OUSU Environment and Ethics

Dear all, sorry this is so late to come on the website! This is what happens when your webmaster has a 9th week finals deadline and then moves house/gets a new job. Many apologies and keep checking up over the summer! New committee info coming soon.

E & E Newsletter
Trinity 2010 – The end!

Congratulations to all of you for getting through yet another Oxford term – especially to those who have had exams to sit. To those who are leaving Oxford, we wish all the best on the way ahead – for all others, we are looking forward to working with you next year. As we could all see from the recent Green League, there is much work for us to do!

In this email, we have one very important notice: it is a message from Alistair, our chair, telling you can you can get involved next year. With your help, we can actually make change happen, so that our university will no longer receives a third class degree and finishes 80 places below Brookes in the Green League! (Have a look at the data, if you like: http://peopleandplanet.org/greenleague/table)

Apart from that, we have two other options for you to get involved with matters green and ethical, and a 30 second action – sign a petition urging to end offshore oil drilling that is just a few thousand signatures away from being delivered to President Obama.

Have an amazing summer! We will refrain from listing all the green summer tips, as we sure you can remember most of them – and will follow them all. If you want a reminder, have a look at the corresponding page in the environmental graffiti magazine – a page full of articles on green and other matters, some rather quirky, some just funny, some really interesting. Do have a look if you are fed up with watching youtube.

Green love -

Lukas

Contents

1. Get involved with E&E next year, and help us make a real difference!
2. Take action in 30 seconds: ask President Obama to stop offshore oil-drilling!
3. Are you in Oxford over the summer? Then volunteer for Re-Plenish!
4. Get involved – volunteer with People & Planet

1. Get involved with E&E next year, and help us make a real difference!

I’m Alastair, your new chair for this coming year, and I’ll try and keep this as short as possible. Feedback from you guys at the end of this year told me you want:

-To make a real, positive difference.

-Empowerment

-Training

-A sense of unity

-Support in your college work

-To learn about issues

-To get involved in campaigns needing a group.

So I (with lots of help) have tried to tailor a system based on these desires:

Since Oxford terms are so short, we’re going to try and maximise next year’s action via a little forward planning…

What’s going to happen next?

At the 1st meeting of next term, we’ll have a vote over which 2 campaigns we want to run this coming year.

But don’t worry about getting left out! The vote to decide the 3rd campaign will happen slightly later in the term, to give freshers and people new to OUSU E&E time to get involved, and put forth suggestions of their own.

What’s going to happen now?

If any of the campaigns on the shortlist below interest you in particular, then you can ‘adopt’ it: for example, if solar panels are your thing, then over the summer you could do a little investigation into the solar panel situation in Oxford.

Why should I adopt a campaign?

The more you can tell the rest of us about a particular area for campaigning, the more likely it’ll get chosen when we decide on campaigns next term. If you have a cause that’s special to you, give it the best chance you can!

Don’t worry about commitment, there is none! It’s yours to do as much or as little as you want with. This is all about giving a cause that you’re passionate about a chance to get tackled on a uni-wide scale. So why not give it a go?

Current ‘campaign shortlist’:

Environment:

- Waste: Get >70% of College external residential annexes to get food waste recycling.

- Recycling: Achieve uniformity of recycling services over college main sites (maybe annexe and residential sites too)

- Energy & Electrical Efficiency: Get University to aspire that all new buildings are built to specific efficiency standards. (Would depend on any present standards that exist)

- Energy: Get n solar panels installed in Oxford colleges. (This would act as a incentive for other colleges to keep up with the times)

- Policy: Get all colleges to adopt an environmental/sustainability policy.

- Water: Uniformity of standards with regards to efficiency.

Ethics:

- Workers’ Rights Consortium: Get the University to become a signee to the Workers’ Rights Consortium, and become the first University in the UK to do so.

- Fairtrade University Status: Get the University to become a Fairtrade University, by over 2/3 of colleges becoming Fairtrade Colleges.

- Living Wage: Get >n% of colleges to pay a Living Wage to all staff.

Other possibilities are…

10:10

University Arms Divestment (probably via a tie-in with Oxford Anti War Action)

Conditions

* Each campaign must have a concrete (and preferably achievable!) goal.

* At least one of the campaigns we choose next term must be specifically relevant to action within every college.

If you want to adopt over the summer or are just interested, don’t hesitate to send me an email at eande.chair@ousu.org

Have a great summer holiday!

2. Take action in 30 seconds: ask President Obama to stop offshore oil-drilling!

A disastrous oil spill is gushing as much as 2,500,000 gallons of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico.

