DRAFT MINUTES

Environmental Programs Steering Committee

March 25, 1999

2014 Duncan 9:15-11am

Present:

  • Joyce Almaguer
  • Kathy Ensor
  • Arthur Few
  • Paul Harcombe
  • Priscilla Huston (staff)
  • Walter Isle (chair)
  • Gordon Wittenberg
  • Mark Wiesner

Not Present:

  • Bill Leeman
  • Donald Ostdiek

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS WERE DISCUSSED:

(not completed since I came late -- send to Walter Isle for earlier materials, etc.)

1. Next Meeting date

The next meeting is April 8th 9:15-11am 2014 Duncan Hall.

2. General Announcements

Walter Isle requested input from the committee for names (current and new) and text for the General Annoucements. He distributed copies of the this year's General Announcements statement on Environmental Programs and a list of all faculty who were involved with the reception last fall. He will create a new draft.

3. Budgets (did this get discussed?)

Estimated budget balances as of March 15th

Budget: started at $5000, current balance $2762.62 after moving Orion Society expenses to the designated fund for Seminars.

Intern: Initial Funding was $25,500 for the intern and Earth Tub. All expenses seem to be within budget with the two exceptions: the Fringe Benefits were estimated at $3200 but they are being charged at a rate of $3840 and only $300 was budgeted for expenses when we thought $600 was available. These will not cause a problem this fiscal year but since the intern budget carries forward into next fiscal year, we will be short by $600-800.

Designated Fund for Seminars: We began this year with $14, 589 and have an estimated balance of $8,700 including the Orion Society expenses but not including Slovic's travel and Honorarium.

4. Letter to President's Office

Paul Harcombe proposed that we recommend that the President's Office spend $500 a year to maintain our membership in .... After considerable discussion it was decided that we would send Dr. Gillis the bill and ask for his opinion too. In our minds, this would be one way to help us promote Rice's interest and involvement in global environmental issues. The President's office initiated the original membership and may be willing to pay the $500 (which is 10% of our total supplies and expense budget of $5000).

5. Notices

Professor Norman Myers from Oxford University will present a seminar on "Population, Consumption, Environment and Perverse Subsidies: Time of Breakdown or Breakthrough" in McMurtry Auditorium at 4pm March 26th. A reception will follow the lecture.

Scott Slovic from the University of Nevada Center for Humanities and the Environment will be at Rice April 5th. He will speak at 4pm in 123 Biology. The Center for the Study of Cultures will do the flyer. Priscilla Huston will find a room for the EPSC committee to meet with Scott Slovic from 11am-12noon on April 5th.

Gordon Wittenberg asked if anyone was interested or had done work with grey-water standards. Mark Wiesner indicated that he does.

Gordon also indicated that his wife, Susan, is a medical student whose specific field is Environmental Medicine and whose particular interest is Air Quality. She would be interested in working with us if we would like to sponsor a seminar on Air Quality.