::News, Minutes, and Updates::
1/18/04: Meeting Minutes
1) Sierra Activist Weekend
Date & Day: Jan 21st (Fri.) - Jan 23rd (Sun.) [This Weekend]
Venue: Lake Cumberland
Fee: $25
Organized by Sierra Club, the weekend activity will consist of workshops/programs,
delicious food, caving trip, get-together, and a wonderful time to spend with
elderly Sierra Club activists. The fees has been reduced to $25 for Greenthumbers
as against $125 for other people. A sign-up sheet was circulated in the meeting
to get an estimate of interested members. If you are interested and feel like
you missed out this opportunity, contact Ben or Maggie.
2) 2nd Annual Student Renewable Energy Energy Conference
Date & Day: Feb 18th (Fri.) - Feb 20th (Sun.)
Venue: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Fee: $35
In continuation to last year's conference at UNC - Chapel Hill, UT ? Knoxville
is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Conference this year. Don?t miss this opportunity
to learn new things about campus sustainability, and to make strong networks
with other groups. A sign-up sheet was circulated in the meeting to get an estimate
of interested members. Register for $25 before January 18th. Registration after
January 18th is $35. Registration closes on February 11th.
3) Senate Meeting
Tonight the Student Government Senate is meeting in the Student Center. Ben
Abell will be representing Greenthumb. If anyone is interested, kindly contact
Ben.
Benjamin Abell: Ph - 494-6064 Email - bcabel2@uky.edu
4) C 3 (Cleaner Campus Campaign)
In the last semester, Greenthumb started the "Cleaner Campus Campaign"
to help make UK a better/cleaner place. In order to get the referendum to pass,
for purchasing green power, Greenthumb needs to get 1000 signatures of students
by the end of the Spring Semester (before the elections). We have already got
some signatures from our last semester?s tabling efforts. We shall be putting
extra effort into it in the upcoming weeks.
Maggie will try to reserve the table in front of the Starbucks (Student Center)
for Thursday from 12 pm-3 pm. If that works out, she will notify us.
5) SG Elections - Will Nash
Will Nash will be running for the post of President in the SG elections, this
Spring semester. Maggie will be meeting him at 3 pm this Thursday in the Student
Center to discuss about Greenthumb and campus related issues. If interested,
you can join her.
6) Ben Perry
The leading member of ASPI (Appalachia ? Science in the Public Interest); organizer
of the First Annual Blue Grass Energy Expo-2004; Ben will be coming in as a
guest speaker in next Tuesday?s meeting (tentative schedule).
7) Red River Gorge Trail Crew
If you are interested in helping to clean up the Red River Gorge Trail, then
you should join the Red River Gorge Trail Crew, who are engaged in cleaning
and maintaining the gorge. The crew meets on the first Saturday of every month
at 10 am. Its an all-day long activity and they have a potluck & camp out.
I am not sure of the meeting venue, but if you are interested, then kindly send
an email to the list serve.
8) Tsunami Vigil
Date & Day: 19th Jan. (Today)
Venue: Student Center Patio
Time: 5 pm
9) Inauguration Day - Not One Damn Dime Day - Jan 20, 2005
During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn
dime
for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not
one damn dime for nothing for 24 hours.
On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.
10) Institute for Social Ecology, Plainfield, Vermont
Greenthumb has received a brochure from the Institute for Social Ecology, Plainfield,
Vermont. for Summer courses in Social Ecology. If interested, please visit http://www.social-ecology.org/
for more information.
11) Recruitment
In order to recruit new members into Greenthumb, some members will be meeting
on Tuesday at 7.15 am (before the 8 am classes) in the White Hall Classroom
building to spread the name of the group, by writing the details about Greenthumb
on chalk boards.
12) Campus Progressive Coalition (CPC)
In a step to bring the CPC together, it has been decided that some of the Greenthumb,
Leftist Student Union, Amnesty International, Lavendar group members will be
attending each other's meetings so as to keep us aware about the ongoing activities
of these groups.
