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The Conference Committee has been working hard to “green” our 2010 Conference and needs your help. As you prepare for our conference, we invite you to help us green our conference and ask that you please be aware of the following ways you can help. PLEASE BRING THESE ALONG ON YOUR TRIP: Hot Beverage Container: We have asked Amerian not to use disposable cups at the conference. If you drink coffee or tea, please bring a hot beverage container with you since there will be both on and off-site opportunities to use it, such as when walking around the hotel grounds, at the bar and on field trips.
Water Bottle: If you like to drink water, please bring a reusable water bottle of your choice. As with hot beverage containers, there will be plenty of on-site and off-site opportunities to use it. During the day, the Amerian will supply water jugs and glasses. For picnics, other offsite activities and on the grounds of the hotel, we ask that you please use your own reusable water bottle instead of using plastic bottled water. This will help use reduce waste, save on the energy costs associated with transporting bottled water, and help the WDA to save money on conference expenses. If you’ve always wanted a nice steel water bottle, now is the time to buy one at www.mysigg.com; www.REI.com/Sigg; or www.kleankanteen.com and bring it with you.
Cloth Bag, Briefcase or Backpack for Papers and Personal Items: We will not be giving out fabric or plastic tote bags with conference materials. Please bring your own from home. This will also help reduce our conference costs.
Writing Supplies: Please bring your own pens, as well as writing pads or notebooks, preferably made of post-consumer recycled paper. We will not be giving these out either.
Personal amenities: Although the hotel provides individual shampoos and conditioners in small plastic bottles which are replaced daily, these are not biodegradable and half or more of the contents is usually wasted. To avoid using these individually packaged personal amenities, we request that you please bring your own shampoo and conditioner.
Cell phones, laptop, etc.: Cell phones, MP3 players and laptops are real energy drains. We ask you not to charge any of them overnight if you can avoid it. Most modern versions no longer need such long charges. The idea would be to charge them after the last session of the day and unplug them before you go to bed. If you so desire, you can purchase a solar powered combination charger for cell phones, iPods, GPS & digital cameras at www.solio.com. One hour of sunshine gives you 20 minutes talk time.
Carbon Offsets: Carbon offsetting has proponents and opponents. It is not the first action you should take to address greenhouse gas emissions but, at this stage in environmental progress, it is the best way to make up for the carbon the conference will emit. The key is that the provider is both honest, established, has an excellent reputation and invests in projects not just to reduce emissions but does so in a sustainable way (including social responsibility). We have such a provider and offer you an opportunity to offset your emissions for this trip at www.nativeenergy.com
Many thanks on behalf of the organizing committee for helping us meet our goals of greening this conference by participating in all, or as many of our requests as possible. |