Environmental Liaison Team Position Packet

This packet will help you set goals for your role as Environmental Liaison! In this packet you will find the following: Descriptions about the global energy and water situation. acts !uotes Ideas to implement with your Team "eferences and Links to other "esources #ut before we get to those$ I%m sure you have the standard &uestions like '(hat it this) (hat am I supposed to do) *ow do I do whatever I%m supposed to do) Etc)+ ,o let%s go through those first.

What are Team Positions?

- team position is an opportunity to develop your leadership skills and enhance the e.perience of your fellow teammates. -s well$ a team position is your chance to work closely with a member of staff and build your list of potential references for use later.

Who are you?

/ou are an Environmental Liaison!

What is an Environmental Liaison?

-n Environmental Liaison%s task is to educate$ encourage$ and implement environmentally0friendly practices on your team. The Environmental Liaison utili1es strategies identified in this packet to motivate their teammates to make changes in their day0to0day habits that will have a beneficial impact on the environment. The changes aren%t difficult$ but they are significant and do re&uire a conscious awareness and thinking about one%s actions. The Environmental Liaison%s goal is to reduce the team%s environmental footprint through modifications of individual teammate%s consumption patterns in the areas of: energy 2which consists of residential energy consumption and transportation3$ water$ food$ and waste production.

How do I do whatever it is Im supposed to do?

Take initiative! "ead this packet. #e engaged during check0in meetings 2over transitions and during the pro4ect3. Do your research Talk with your Team Leader and your Team about how to implement these practices. #e creative! The ideas in this packet are not the only ones out there. Don%t be afraid of failure5 not all your efforts will work the first time. "emember you have to start it before you can improve it.

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Environmental Liaison To Do List 2<se this list as a guide before$ during$ and after each pro4ect3 Assist the team and Team Leader by developing the Environmental Plan
Due to Environmental Liaison ,taff and ,TL =>? before transition meeting. ,et goals according to Environmental Liaison =acket. @oals should increase from #asic to Intermediate to *ard?orps throughout the year.

reate !ember awareness surrounding best environmental pra"ti"es to "arry with them this year and beyond
?omplete two team activities during the year to educate and promote awareness regarding environmental or energy conservation issues.

Implement Environmental Plan and wor# with Team Leader to modi$y plan appropriately upon arrival to spi#e housing
Environmental Liaison ,TL =>? will call to follow up on this plan a couple weeks after the start of your pro4ect.

%uanti$y a""omplishments and submit results

ill out !uantified -ccomplishments spreadsheet electronically due to Environmental Liaison ,taff and ,TL =>? before transition meeting.

&n spi#e' give re"y"ling money to the Team Leader and identi$y ways to use that money $or the teams environmental stewardship program
=urchase environmentally friendly resources using spike recycling money.

Additional duties on "ampus(

Aonitor the @ive and Take "oom (ith assistance from your team and Team Leader$ collect ?"B recycling while on Duty. =lace the recycling in the shed behind 6CD. The Duty Team Leader will have the key to unlock the shed on the Duty keychain. They are not allowed to give you the key$ so they will have to walk with you to unlock the shed in order to place the recyclables in there. "ecycling will be taken for refund by the Environmental Liaison ,TL =>?. =roceeds will go to the @overnance ?ouncil for -ll0?orps events.

!onitor and "lean the )ive * Ta#e +oom

Every Environmental Liaison will be in charge of cleaning and maintaining the @ive E Take room. The @ive E Take "oom will be open for one hour$ three times per transition. Each timeslot will have Environmental Liaisons in charge of monitoring and cleaning the room. -ll Environmental Liaisons should e.pect to have at least two shifts: one during a transition or at the end of ?TI$ and one at the end of the year. Environmental Liaisons will work together on maintenance and monitoring of the @ive E Take "oom during their hour. Aaintenance includes refolding clothes$ sweeping7mopping as necessary$ removing inappropriate items by throwing away e.cess toiletries E disposables$ and bo.ing overflow items to be donated. - schedule of @ive E Take "oom shifts will be distributed shortly after the all ?orps transition schedule is released 2and after team position selections during ?TI3. I$ the room is poorly maintained' this will result in either more shi$ts or "losing o$ this resour"e, >pen hours will be listed on the transition schedule to inform all of their Aembers of the opportunity to browse or contribute to the @ive E Take "oom.