11/16/04: Meeting Minutes
1) Speech from the Student Volunteer Center (SVC) Co-ordinator
Tonight we had the co-ordinator of Student Volunteer Center (SVC) as the guest.
The main purpose of his presence was to build a better communication between
SVC and Greenthumb. The mission of SVC is to serve, connect, and unite UK with
the surrounding community. SVC has a 'The Great Outdoors' Committee dedicated
to the protection of and education about the environment in which we live. Jenny
Hudson and Jessica Sanders - directors of 'The Great Outdoors' who were present
too, showed great interest in working together with Greenthumb.
2) Niles Barnes's trip to West Virginian Mountain Top Removal Site
Niles Barnes talked about his experience from his visit to the MTR site in WV.
He said that there is going to be a planning meeting in January for Mountain
Summer Justice (to be held in Summer), which is a 3 month long series of non-violent
direct action against the coal comapnies. Co-ordinators for Mountain Summer
Justice are planning to get over 3000 people for this activity. Greenthumb can
definitely be a part of that activity.
3) Ben Abell's talk with Student Government
Ben Abell talked to the Student Government (SG) about passing the referendum
and what should be on the ballots. Basically it was about the amendments that
should be made to the ballots. In order to get our cleaner energy campaign on
the ballot list we need to get over 1000 signatures from UK students, write
a proposal to the SG and, write a letter to the Administration. And also our
issue should be in the first three amendments, to be on the ballot list.
To jump-start this activity, tonight the Thumbers split into groups to work
on the proposal to be submitted to SG, letter to the administration and, the
tabling arrangements in order to get the signatures from students.
4) Tabling for C 3
This Thursday we are having the tabling for our Cleaner Campus Campaign (C 3)
in the courtyard of North Campus from 11.30 am to 3.30 pm. The aim will be to
collect 1000 signatures for the spring ballot. Interested Thumbers have already
signed up for this activity, but if anyone who has not signed up and wants to
volunteer, can gladly stop by the table.
10/27/04: If you happened to pick up the Kentucky Kernel today, you had the distinct pleasure of reading a letter to the editor by our very own Ben Luckett! (If you didn't pick up the Kernel, you can read it here on the second page of letters, you may be asked for your email address before you can view it.) Ben's letter addresses seperation of Church and State, and thus is not strictly environmental in nature, but this webmaster thought it was worth mentioning, partly because it is an issue every progressive-thinker should be interested in, and partly because it is an excellent letter by one of our own. Great job, Ben! :) Incidentally, any Green Thumbers who have environmental or otherwise progressive items published should give me a heads-up, as I'm sure everyone would like to know!
10/26/04: Meeting Minutes
1) Dave Newton - Guest speaker. We were pleased to have Dave Newton as the guest speaker for tonight's meeting. Dave is a former Greenthumber who now works with KFTC. He informed the thumbers about the 'Lextran' and 'Get out to Vote' issues affecting the environment and the Lexington community.
Lextran is running out of business. They have already cut their weekend transit service due to the lack of stable funding. And if a $10.9 million tax increase is not approved by voters, it would be forced to eliminate five routes and halve its active fleet from 26 buses to 13 by next summer. Without good public transportation like Lextran, low-income, handicapped, and elderly Lexingtonians will find it difficult to get to jobs, schools, and medical care. In addition, good public transportation reduces traffic congestion, reduced fossil fuel consumption, and air pollution.
Did you know that - Lextrans use a soy-based bio-diesel fuel which is 20% environmentally friendly !
Get Out The Vote (GOTV) It is an activity meant to get Kentuckians to come out to the polls to VOTE on November 2nd. Activity members will go door to door and remind people to vote. Lots of other things have been planned for this activity.