Before the spill, U.S. leaders were ramping up offshore drilling. Now, the Obama administration says no new drilling will be allowed until an investigation is concluded. But that’s not enough: offshore drilling is dirty, dangerous, and the wrong strategy for a safe climate future for all.

The world needs the US to move away from oil, and work with us instead to drive forward the global clean energy revolution. Let’s use this moment to send a world-wide message to President Obama, urging him to overturn offshore drilling expansion — our global outcry will be delivered in Washington with a massive banner when we reach 500,000 signers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_offshore_drilling/?fp

3. Are you in Oxford over the summer? Then volunteer for Re-Plenish!

Re-Plenish ( http://www.re-plenish.org/ ) is a local Oxford initiative. It sources food from local supermarkets which, although perfectly fine, would otherwise be thrown away due to officious legislation, and distributes it to various charities around Oxford who can make use of it. These charities vary from soup kitchens, creches,
rehabilitation half-way houses – all sorts really: all fantastic causes in their own right. Re-plenish does this with the help of a roster of volunteers, who are supplied by an Oxford student-run charity called Food Justice (http://groupspaces.com/foodjustice/).

Although in term time there have been more than enough volunteers to staff the project, which operates seven days a week, many of these are undergraduates who disappear out of term time. By contrast we
graduates tend to stick around more. Re-Plenish are therefore hoping to set up a roster of graduate volunteers to cover the summer period. The time commitment will be minimal: one morning, once a week at most (more likely, given a reasonable amount of interest, once per fortnight), sorting the food and helping to deliver it. It’s a really great way to see bits of Oxford you wouldn’t normally and feel like a real person!

If you are interested in volunteering for Re-Plenish over the forthcoming summer vacation period, or just if you would like to find out more, then please get in touch with Chris Jones [email: chris.jones@balliol.ox.ac.uk].

4. Get involved – volunteer with People & Planet

People & Planet is the largest, student network in Britain campaigning to end world poverty,defend human rights and protect the environment.

Their national head-office is based in Oxford – and now they are recruiting for nine exciting volunteering roles, roles that can be based anywhere, but being it Oxford obviously can be quite handy. Have a look at their website for more information: http://peopleandplanet.org/volunteer/our-opportunities.

Remember: E&E is also about you – so please be in touch with any ideas and feedback.

Contact us:
eande.secretary@ousu.org (Lukas Wallrich)

E & E Newsletter
Trinity 2010 – 6th week

With more than half of the term behind us, we are starting to shift our focus to the future. Alastair, the new E&E chair, is looking for ideas for campaigns that E&E should run, and issues we should work on. If you have any thoughts that might be useful for the planning process, drop him an email at alastair.marsh@ccc.ox.ac.uk.

Otherwise, have a look at the notices below – as always, there is some exciting green stuff going on around the university. Please also let us know what you and your college do to reduce energy consumption by students – we are still collecting ideas on that. As always, we hope to see you at our weekly meeting on Thursday, at 5.30 in OUSU on Bonn Square.

Contents

1. OxHub Ethical Internships – Apply by June 4th!
2. Green Fair
3. Will there be room for aviation in a low carbon future?
4. College Matters – Energy Questions … still ongoing

1. OxHub Ethical Internships – Apply by June 4th!

Do you want to learn new skills? Get experience in a charity or social enterprise? Get training? Meet new people? Have fun?

Doing an Ethical Internship is a great way to spend your summer vac! Oxford Hub is running the Ethical Internships scheme again this summer, which means there’s loads of placements on offer in local third sector organisations. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Check out the placements on offer at www.oxfordhub.org/placements

2. Apply online before 4th June at www.oxfordhub.org/internshipapply

All the information is on our website: www.oxfordhub.org/ethicalinternships

2. Green Fair

Maybe some of you want to go along to this:

5 June. 11:00 to 16:00

Science Oxford, 1-5 London Place, St Clements, Oxford OX4 1BD.

Come and find out what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Chat to the experts and discover ways that local companies are making it possible for us all to be green!

3. Will there be room for aviation in a low carbon future?

Tim Johnson, Director, Aviation Environmental Federation

3 June. 16:00 to 17:00

Seminar Room, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Hayes House, 75 George Street, Oxford OX1 2BQ.