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Why do we need to "onserve water?

(ell$ more precisely$ we%re talking about fresh water. >nly ;F of all water on Earth is fresh water while the other 6GF is salt water. resh water makes up our rivers$ lakes$ swamps$ and the underground water table. (hile water on Earth does get reused$ through the (ater ?ycle$ the issue arises when water from the water table is consumed at a faster rate than nature can replenish it. Eliminating unnecessary water use$ and being efficient with the water we do use$ will help decrease the rate we pull from the water table.

Water y"le

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#y making small changes in your habits and day0to0day routine$ you can have a significant impact in decreasing the amount of water you use and help to preserve water supplies for current and future generations. -n indirect result of reducing water use is conserving energy. *ow so) (ell$ there is a great about of energy re&uired in pumping and treating public waters supplies$ as well as in heating water for home use. ollowing are a few ways you and your team can reduce water consumption:

What an -our Team Do?

.asi"
:. 8. ;. C. H. D. G. Turn off faucet until you need to rinse when brushing teeth 2saves C gallons per minute3 Turn off water while shaving 2saves :99 gallons per week3 (ash only full loads of laundry in the washing machine and use cold0water wash cycle >nly wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher Ieep drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the faucet run until the water is cool Do not use water to defrost fro1en foods$ thaw foods in the refrigerator overnight (atch documentary ' low+ and have discussion 2http:77topdocumentaryfilms.com7flow0for0love0 of0water73

Intermediate
:. #uy soda only from companies with good water practices. 8. #oil only the amount of water you need. 2also helps save energy 0 8H kg ?>8 per year3

Hard orps
:. Team ,hower ?hallenge o "ecord how long each member has the water running in the shower for a week. -dd times together for the team. This is your base number. o -s a team$ try to beat your base number the ne.t week. (ays to do this include: Take shorter showers. 2showers under H minutes can save :999 gallons per month3 Don%t shower every day. Turn water off while lathering. 2saves H9 gallons per week3 o Jote: "emember$ *ealth E ,afety first! >nly showering once every week or two is J>T the goal of this challenge.

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The ood category is special because it helps save energy and incorporates the practices of reusing materials. *owever$ since ood is a central sub4ect to a team$ it is a specific area of team0life that you can make a direct impact on. There are two main concepts when it comes to the food category. irst is reducing the energy it takes to obtain a product. The second is in reusing items so you aren%t constantly replacing them. This will help decrease the energy used to create new items and decrease the amount of trash ending up in landfills. This part also includes any work with composting$ since it involves reusing scraps. ?omposting helps by both returning nutrients to the soil as well as reducing the amount of garbage going to the landfill.

omposting

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ood consumption has an indirect impact on the environment. The production of many of the food products people consume can be costly in the energy and water necessary to make them. #y wasting food$ we indirectly waste the energy and water which went into the production process. -dditionally$ packaging and transportation of many of the food products people consume re&uires vast amount of energy and water. #y buying products with less packaging and that are locally produced we can save energy and water.

What an -our Team Do?

