Energy and Waste Fellow Pollan attends COP 21 Climate Conference in Paris
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 Through Dickinson College, his alma mater, Luther's Energy and Waste Fellow Sam Pollan attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France. There he is meeting with and hearing from many global leaders as they discuss the next steps to fight climate change. The goal of the conference is to form an international agreement that will prevent climate change from causing the global temperature to rise more than 2°C. One of Sam's areas of focus has been on the importance of waste reduction; in a blog post, he points out that 5% of greenhouse gasses generated by humans comes from landfills and other waste management systems. He has also emphasized the importance of youth involvement in impacting the outcome of negotiations and affecting politics.
Sam will be sharing more about his experiences at the Winneshiek Energy Breakfast on December 15 at Tbocks in Decorah. Check out Sam's blog for more information and to read more about his contributions to the conference. |
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Local opportunities to give green this holiday season
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In the spirit of giving, the Center for Sustainable Communities has identified local sources that can serve as great holiday gifts for community members and students! Here are our suggestions for a season of green and conscious giving:
- Winneshiek Energy District: Decorah's local energy provider is putting on a Membership Drive to unite Northeast Iowa in the clean energy transition. Decorah Bank and Trust is matching every dollar (up to $100) of each membership gained during the drive. Gift a membership to a local resident on the Winneshiek Energy District's website.
- Winneshiek Farmers Market: Head over to the Danan Lansing building at the Decorah Fairgrounds on Saturday, December 19th,from 8:30am-11:30am for the final Farmers Market of the year! Handmade socks and gloves are perfect gifts, and support local vendors! Learn more on the Winneshiek Farmers Market website.
- Love Your Melon: Love Your Melon is a non-profit organization started by students at the University of St. Thomas. For every hat they sell, a hat is donated to a child fighting cancer. Luther College's Ambassadors Crew has been working to spread the mission of Love Your Melon on campus- make sure you select "Luther College" at checkout! Read more about the organization and shop on the Love Your Melon website.
- Chamber Dollars: Keep your money local and give Chamber Dollars! These gifts can be redeemed at 390 Decorah locations and include restaurants, spas, grocery stores, and other retailers. See the list of businesses that accept Chamber Dollars and purchase your gift today on the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce website.
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Summer internship opportunities and resources for students now available
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The Center for Sustainable Communities has compiled a series of resources to help students gain experience in sustainability, environment, community building and stewardship over the summer. We believe that practical, hands-on opportunities are the best way for our students to gain beneficial work skills and to help make a difference in the community.
On Campus Opportunities
Over the summer, students have many opportunities to engage in sustainability. Positions are available to work in the College Gardens and on the Recycling Team, and internships include working with Sustainable Foods, Sustainable Agriculture, the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, Environmental Education, and Land Stewardship. Visit the Summer Sustainability Work Study webpage to learn more and to apply. Center for Sustainable Communities staff have been working with Luther alumni to create an off-campus connections opportunities hub. Students can apply for a wide variety of internships in the Upper Midwest and throughout the country. Potential internships include working with the Greenability Magazine, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Southface, and many more! Visit the Sustainability Internship Connections webpage to learn more and to apply. Luther College is excited to offer internship funding to students to help them pursue educational/vocational internships for the Summer of 2016. This includes both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Any freshman, sophomore, or junior currently enrolled at Luther may apply for summer internship funding of up to 2,000 dollars. We are most able to fund opportunities that have at least one of the following criteria:
- An organization whose work supports environmental sustainability and/or social justice.
- An internship sponsored by or directly involving Luther alumni
- Internships related to religious organizations
- Internships related to business
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Local Foods Feature: Country View Dairy
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 Country View Dairy is a family-owned and operated farmstead creamery specializing in "all natural" yogurt production. "All natural" means the yogurt lacks preservatives, gelatin and other stabilizers, high fructose corn syrup, as well as artificial flavorings and dyes. The cows are not treated with rBST growth hormones.
Country View Dairy is a farmstead, meaning the entire yogurt-making process occurs directly on the farm. They are located 31 miles from Luther in Hawkeye, Iowa. Luther purchases all of the yogurt served on campus from Country View. To learn more about Country View Dairy and Luther's sustainable food purchases, visit the Sustainable Food Purchasing webpage.. |
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 Minimize waste (and save money!) this holiday season by changing how you wrap gifts! Save and re-use wrapping paper, or use alternatives like newspaper or old maps. Another option for paper can be found in discontinued books wallpaper samples, or even old calendars. Gift bags are easy to make out of scrap fabric and some ribbon, and these are both reusable and made out of recycled materials. |
The Center for Sustainable Communities is always looking for ways to improve our publications and incorporate more information for our stakeholders. If you have any questions, concerns, general comments, or story ideas for future newsletters, please email sustainability@luther.edu at any time. Thank you!
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This newsletter is provided by the Center for Sustainable Communities, which coordinates all sustainability initiatives at Luther College. The mission of the Center is to promote sustainability and be a catalyst for change on campus and in the region. For more information on sustainability initiatives at Luther and the outreach work of the Center for Sustainable Communities, please visit: www.luther.edu/sustainability.
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Tuesday, December 8th
Food, Purchasing, and Waste Task Group meeting
3-4pm Valders 374
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Wednesday, December 9th
Toast and Jam with Vera Bang!
7-10pm Sustainability House
Interested in living in Sustainability House next year? Stop by the open house event to take an inside look at rooms and meet the current residents! Music will be provided by Sustainability House's own group, Vera Bang. Read more |
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Thursday, December 10th
Sustainability Council meeting
4:15-5:15pm Mott Room
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Thursday, December 10th
Green Drinks Decorah
5pm Toppling Goliath
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Tuesday, December 15th
Winneshiek Energy Breakfast
7:30am Tbocks lower level
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Wednesday, December 16
Shopping Shuttle
7:30-9pm Student Organizational Suite
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Emily is the Assistant Director for the Center for Sustainable Communities and a staff instructor in Environmental Studies. A passionate science educator, she has over 20 years of experience teaching people of all ages, on how to integrate concepts of wellness, sustainability and stewardship into their lives. Recognizing that human health is interconnected to the health of our planet, Emily oversees a wide array of healthy living and environmental programs at Luther, including the summer Discovery Camp programs, the Pre-College Environmental Studies Program and the Luther College Immersion Leadership Program. Additionally, Emily oversees outreach programs to regional schools. She works with teachers on integrating topics of sustainability into the curriculum and increasing STEM education. She supervises a team of FoodCorps/AmeriCorps members serving schools to help districts foster healthy environments for students, staff, and the communities they serve. She has a Masters in Science Education and an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science, both from the University of Iowa.
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Iowa Food Hub seeking part-time delivery driver
Iowa Food Hub, a non-profit local food distribution business, is seeking a part-time delivery driver to join their team. This position is based out of their West Union, IA facility. This is a two-day a week position with occasional additional days when filling in for the other delivery driver. Read more
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