With demand for aviation set to grow significantly over the coming decades, does the associated growth in emissions challenge our ability to achieve a low carbon future? The Committee on Climate Change suggests that, taking into account improvements in efficiency and other measures in the aviation sector, the UK’s 2050 climate goal can be realised only if the predicted growth in air traffic is constrained below forecast levels. Seminar considers past and future growth, the scientific rationale for tackling aviations greenhouse gas emissions, and the current and emerging regulatory landscape.
4. College Matters – Energy Questions … still ongoing

In this section, we will raise issues on a weekly basis, see how some colleges are doing on it, and share their tips with the rest of you in the coming week.

Last week, we asked about successful strategies for reducing energy use in colleges. Some good ideas came back to us, for example systems to shut down computers in computer rooms automatically some time in the evening, as long as they are not in use then. On Thursday, we had a productive discussion with the university Sustainability Team, exchanging some ideas that will go into the guide they are producing.

However, we know that there are more ideas and examples out there – so please let us know what you or your college are doing to reduce energy usage.

Remember: E&E is also about you – so please be in touch with any ideas and feedback.

Contact us:
eande.secretary@ousu.org (Lukas Wallrich)

E & E Newsletter
Trinity 2010 – 5th week

Last Thursday, we elected a new Chair for the E&E Committee. Alastair Marsh from Corpus will head E&E from Michaelmas onward – so if you have any thoughts on how E&E could improve its work, now is probably a good time to get in touch with him: alastair.marsh@ccc.ox.ac.uk. We also elected Eden to be our new Energy & Emissions Information Officer. If you now also want to get involved, the position of the Recycling & Waste Information Officer is still up for grabs – be in touch with eande.chair@ousu.org if you are interested.

Otherwise, have a look at the notices below – some exciting green stuff going on around the university. Please look at the College Matters section, and let us know if your college does anything that reduces energy consumption effectively. We hope to see you at our weekly meeting on Thursday, at 5.30 in OUSU on Bonn Square.

Contents

1. OxHub Series on Wednesday: Ending Oxford University’s arms investments
2. OxGrow Survey – organic allotments anyone?
3. Soldiering towards Media Democracy
4. College Matters – 10:10 Campaign Thoughts and Energy Questions

1. OxHub Series on Wednesday: Ending Oxford University’s arms investments

Did you know that Oxford University invests millions of pounds in arms companies every year?

In recent months the University has resisted student and faculty pressure to divest from these unethical companies. The medical journal the Lancet intends to publish a piece on the issue shortly.

Our expert panel, including renowned surgeon Dr Swee Ang (founder Medical Aid for Palestinians), will discuss why the University should divest now. Followed by Q&A.

*** ‘Ending Oxford University’s arms investments’
- OxHub Series panel ***

Date: Wednesday 26th May (5th week)
Place: Saskatchewan Room, Exeter College, Turl Street
Time: 7.30pm

Speakers:
Dr Swee Ang (Conflict-zone surgeon, founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians)
Alun Morinan (Campaign Against the Arms Trade)
Josh Brewer (EIRIS – Experts In Responsible Investment Solutions)

If you don’t like the idea of your University investing in companies that profit from human rights abuses and war crimes, come to the discussion and join our campaign.

Oxford Anti-War Action

2. OxGrow Survey – organic allotments anyone?

OxHub’s OH:CV has a new project with an environmental focus called “The Green Project”. “The Green Project” is currently running one-off conservation events but also has a long-term plan to establish an organic allotment site and community garden called “OxGrow”. This would provide opportunities for members of the University, both students and staff, to learn practical skills for living more sustainably.

The following survey has been compiled in order to gauge the level of interest within the University of Oxford towards this scheme. If this sounds like your kind of thing, please fill out the survey – it´ll only take a couple of minutes!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P7L37SB

Thanks very much,

Doireann Lalor & Annabelle Gold-Caution

(The Green Project Co-ordinators)

3. Soldiering towards Media Democracy

Maybe some of you are interested in this talk at the Business School:

Christina Dunbar-Hester of the Virtual Knowledge Studio in Amsterdam will give a talk about contemporary activism and community media as part of Trinity Term’s STS seminar series.

Date: 27 May 2010
Time: 4-5:30 pm
Location: James Martin Seminar Room

This paper examines contemporary activism around community media. It presents the case study of a U.S.-based activist group that both engages in and advocates for an ostensibly outdated form of technical practice: building FM radio stations at the community level. This ethnographic project explores media activism as a productive and creative undertaking, looking at the intersection of activist practice, critical agency and identity construction around work with technology. It shows how these media activists use their commitment to hands-on technical work as a resource to maintain boundaries between themselves and other advocacy groups, and to give coherence to their own evolving and highly varied work.
4. College Matters – 10:10 Campaign Thoughts and Energy Questions

In this section, we will raise issues on a weekly basis, see how some colleges are doing on it, and share their tips with the rest of you in the coming week.

