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The Smith Environmental Coalition is a coalition
of diverse groups from across campus who share a common interest in environmental
sustainability. On board so far are Engineers for a Sustainable World, Hillel, The
Bicycle Kitchen, The Agriculture Action Committee, and MassPIRG. The newly revived
coalition will continue to expand and seek participation from all Smith College student
organizations.
President: Amelia Mitchell
Vice President: MacKenzie Clark
Contact Amelia or MacKenzie to get meeting times/places and to find out what campaigns are the focus for this year.
MassPIRG is a coalition of students working together
as grassroots activists on issues that they're passionate about. Through a waiveable
semester fee, students accomplish their goals on major environmental campaigns by
pooling their resources together to hire campus organizers, scientists, and lawyers
to provide support to student campaigns and assist them in their endeavors.
Last year Smith focused on two campaigns, Stopping Global
Warming and Water Watch. Stopping Global Warming works to fight climate change on
campus and off. On campus we concentrate on reducing Smith's energy consumption by
asking students to set their computers on energy saving settings, distributing Compact
Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) which use 75 percent less electricity than regular bulbs,
and raising awareness on campus about climate change through movies, panels and events.
Off campus, we are working with students across the state to make sure that Massachusetts
takes the necessary steps to fight global warming by reducing our global warming
emissions 80% by 2050. On November 2-5, MassPIRG and partner organizations at Smith
College are sending approximately 30 Smith students to Washington D.C. and
Maryland to attend Powershift, the first ever national youth conference dedicated
to solving the climate crisis.
The Water Watch campaign seeks to tackle the
public health and environmental consequences of unclean drinking water. Through film
screenings, panel discussions, and water contamination testing, the campaign raises
awareness of the severity of the global water crisis, in addition to the toxins,
overuse, and contamination of the U.S. and Massachusetts drinking supply. We also
organize river cleanups to protect our waterways, and work to ensure that the Clean
Water Act is being upheld to its highest standard.
Founders: Elisabeth
Pixley-Fink and Iemanja Brown
Smith's Agriculture Action Committee promotes
just, sustainable, and accessible community food systems in the Pioneer Valley, the
United States, and the world. As members of the world-wide food movement, we demand
the human right of all people to access healthy, affordable food; recognize the potential
of agriculture to heal the natural environment; support struggles for farmworker
justice; and encourage farming as a dignified, viable profession worldwide. We engage
in education and advocacy on our campus and in our communities, take awesome field
trips, and strive for a positive role for Smith College in the Valley's food system,
through partnership with Dining Services, community organizations and local growers.
Chair: Maisie O'Brien
Gaia's mission is to raise awareness about
environmental concerns and to promote ways to improve the current situation among
membrs of the Smith College community, to increase the level of reusing and recycling
of materials on campus, and to reduce the amount of waste that the community produces. More..
Spokesperson: Elisabeth
Wolfe
Treasurer: TBD
Publicity: TBD
We teach students basic bike maintenance
skills for safe riding. We also rent bikes to students for $15/semester or for work
exchange time at the Bike Fixin' workshops. We talk to administrators at Smith about
getting covered bike racks, safety classes for new cyclists, and ways to reduce car
traffic on campus. Additionally, we provide the space for people to get together
with a common interest through get-togethers, group rides and film screenings. Click
here for more information.
Students for Social Justice and Institutional
Change, is an umbrella organization designed with the intention of giving official
Smith legitimacy to working-groups that deal with issues of social justice. Currently
some of our working-groups include Coke off Campus, Campus Worker-Student Solidarity,
Prison Reform, and The Vehicle (our Zine). However, our working-groups really depend
on the interests of our members, so we look forward to new ideas as well!
Our mission is to help educate the community
about Smith's vast botanical resources, provide a way for members to study the local
botanical resources of New England, practice horticultural techniques, and promote
appreciation and awareness of plant life. Click
here for more information.
Visit the Smith
Campus Justice Calendar.
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