Rebirth Trip to New Orleans

 Photo Credit: Oxy in New Orleans blog

As many of us know, a group of Oxy students from the Disaster Politics class and Rebirth went to New Orleans over winter break to volunteer and help rebuild. The Sustainability Fund is happy to report that we helped fund their trip, and the students did engage in many sustainability-related activities while in New Orleans such as working at local gardens and farms, all the while learning about food justice issues that plague New Orleans as well as Los Angeles.

For much more information about the trip as well as some great student insight, check out the Oxy in New Orleans blog: http://oxyinneworleans.wordpress.com/

Sustainability Fund Sponsored Projects

So now you know a bit about what the Fund is, but what student-led projects has it approved to make Oxy a more environmentally sustainable campus? Read on!

New Bike Racks near the library, Samuelson Pavilion, and Chilcott:

The FEAST student-run organic garden! Check out their blog here: http://occidental-feast.blogspot.com/ and a video about the garden here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4jhHCUFw0

Students composting

A new bike-sharing program to promote biking on campus and around Eagle Rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x4NLSqOGcU

 Reusable to-go containers for the Marketplace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQmu_-wxcNc

Kill-a-Watt energy meters, available for checkout at the library:

These devices measure the efficiency of your appliances by displaying electrical consumption by killowatt-hour. Check one out to measure your own energy consumption and log it here: http://sustainableoxy.blogspot.com/2010/03/check-out-kill-watt-to-learn-about.html.

Apply for Funding!

Do you have a great idea for a project that would make Oxy a more sustainable place? Apply for funding from the ASOC Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fund! We accept and evaluate applications on a rolling basis, and students of all years and majors are welcome to apply. Click here for an application, and send it in to asocsustainabilityfund@gmail.com when you are finished!

Here is a bit more background on the fund and how it came to be!

In the Fall of 2007, Occidental students overwhelmingly passed an amendment to the ASOC constitution to establish a new Renewable Energy & Sustainability Fund. Our mission is to make the campus a better place by empowering students to carry out their own visions for sustainability; we do this by paying for projects that make Oxy’s campus a better place to study and live while also combating global warming. At least 50 percent of funding is required to go to permanent changes to the college’s infrastructure, buildings, or landscaping. The fund may also pay for one-time events or ongoing campaigns to raise environmental awareness; research or academic programming related to the environment; etc. The fund is overseen by a committee consisting of ten Occidental students, one administrator, and one faculty. The committee will evaluate all proposals to pick the projects that will do the most to advance sustainability at Occidental. This list of funded projects will be submitted to the ASOC senate, which must ratify it before money is dispersed.

Where does our money come from?! Last year, students passed an amendment to the ASOC constitution requiring all students to pay a $10 fee per semester that goes directly toward the fund. With each student paying a total of $20 per year, that gives the fund an annual budget of about $40,000...yeah, that's a lot of money! So we encourage anyone and everyone to submit a project proposal!

Anyone is welcome to apply for money from the fund: students, student clubs, faculty, classes, staff and administrators, alumni, and departments of the College. Completed applications should be emailed to asocsustainabilityfund@gmail.com.