Last week, we asked about joining the 10:10 Campaign. Apparently, many colleges were considering it, but then often deterred by the apparently high target. Here it is important to realise that organisation can sign up even if they pledge a lower target – so even if you can only convince your college to cut emissions down by 5%, that can still be part of the national 10:10 Campaign.

On a less grand level, we are supporting the University’s Sustainability Team to set up a guide for students on how to save energy in college. For that, we’d like to know if your college does anything that is effective in reducing the energy consumption by students – be it posters, fines or events – please let us know about anything that you think is effective.

E & E Newsletter
Trinity 2010 – 4th week

Four weeks into term, the end of some things is approaching. Mae, after a great year as the chair of the E&E Committee will get a successor this Thursday, some of you will be stressing about finals now and then be leaving Oxford soon.

As regards the first, this is an amazing opportunity to get involved. So don’t miss out, but rather come to our meeting on Thursday and run for the position – or one of the other two that will be available. In the second case, there will surely be some stuff around that you will not want to take out of Oxford – see below for some info on what to do with that.

Also, the naked calendar is progressing (remember, the one where societies and teams pledge that they would rather go naked than wear sweatshop stash) – the first ones are preparing to get undressed – so if you are part of a group that wants to be involved, please be in touch now (eande@ousu.org).

So, we hope to see you at our meeting on Thursday, at 5.30 in OUSU on Bonn Square.

Enjoy the sun. xx

Contents

1. Chair and Information Officer Election – get involved!
2. What to do with your old stuff when you leave?
3. College Matters – Bin Solutions – and Questions – and 10:10 Campaign

1. Chair and Information Officer Election – get involved!

On Thursday, we will be holding some E&E Elections: we will elect a new Chair of the Committee to replace Mae, and Information Officers for Waste & Recycling and for Energy & Emissions.

The Chair, quite obviously, is chairing the E&E Committee, acting as the focal point of contact, and being responsible for coordinating the various activities E&E engages in. So if you’d like to develop your leadership abilities, and help to realize the great potential E&E has, this would be a fantastic way for you to get involved, with a role that you can really make what you want it to be.

The Information Officers are people responsible for collecting information and pointing people in the right direction in their area of expertise. They can research into possible ways to address those issues within the university, spearhead campaigns – but also, just adopt a more passive role and be there as someone to connect people with resources. So if you care about either Waste & Recycling or Energy & Emissions, give these positions a thought.

If you want more information, we are happy to answer any questions (Mae at eande.chair@ousu.org is the best one to ask). If you just want to give it a go, just be there on Thursday at 5.30 and get involved.

2. What to do with your old stuff when you leave?

As you are leaving Oxford, much pretty stuff will not fit into your suitcases – and some other things you might not even want to see anymore (academic books, for example.) No need to let the landfills grow, though.

There are some great alternatives:

- The Friends of Helen & Douglas House group is organising a charity shop drive to support children and adults with life shortening conditions. They collect most good quality items you can spare with a few exceptions (electrical devices, duvets, knifes), which you can just put into boxes from the end boxes should spring up in your college at the end of 7th week. More info: http://oxfordhub.org/thebiggive

Together with that collection, Food Justice is collection spare food you might have (preferably cans or dry food rather than perishables) that they will distribute to local charities.

- The Roots & Shoots Group is organising a book drive in support of two Madagascan universities, but they still need your help: they are looking for College Reps to take that drive forwards in all colleges – see the poster attached, and get in touch with oscar.benjamin@st-annes.ox.ac.uk – it seems to be a very worthwhile cause.

Finally, we at the E&E Committee are thinking to organise a Swap Shop towards the end of term. If you think that’s a good idea, or even better, if you want to be involved, please let us know.

3. College Matters – Bin Solutions – and Questions – and 10:10 Campaign

In this section, we will raise issues on a weekly basis, see how some colleges are doing on it, and share their tips with the rest of you in the coming week.

Last week, we asked about the use of recycling bins. We heard that quite a few colleges still don’t have them in their rooms, but that those that do find that it greatly contributes to recycling rates, because people are not willing to take their stuff separately to the recycling stations. Yet many people are not even willing to do that with their bins. Any solutions for that?

Also, this week we were very excited to learn that the university has signed up to the 10:10 Campaign. Quite a few colleges were pushing towards that as well. Are there any that are signed up? If you are working on it, do you have any tips to share with others?

