Creating a Green Conference

Posted by conference on July 6, 2009 under Blog: New Postings, Green Conference | Be the First to Comment

The 2010 organizing committee is considering the environmental impact in every planning decision—from coffee cups to name badges to air travel.

Some decisions are easy, like the reuse of plastic name badge holders. OGS has been doing that for years to save money, and your 2010 badge may have seen five years of service. “Waste not, want not” has become an environmental adage.

But consider the coffee cups. We estimate that, over the three days of the Conference, about 3,500 disposable cups will be replaced with reusable ones. Ice water in pitchers and tumblers will replace the dreaded plastic bottles.

We’ve been saving paper during the planning process by distributing the minutes of our meetings by e-mail. Most committee members have found it unnecessary to print them, and for many meetings the only paper distributed has been a one-page agenda.

Following the 2009 Conference lead, we’ll be distributing most publicity electronically, including the program and registration form. We’ll have printed forms available for those who would prefer them, but we anticipate the quantity of paper to be a fraction of former years.

For the first time at an OGS Conference, a password-protected online syllabus will give registrants access to lecture information ahead of time and the ability to print all or just the pages for the lectures they plan to attend. With up to five lecture choices in each time slot, that could reduce the paper used by close to 75%. (Registrants will have the option to purchase a printed syllabus, if they prefer.)

There are many more decisions to make in the months ahead, and opportunities to have less of an impact—or a positive impact—on our environment. We welcome your suggestions.