Location: Sayles Hill Lounge

Time: 12:00 am

Present Alex Knodell, Madhav Mohan, Tanya Hartwig, Sharan Ganjam Seshachallam, Alex Miller, Erica Zweifel, Martha Larson

Absent Andrew Farias, Ben Keefer

Secretary: Alex Miller

Agenda:

  • Welcome back
  • Carbon Offsets- EAC as a trial run with UCapture, here is an intro video, but please do NOT create an account just yet. (Martha Larson)
  • Community Solar Update (Martha Larson)
  • Climate Action Week Save the Date: 7th week and budget approval (Alex Miller)
  • Sierra Club Report (Martha Larson)
  • PLAN Conference Recap from November (Liesl Helminiak)
  • Smith’s Carbon Fee (Kyra Ngai)
  • Others? 
    • NACUBO Poster Ideas for Fred Rogers

Meeting Minutes:  

  • EAC Funding Request: Climate Action Week 2019 in the total of $1,322.50
    • Motion was made by Sharan to approve the budget to add $100 (for a total of $1,422.50) to the prizes for the water challenge, seconded by Madav. Motion passes.
  • PLAN Conference Recap
    • The EAC created a rule that whenever they sponsor a student to attend a conference, they are required to present and report back. Liesl Helminiak attended the Post-Landfill Action Network, PLAN, Students for Zero Waste and shared her key takeaways.
  • UCapture
    • Martha and Alex presented the idea of UCapture: a google chrome extension that works similar to Amazon Smile to purchase offsets. Alex and Martha are asking the EAC to be a pilot group and sign on to Carleton’s team. An email will be sent out with instructions to log in and create an account.
  • Sierra Club Cool School Reporting- Recap of Results (will be sent out to members)
    • As it relates to our peers, we are either the middle of the pact or below for many of the categories. A conversation is needed on a case-by-case basis for specific items where points are lacking.
  • Community Solar Update
    • Alumni are interested in developing solar garden at Carleton. After further planning, it was found to not be cost-effective and is currently paused, but could resurface as the cost of solar changes.
    • Other option for Carleton is to be part of a solar community garden. Participants sign up for 25-year subscription to a portion of a community solar garden. Two primary rules: 1) Garden must be in the county or neighboring county of subscribers and 2) No one entity can subscribe more that 40% of a solar garden.
    • In general, the College is not in favor of signing on to a solar array because of the financial risks involved and 25 year agreement, but this could be the time to revisit this idea now that costs of solar have changed. The RECs are kept by Xcel and would need to be re-purchased by Carleton to get “credit” for the renewable energy on our emissions calculations. 
    • Martha will do a request for qualifications from other developers to compare at the next EAC meeting.

Upcoming Agenda Items: 

  • AASHE Conference Attendance
  • STARS reporting update- Alex
  • Smith’s Carbon Fee presentation 
  • Follow-up on Community Solar- Request for Qualifications
  • Climate Action Week Recap
  • UCapture reminder
  • NACUBO Poster Ideas for Fred Roger’s presentation