E & E Newsletter
Trinity 2010 – 3rd week

Last Saturday was World Fair Trade Day – a day where people all around the globe expressed their belief that consumer choices can pave the path towards a better world. Yet too few people act on that belief. Below you find some info on a competition that aims generate ideas to bridge that gap – and could allow you to win 1000 Pounds. So give it some thought.

1. ‘Your world needs you’

Tetra Pak UK and WWF-UK have launched a nationwide search for ideas aimed at harnessing the nation’s ‘green’ intentions and translating them into action.

New research commissioned by Tetra Pak, has revealed that whilst 82% of UK adults believe their individual actions can make some difference to the environment, these are not reflected in food shopping habits where green credentials come 4th on the list of product criteria below quality, value and special offers.

‘Your Renewable Idea’ calls for ideas and solutions which will encourage everyone to buy goods made from renewable sources, such as responsibly managed forests. Ideas to change people’s habits and lifestyles – no matter how large or small – can be submitted online via www.renewableidea.co.uk for a public vote. Up to £25,000 will go towards making the winning idea a reality, with the support of Tetra Pak and WWF-UK.

For every vote and idea submitted, Tetra Pak will donate 10p and £1 respectively, to WWF-UK. The funds generated will support a project to help conserve the forest habitat of a number of rare species including the Persian leopard and other important conservation projects.

* Entries submitted for the ‘Your Renewable Idea’ competition via www.renewableidea.co.uk, will go to public vote, on the website. The ideas with the most votes will be reviewed by a panel of judges to select the overall winner. The winner will receive £1,000 and up to £25,000 will go towards making the winning idea a reality with the support of Tetra Pak and WWF-UK. The competition is open for entries until 31st October 2010 and for voting until 30th November 2010. For further information visit www.renewableidea.co.uk.
* Social media will play a key part in how Tetra Pak and WWF-UK spread the word about the campaign – follow them on Facebook (http://bit.ly/cPi7yW) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/renewableidea)

2. Election reminder – E&E Committee Positions will be elected next week!

Next week, we will be holding our own E&E Elections to fill three positions: we will elect a new Chair of the Committee to replace Mae, and Information Officers for Waste & Recycling and for Energy & Emissions.

The Chair, quite obviously, is chairing the E&E Committee, acting as the focal point of contact, and being responsible for coordinating the various activities E&E engages in. However, it would be entirely up to you whether you want to preside over things, facilitate them from within, or do something between those two. So if you’d like to develop your leadership abilities, and help to realize the great potential E&E has, this would be a fantastic way for you to get involved.

The Information Officers are people responsible for collecting information and pointing people in the right direction in their area of expertise. They can research into possible ways to address those issues within the university, spearhead campaigns – but also, just adopt a more passive role and be there as someone to relate people with resources. So if you care about either Waste & Recycling or Energy & Emissions, give these positions a thought.

If you are interested in standing, please get in touch with us – it would be great to have a brief chat with you about it. You can also let us have a manifesto by next Wednesday, particularly if you would like to be the next chair. However, neither of those are in any way compulsory – you only need to be there on the Thursday of 4th week at 5.30 to get involved.

3. College Matters – Paper Solutions and Bin Question

In this section, we will raise issues on a weekly basis, see how some colleges are doing on it, and share their tips with the rest of you in the coming week.

Last week, we asked about the use of recycled paper in college printers and photocopiers. We heard that Wadham has been using it for years, without any trouble. They use the brand Evolve Everyday – so at least that one won’t jam anything. Using recycled paper saves loads of trees, energy and landfill space – so maybe you want to try to get your college to switch over to it as well.

This week, we would like to address the issue of recycling bins. Most colleges probably have them in the rooms by now – yet, how do you make students actually use them? Especially, have you found a solution to get them emptied in the same way that general waste bins are? Please let us know so that we can share that information with others.

E & E Newsletter
Trinitity 2010 – 1st week
Welcome back to Oxford. I hope you had a great holiday, and had a good trip back, without too much ash complication. When I got back to Oxford, I couldn’t believe how springy and green it was – a great environment for some matters green and ethical.

As you might notice from the look of this newsletter, some change has occured. I have taken over from Emma as the new Secretary of E&E, so let me introduce myself briefly: I am Lukas, studying PPE at Merton, and love all matters green and ethical – so I hope to be able to inspire some of you to get involved in new things, to connect you with other initiatives, to let you know what’s happening in the E&E world in Oxford. All these things are aims of the weekly newsletter as well. Yet we are not sure how to achieve those best – we are currently restructuring it, if you have any ideas, please share them with us.