For more information on these issues, contact -
Dave Newton: Ph : (859) 420-8919
Email : Dave_HN@yahoo.com
2) Renewable Energy Committee
Greenthumb has formed a new 'Renewable Energy Commitee' (REC) to push the C 3 (Cleaner Campus Campaign). Interested members signed up for this new committee tonight (for those who were not present or weren't able to put down their names, you are always welcome to join us). REC will be meeting every Wednesday at 7.30 pm, by the computers in the Student Center Rm 106.
Note: REC is meeting this Wednesday i.e. tomorrow (27th Oct.). Please bring any information/ research (that you know of) on solar/wind energy.
3) Tabling for C 3 (Cleaner Campus Campaign) / Renewable Energy
This Friday i.e. Oct 29th we are resuming our Renewable Energy tabling where we will ask UK students to fill out a survey form. This survey would ask them - how they would like to bring alternative cleaner sources of energy on UK campus & how they would like to contribute towards this cleaner campaign.
Along with this survey we will be having tabling to oppose MTR.
Day & Date: Friday - Oct 29
Venue: Right outside Whitehall Classroom building (under the porch)
Time: Afternoon 11-3 pm
4) Election Day Potluck
Greenthumbers are having a potluck get-together on the day of the Election at
Maggie's place. Everyone's welcome.
Day & Date: Tuesday - Nov. 2
Address: 309 East Maxwell street
Time: 7 pm
5) Lexington Environmental Action Project (LEAP)
LEAP in support with the 'MECCA production of thriller' is having a Halloween
event this Sunday wherein the LEAPers are going to dress up like ghouls &
pass out hand-bills about energy issues in general.
LEAP is having a planning meeting at Jess Miller's place @ 7pm, this Friday
i.e. Oct. 29
Address: 245 Stone St.
Phone: 608-9390
Email: jjmill2@uky.edu
6) GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
(a) MTR presentation by 'Dave Cooper' in Hilary Lambert's Environmental class.
Day & Date: Thurs - Oct 28
Venue: Whitehall Classroom Bld. - Rm 212
Time: 11-12.15 pm
(b) This Sat & Sun, a group of people from Lexington (lead by Perrin de Jong) are going to Cincinnati to knock on registered Democrat's doors. They will be leaving at 9 am and will get back by 6 pm, both on Sat & Sun.
(c) Greenthumb is pleased to announce that we helped register about 300 voters for this year's presidential elections, through our 'Voter Registration Tabling'
10/24/04: Finally getting the website layout together. Content updates to follow shortly. If you have any questions or suggestions, email Beth.
10/19/04: Meeting Minutes:
1) Doug Alexander : Guest speaker from 'Bluegrass FLOW' Tonight we had a guest
speaker - Mr. Doug Alexander, who is the Public Relations Officer for 'Bluegrass
FLOW', a non-profit citizens group working to ensure local control over water
resources in Bluegrass region. He talked about what is going on in Central Kentucky
regarding the water system. How the German owned conglomerate RWE is taking
up Central Kentucky's water supply money (the money which actually should go
back into the community through local government). How endangered is our Jacobson
Park and Lakeside Golf Course under the hands of RWE ! Can we trust RWE to supply
water in our community?
2) Tabling for Green Wind Tags/ MTR
We are going to start our C 3 (Cleaner Campus Campaign) with a survey which
would basically ask the UK students - how they would like to bring alternative
cleaner sources of energy on UK campus & how they would like to contribute
towards this cleaner campaign.
Along with this survey we will be having tabling to oppose MTR.
Interested in helping make up this survey ?
Come join GThumbers on next Tuesday @ 6 pm (before the GT meeting) by the computers
in the Student Center Rm 106
3) Lexington Environmental Action Project (LEAP)
LEAP is meeting at Ben Abell's place @ 9 pm. I am not sure of the day !
But you can call Ben or email him.
Benjamin Abell: Ph - 494-6064
Email - bcabel2@uky.edu
Address - 335 Park Ave., Lexington.
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