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Illinois Student Environmental Coalition |
ISEC unites student environmental organizations that are committed to improving environmental practices at colleges and universities by facilitating the exchange of resources and ideas. |
| Concordia University |
| Concordia Cougars Conserve (C3) |  |
| Location: River Forest, Illinois | |
| Number of current members: 6 | |
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Purpose Statement:
Concordia Cougars Conserve (C3) was founded in November of 2006. Their first goal was to launch a campus-wide recycling program. The group worked from the ground up to develop the program and has recently begun to experience large successes. They are continually organizing the logistics and procedures for their newly expanded recycling program.
Current Projects: This semester, C3 is taking on several smaller projects while it works with faculty on preparing a grant proposal to increase the recycling facilities on campus. Here is a list of projects for the Fall '08 semester:
• Recycled notebooks: C3 is in the process of making hand-made notebooks. The group placed donation boxes throughout campus for cereal boxes, which double as a fun, colorful notebook covers. Smaller boxes will be used to create memo pads and address books. The interior pages will be the unused side of discarded print paper from the computer labs and bound together with a plastic spine. On the inside, will be a single sheet with information on C3, including their meeting times, and tips for green living. The group is planning to sell these for a minimal fee at tables and as requested.
• E-syllabi: C3 is petitioning instructors to go green and submit all syllabi on-line in order to conserve resources and reduce paper waste.
• Bike rental program: In order to provide transportation to the on-campus residents who do not own a car, C3 is working on instituting a bike rental program. They are currently looking into purchasing used bikes and soliciting bicycle and lock donations.
• Blue Bin labels: In order to dispel confusion about what can be disposed in the blue recycling bins on campus, C3 is in the process of posting labels specifying the eligible items.
• Volunteer cleanup effort: C3 is organizing a clean up day at Thatcher Woods, a 300-acre natural area located just 10 miles west of Downtown Chicago.
Future Projects: Once the grant proposal is submitted in December, C3 will be ready to tackle some bigger project during the Spring '09 term. Here's what they're planning to work on in the future:
• Eliminate non-recyclable goods from the cafeteria: C3 will work with Sodexo to eliminate the current styrofoam containers and nonrenewable plastics. They will pursue purchasing corn-based recyclable containers instead.
• Compost: C3 will also work to institute a compost system on campus. In so doing, they will seek organizations within the school or area schools to sell the material to.
• On campus freecycle event: In conjunction with Concordia's Psychology Club, C3 will host a Freecycle event at the end of the Spring term in order to reduce landfill waste and promote recycling efforts. The event will be held in the Triangle and is a great opportunity to discard unneeded items and acquire much needed ones!
Former Event:
C3 brought Ellen Augustine to speak on Earth Day 2008 about “How YOU Can Bring Sustainable Practices Into ANY Career!” She contends that today’s students want both financially-rewarding and meaningful work—and this is more possible than ever before! The old ways of doing things aren’t bringing the results we want. With so many potential disasters looming on the horizon, many people in both traditional and newly-emerging fields are shifting the playing field. The new playbook says that competition is no longer the only way to win, natural processes are trumping technological ones, and local businesses are outsmarting global corporations!
Augustine shared profiles of people who are equally considering their employees, the community, and the planet, and are finding their profits grow! She gave a lot of tips as to how you can connect with these companies, and green whatever field you are interested in.
Ellen Augustine, M.A. is co-author of Taking Back Our Lives in the Age of Corporate Dominance (as Ellen Schwartz). She is a contributing author to A Game As Old As Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men and the Web of Global Corruption. She ran for U.S. Congress and founded/co-founded four nonprofits. Augustine has been featured in Utne Reader and Hope Magazine, received the Women of Achievement and Thread of Hope Awards, and was named one of 21 Visionaries for the 21st Century. She holds a Masters Degree in Speech Communication.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Brian M Lavaque
Contact Email: crf_lavaqubm@cuchicago.edu
Contact Phone: 773-574-3111
Environmental Law & Policy Center |
