Gaia's Current Projects

2004-2005

In 2004-2005 Gaia: Smith Students for the Environment has been working on an ongoing project of replacing paper napkins with cloth napkins in the dining halls. Gaia has been working closely with Anne Finely in Dining Halls, Donna Riley in the Engineering Department, and the Sustainability Committee. The Engineering 260 class is quantifying and comparing the amount of resources that are used in the production and use of paper versus cloth napkins.

 Gaia tabled with the EarthReps for America Recycles Day in November. Paperless Month held in March was a success this year. This campaign to encourage the campus to reduce the amount of paper waste created was publicized in the Sophian, eDigest, AcaMedia and was announced via email to the faculty and by President Christ to the student body at Rally Day. The Campus Center also removed bulleting boards and AcaMedia wasn't published for the month of March.

  The Smith College Consumption Guide that was created in 2003 is also being updated this year and will be linked to the Gaia webpage as well as distributed in hard copy upon request.

  Gaia is not doing the annual Dump & Run event this year, but will instead be donating the items we have collected to the thrift shop being opened by the Investment Club as well as donating unusable electronics to Phys Plant to be recycled.

 Gaia also worked with the Smith Environmental Coalition in organizing and providing funding for a recycling panel discussion in November and panel discussions and other events in recognition of Earth Day in April.

         Meetings are held on Monday evenings at 7 in the bottom of the Campus Center. Contact Katherine Thompson, kthomps2@smith.edu, or Stina Soderling, ssoderli@smith.edu, for more information.

Check out our current projects:

Paperless Month
Dining Sustainability

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