for Improvement Costly,
Impractical or Unnecessary Now

• Water Conservation Landscaping
• Significant landscaping changes
• Replacing toilets and urinals with low-flow
  versions
• Transportation
• Installing a green parking lot
• Purchasing and Investments
• Purchasing used furniture, donating old

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Goal 1LOW HANGING FRUIT

• The Good is Not the Enemy of the Perfect.
• What can we do NOW?
• Select low-cost or moderate-cost changes to make
  first.

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Goal 2PRIORITIZE RESEARCH

• What are the Research Items that we want to
  tackle next?

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Goal 3ASSIGN NEXT STEPS

• Who is willing to take leadership on our Low
  Hanging Fruit items?
• Who is willing to take a research assignment?

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Adjourn

• Thank you all for your participation!