.asi"
:. 8. ;. C. H. D. "euse paper7plastic shopping bags 2saves K kg ?>8 per year3 "euse food containers 2i.e. yogurt$ humus$ etc.3 to store leftovers "euse lunch bags <se water bottles instead of buying bottled water (ash and reuse sandwich E 1ipper bags. (atch ood Inc. 2http:77documentaryaddict.com7 oodLInc08:GC0documentary.html3

Intermediate
:. @et reusable cloth bags for grocery shopping 2saves K kg ?>8 per year3 8. #uy Local as best you can from local grocery stores or farmer%s markets o ,upports the local economy o "educes costs and fuels needed to transport food in from out of the area ;. "euse food bags 2i.e. bagel bags3 as lunch bags C. ind a Local ood #ank to donate your e.tra food at the end of your pro4ect H. Eat less meat and dairy. ,ince meat and dairy re&uire vast amounts of energy to produce$ think eco0friendly and trim you consumption by cutting out meat 4ust one day of the week.

Hard orps
:. <se your "ed #ags as grocery bags. "eusable and generates informal ?-=ping opportunities. 2saves K kg ?>8 per year3 8. #uy products with minimal packaging ;. Team ?ompost o ?ontact a local farm or community garden that will accept your compost material. o ?ollect vegetable and fruit scraps in a sealed container. o -dd green scraps$ like grass clippings$ leaves$ or shredded paper bags. o =eriodically take your compost to your community contact. o Jotes: ?omposting and rotting are different. Don%t let your scraps sit long enough that they start to rot or grow mold. "emember$ *ealth E ,afety first! Aost liking you%re composting spot is not at your spike housing. (ork with your housing sponsor to determine what your plan is so that the housing remains a healthy living space.

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(e use a lot of energy$ seriously a lot of energy. The <nited ,tates alone consumes over a &uarter of all the energy used in the world. (e use energy even when we don%t know we are. Every appliance$ television$ cell phone charger$ etc. uses energy 4ust by being plugged into an outlet$ even if it%s off. Energy is created from several different sources including fossil fuels$ solar$ wind$ and water. ossil fuels 2coal$ oil$ natural gas3 are by far the largest contributors to our energy supply. *owever$ fossil fuels are also the largest contributors to air pollution 2specifically by releasing ?arbon Dio.ide3 and are non0 renewable fuels 2meaning that what%s in the ground currently is all there is to use3. "educing our energy use will in turn reduce the amount of fuels that are needed. This will help preserve the fossil fuel supply longer and reduce air pollution.

Energy is another category in which making small changes in your day0to0day habits can have a substantial impact on sustainability. Let%s see if you can get your teammates to trim the fat from e.cess and unnecessary energy consumption by reducing electricity usage by H9F 2water consumption is also a factor in reducing overall energy consumption3. This may seem like a lot$ but it%s actually not. (hen you "evised 6789789:;

consider the numerous ways in a day an individual can consume energy$ collectively by making small changes like turning the lights out when leaving a room$ using natural light during the day$ etc. one can greatly reduce their energy consumption by H9F.

What an -our Team Do?

.asi"
:. 8. ;. C. H. D. Turn off lights in housing (ash clothes in cold water Let hot food cool to room temperature before placing in refrigerator 2saves D kg ?>8 per year3 Turn off -? when not in housing 2every C hours off saves ;99 kg ?>8 per year3 "educe use of hair dryers and hot irons. Let hair dry naturally. It%s also healthier for your hair. (atch documentary 'Iilowatt >urs+ and have a discussion

Intermediate
:. <nplug chargers 2cell phones$ computer$ ipod$ etc3 when not being used 8. Turn off desk0top computers every night 2especially campus computer labs3 ;. -d4ust your clothing before the temperature settings 2ie take off your sweatshirt before turning on the -?3 C. <se clothes lines to dry instead of dryers. 2saves 8K9 kg ?>8 per year3 H. (alk or bike to places

Hard orps
:. @et a Team =ower ,trip. o ,et charging times with the team. 2ie after work7evenings3 o ,hut off =ower ,trip during other times. 2ie overnight$ while at work3 8. =lug in appliances only when using them. 2ie$ computer$ tv$ etc3 ;. Invest in H Low0Energy Light #ulbs to use at housing. 2saves 8H9 kg ?>8 per year3 C. Team ?arbon ?alculator ?hallenge o @oogle a ?arbon ?alculator website and calculate your team%s ?arbon ootprint. o -s a team$ try to lower your ?arbon ootprint as much as you can.

