August 10, 2006                                                                                             65LCB#2

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDENT UNION

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

 

Sponsored by: Ashley Nakagawa                             Tri-executive

 

           

 Authored by: Dave Newport                                    Environmental Center Director

                                               

                                               

                                             A Bill

 Revised Environmental Safety/Social Justice/Labor Rights Commission

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                                                      Bill History

This Bill revises previous Bill 64LCB#10 (approved 3/16/06) to add two additional student at-large members to the UCSU Environmental Justice Project Steering Committee [new language underlined] .

 

Communities of color and underprivileged populations are often unjustly burdened by environmental degradation and pollution. The people of these communities are forced to live with the detrimental health effects of poor air and water quality. They are often more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which can include flooding, drought, and infectious disease.  They also lack the means to combat or mitigate these impacts. For example, communities of color in the U.S. are twice as likely to be uninsured than majority white communities. Yet, these communities are often more susceptible to the negative effects of environmental degradation.

 

It is time for this to change. UCSU understands the linkage between social justice and environmental concerns. It now has the opportunity to set national precedent by helping to define more comprehensive and effective sustainability implementation plans that can address the social and ecological issues faced by all CU students, faculty, staff and community members. 

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                                                   Bill Summary

 

Whereas, climate change degrades natural systems, and therefore affects human populations;

 

Whereas, climate change disproportionately harms communities of color and underprivileged populations;

Whereas, air pollution already unduly distresses people of color;

Whereas, the University of Colorado at Boulder in FY 02-03 contributed to the emission of over 256 million tons of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere (CO2 is a major contributor to climate change);

 

Whereas, people of color and low-income individuals are disproportionately exposed to more pollution and toxics because landfills, chemical plants, gas stations and other toxic releasing facilities are more often located in or next to their neighborhoods;

 

Whereas, the University of Colorado Student Union has consistently supported diversity and social justice measures and seeks to apply all prudent measures to further that support;

_____________________________________________________________________ THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED by the Legislative Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT:

SECTION 1:  A UCSU Environmental Justice Project is hereby established.

 

SECTION 2: The UCSU Environmental Center shall provide coordination and support for the Environmental Justice (EJ) Project.

 

SECTION 3: The vision of the EJ Project is the equitable distribution of fiscal, environmental, and social assets among all people.

 

SECTION 4: The goal of the EJ Project is to improve access to fiscal, environmental, and social assets for those peoples that are currently and historically disenfranchised from these assets.

 

SECTION 5: The mission of the EJ Project is to coordinate EJ-related literature and information, partnerships, education, and outreach on and off campus with all interested individuals and organizations as appropriate, to advance the project’s vision and goals.

 

SECTION 6: The EJ Project shall form a Steering Committee whose membership, at a minimum, will include nine members:

o       A UCSU Tri-executive or his/her designee,

o       The Environmental Center’s UCSU executive staff liaison,

o       The UCSU Diversity Director

o       The Environmental Center Director

o       An Environmental Center Board co-chair

o       A student at-large co-chair

o       A Legislative Council Representative

o       Two (2) CU students at-large as approved by the Steering Committee

o       Other students, faculty, staff, and community members as determined by the steering committee with non-voting status

 

SECTION 7: The EJ Project Steering Committee shall form strategic policy that advances the vision, goals, and mission stated above to be implemented by the Environmental Center Director.

 

SECTION 8: The EJ Project Steering Committee shall establish by-laws and other organizational systems as necessary to fulfill their charge.

 

SECTION 9: The Environmental Center shall seek to develop pathways to channel material, human, and fiscal benefits derived from environmental conservation efforts into social equity and social justice programming such as the EJ Project and other initiatives and shall report once every two months to UCSU on the progress of these efforts.

 

SECTION 10: This bill takes effect upon final passage by Legislative Council

 

 

 

8/10/06                                    1st Reading                                        Acclamation

8/24/06                                    2nd Reading                                       Acclamation

 

 

 

_____________________________                          ______________________________

Joseph Martinez                                                        Ashley Nakagawa

UCSU Legislative Council President                        UCSU Tri-executive

 

 

 

______________________________                        ______________________________

Andy Aitchison                                                           Charles Johnson

UCSU Tri-executive                                                   UCSU Tri-executive