Yet, more importantly, elections are coming up. We are preparing a pledge for politicians both in the National and Local Elections, so that all students can see their credentials on E&E issues – on issues that they, that you, care about: the content of the pledge is decided upon in a university wide survey – see below. Please take a couple of minutes, preferably right now, to make your voice heard.

On Thursday, we have the first E&E Meeting of term at 5.30 in the OUSU Building, immediately followed by the Ethical and Environmental Hustings for Oxford East at Exeter College – we hope to see you there.

1. Elections – Politician’s Pledge

With a close and crucial National Election coming up, we want to push E&E matters up the agenda. For that, we are creating a student’s pledge to put to the candidates who are asking for your vote (in the Oxford East and Oxford West and Abingdon constituencies) – a pledge voted for by you, through which you can find out what your candidates are really willing to commit to on the environmental and ethical fronts.
At OUSU, we’ve come up with a list of policies – from food labelling to cheaper rail travel – which we think you might like, and we’ve put them all into a nifty survey. But we want your say!
Vote now for the policies you like – and the ones you don’t – and we’ll compile a Pledge to put to your candidates. Then we’ll spread the word on what they all say, so you can make up your minds whom to give your vote to, knowing they won’t let you down on the environmental and ethical issues which matter to you!

So take a few seconds to vote online now: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7X2MBJ9

2. Elections again – Ethical and Environmental Hustings

Want to see how the candidates in Oxford East respond to our pledge? Or to ask them directly about the issues that matter to you?

Thursday 29th April
6.30pm-8pm
Saskatchewan Room, Exeter College

Labour: Andrew Smith
Conservative: Ed Argar
Liberal Democrat: Steven Goddard
Green: Sushila Dhall
UKIP: Julia Gasper

Be there at 6.15 to submit your questions.

3. E&E Meeting on Thursday

Our first E&E Meeting is coming up on Thursday. It will be rather short, so that we can all make it to the Hustings on time – yet there are some important things coming up:

Oxford Buy Right Campaign

With this campaign, we want to ensure that no Oxford-branded clothes are produced in sweatshops. To raise awareness for this, we are making a naked calendar – “I’d rather go naked than wear sweatshop stash.” On Thursday, we will briefly talk about the timeline for the calendar, and the strategy for the wider campaign – but most importantly, we will decide on a charity that the money we raise from the calendar sales will go to.

The contestants are, at the moment:
- Labour behind the Label,
- WorkAid,
- and People & Planet.

We will present all of them briefly, but if you want to read up on them beforehand, go ahead. If you think another charity should be considered, please prepare a 30-second pitch for them and come along.

E&E Forum

At the Exec meeting today, we discussed the idea of having an E&E Forum later this term, to bring students working on different ethical and environmental issues in Oxford together, to network, brainstorm and socialise. Now we want to hear from you what you think of that idea, and how you think it should happen.

College Matters

Obviously, we also want to hear from you, what you are up to in your college this term, and how we can support you with that. For example, World Fair Trade Day is coming up on May 9 – maybe you want to do something around that?

So, we hope to see you on Thursday, 5.30pm in OUSU on Bonn Square – Mae will bring some snacks, so don’t miss out

4. Apply now: Directors for the Oxford Climate Forum 2011

The Oxford Climate Forum is a student-run conference which unites young leaders from across the country, to truly engage the next generation of leaders with climate change and give them the skills, inpiration and networks to create effective change. The inaugural OCF this year was a huge success, with 20 top speakers and skilled students attending from over 20 universities.  (See www.oxfordclimateforum.org for more information).

We are now recruiting two DIRECTORS to carry the event forward next year.  This is an exciting opportunity for someone new to take on a management role and work in a great group on a concrete and innovative project.  You will be able to shape all aspects of next year’s conference, working with the Oxford Hub and this year’s OCF Committee to recruit a dedicated team to work with and make next year’s event even better.

Applications are now open to any students who will be enrolled in Oxford next academic year and who are:
* Highly motivated, organised and responsible
* Great at working with a team
* Interested in making a real difference for climate change
* Committed to approximately 6 months in a high-responsibility role

To apply, please email this year’s Director at julia.koskella@some.ox.ac.uk by midnight Sunday (May 2nd), detailing your interest in applying, any relevant past experience and attaching your CV if available.

We look forward to hearing from you!
The Oxford Climate Forum Committee 2010