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Greening a Conference

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Our goal is to make the 2007 Spitzer conference as environmentally friendly as possible. Our host city, Pasadena, has a Green City initiative, so to strive for a Green conference is consistent with the city\'s own goals. We have tried to examine every aspect of the conference from the badges to the food consumed, to try and minimize our environmental footprint. Of course there are some parts of the conference that are environmentally unfriendly (e.g., the plane flights, lighting, etc.) We want to be as conscientious and proactive as possible in making greener choices, reducing waste, and raising our awareness of our impact on the environment. The following is a brief summary of our attempt at holding an environmentally friendly event. We would love to hear feedback from you regarding this aspect of the conference, and any additional suggestions / comments you have. We also encourage you to actively participate in this endeavor (suggestions for our participants are bolded in green) and integrate the green theme to the best of your ability throughout this conference and beyond.

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Communication:

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Did you know:

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Americans use an average of 741 lbs of paper, per person, each year.
The virgin timber-based pulp and paper industry is the third greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution. Its carbon dioxide emissions are projected to double by 2020.

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For more information see http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/paper/default.asp

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At this conference, we are doing the following:

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We will use electronic media and eliminate paper for all communications:'; writePage += '
- Meeting advertisements and promotion (including the conference poster)
- Registration and abstract submission
- Agenda and communication among participants
- Conference Proceedings
Where we are not able to eliminate paper, '; writePage += ' we will use recycled paper (for example, in nametags, posters, etc).
We encourage you to use the electronic resources listed above.
We will provide bins for recycling during the meeting. Please use them whenever possible.

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Transportation:

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Did you know:

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The Transportation sector accounts for 32 per cent of all US carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.
Americans drive 1.5 trillion miles per year in automobiles, plus 600 billion miles in personal trucks and SUVs. Cars and light trucks use 115 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel per year, emitting 19.8 per cent of total US CO₂ emissions.
Jet fuel consumption accounts for 13 per cent of total transportation sector emssions.

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We have chosen conference and dinner venues that are accessible by public transportation.

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We encourage you to consider using the FlyAway Bus and Metro to reach the hotel. During business hours it is faster and cheaper than cars or taxis. (See our Transportation page for details.)
We will have a ride-share bulletin board so those who have a car can share their impact on resources.
We encourage you to use airlines (eg., Delta) that have a carbon offset program, or offset your carbon emissions in other ways (see links below).

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Food & Beverage:

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Did you know:

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An average person in the US yields 2.8 tons of CO2 from the production and distribution of the foods they consume, whereas they only produce 2.2 tons of CO2 from driving! This is because produce sold in the US has traveled an average of over 1000 miles, sometimes being flown in from places like New Zealand, Chile, or Ecuador.

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At this conference we are working with the hotel to design the menu and food service to have the smallest possible impact on the environment. This includes:'; writePage += '

Using reusable silverware
Using sugar cubes instead of packets
Serving water in glasses instead of bottles
Using locally-grown produce when possible
Using fair-trade coffee
Requesting donation of leftover food to a local food bank
Please let us and the hotel staff know whether or not you find these efforts useful.

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Conference Venue:

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Did you know:

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An average US hotel (150 guest rooms) uses as many resources in one week as 100 families do in one year.
Despite this, economic considerations and demand from consumers are making it easier than ever for conference venues to be green!

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The hotel already has many environmentally friendly policies: '; writePage += '

Recycling bins are distributed throughout the building.
Many appliances are energy efficient models
We have asked the hotel to not deliver newspapers to attendees unless requested.
A linen/towel reuse program is in place.
Lights and electric appliances automatically shut off when not in use.
Please take advantage of these energy-efficient and eco-friendly programs when possible.

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As Dusty Starr would say, "Here\'s a toast to recycling locally on the Planet Earth, and globally in the Milky Way and nearby Galaxies!"

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