Transportation is a category that directly ties into saving energy$ but in a specific area that is central to the team%s life: van use. -s we saw in the Energy <sage ,ection$ transportation accounts for 8KF of all energy consumption. #y the nature of our program$ your team will be doing a lot a travel. #y incorporating the ideas below$ you can help reduce the amount of gas your vehicle uses$ and thus the number of times you need to fill up. "evised 6789789:;

Behicle Energy uel0<sage E ?osts actors

What an -our Team Do?

.asi"
:. =lan out shopping trips to minimi1e the number of times you go. 8. Aake sure Tire =ressures are correct. 2saves :C9 kg ?>8 per year3

Intermediate
:. (alk or #ike to places. 8. Take public transportation as much as possible. ;. -d4ust your clothing before the temperature settings. 2ie take off your sweatshirt before asking for the -?3. C. ,hut off vehicle if idling for more than ;9 seconds

Hard orps
:. Ainimi1e use of the -ir ?onditioning in the van. o >pen windows when going under C9 mph o ,uck it up$ especially for shorter distances. -ttitude is everything. 8. <se low0viscosity motor oil. 2saves CH kg ?>8 per year3 ;. "educe speed by D mph for 89 F of your driving time. 2save ;H kg ?>8 per year3

"eusing and "ecycling are critical to decreasing the amount of energy spent on making new products. (ith advances in recycling technologies$ it has actually become cheaper to make products from used materials. *ere are a couple key facts: o It takes ;9F less energy to make paper from recycled materials than raw materials. "evised 6789789:;

o It takes ;9F less energy to manufacture glass from recycled materials. o It takes :D. more energy to create a new aluminum can$ than one from recycled material. Less energy used leads to less money spent to make$ so not only is it better for the environment to recycle$ it now also saves money.

ontinuous Li$e y"le o$ an Aluminum an

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place$ but this is not always accomplishable. -s a result$ reducing the amount of waste we produce and reusing reusable items we can save money$ natural resources$ and spare the environment.

What an -our Team Do?

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.asi"
:. 8. ;. C. H. <se (ater #ottles instead of buying bottled water. "ecycle aluminum$ tin$ and plastic. "ecycle paper and cardboard. =ick up trash when you see it 2even if it%s not yours3. Don%t ignore what you see. 2ie if there%s a can in the trash$ pick it out and recycle it3

Intermediate
:. "ecycle batteries. 8. ind a location that will recycle ,tyrofoam$ hard plastics. ;. "euse discarded items to make artwork to spruce up your housing.

Hard orps
8. ?ollect and ?ash =ro4ect o ?ontact a "ecycling ?enter in your community. ,ee what they accept and how sorted the material needs to be. o ?ollect those recyclable materials during your pro4ect. o ?ash in those materials at the "ecycling ?enter periodically or at the end of your pro4ect. o <se the money earned for a variety of purposes: #uy some of those earlier suggestions. 2ie water0saving showerhead$ low0energy light bulbs$ power strip$ reusable shopping bags$ etc.3 Treat the Team! -fter all$ it was their efforts too. @o get ice cream or something. Invest in the community. Is there something your sponsor or your housing could use)

Closing Remarks
*opefully$ this packet will start you out as your team%s Environmental Liaison5 be creative and think of additional ways your team can have a positive impact on the environment around you. =itch ideas to your teammates$ your TL$ staff$ etc. and develop things that are the right fit for your team. inally$ I know we have to use a good amount of paper to make this packet 2and the packets for the other teams3$ so please be good to it. If this packet is in good condition at the end of the year$ we will reuse it for the ne.t class 2and thus not print off brand new packets every year3. @ood Luck out there!

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