GRN CALL JULY 10TH

jennie.alvernaz@sfsierra.sierraclub.org
Fri, 22 Jan 1999 16:22:30 -0500


TO Grassroots Recycling Network Steering Committee
FROM Bill Sheehan --7/4/96

RE Conference Call Rescheduled for July 10th

DATE: Wednesday, July 10th
TIME: 3 PM EST (2 PM CST; 12 noon PST)
CALL: 800-857-9608
CODE: Sierra Club, or Bill Sheehan

AGENDA FOR CONFERENCE CALL JULY 10TH

I sent a rambling message on June 26th, giving my impressions of the
Newport Beach meeting and general next steps. The following is an
attempt to lay out a more concrete list of tasks so we can decide who
is going to do what, when, how, etc. Many thanks to Lance King for
helping to focus on tasks needed to build a national campaign.

The first priority is to agree on the direction GRN is headed. I don't
think we got total agreement in Newport Beach. I believe we have
agreement that a national campaign is needed to chart a course for
recycling and elimination of waste for the next 10 to 15 years. I think
we also need to make our campaign more explicitly address the many
serious attempts to roll back gains we have already made in recycling
and waste reduction. I have seldom seen such fiery energy as that
elicited by the June 30th NY Times article. The article was written in
support of attempts to gut NY City's recycling program and plans to
close their landfill. We need to tap into such energies and provide
leadership toward a greater vision.

On our call, I would like us to focus on the nuts and bolts of
developing a long-term campaign, including immediate actions we
can pursue as a basis of organizing, lobbying, and media outreach.

1. CAMPAIGN PLAN

a. Define the need for GRN, develop a brief mission statement (100
words or less).
b. Summarize policy goals and objectives.
c. Draft campaign plan, including: goals; timeline; organizational
structure and process; resources needed; targeted and prioritized
campaign allies; targeted campaign messages that GRN will test in the
initial exploratory phase (until the organizing conference ratifies the
campaign objectives and priorities).
d. Assign task to one person with input from two or three others, to
produce an initial draft by July 15. Circulate to Steering Committee,
revise by end of July. List areas of agreement and disagreement. This
is a confidential draft for discussion until the formal campaign
organizing conference.

2. STEERING COMMITTEE We need a steering committee of
committed individuals and organizations who will commit time,
energy and resources in the next 6-8 months to making GRN work
(and who are on email). We need a few more such individuals (4 to
6?) and may want to drop a few existing ones who haven't been too
busy contribute a lot (or move them to an advisory board?). I have
taken the liberty of recruiting two such individuals (Ruth Abbe and
Lance King) and have cleared this with most of you by phone; they
will join us on the call on Wednesday, July 10th.

We have already agreed that we want to limit the Steering Committee
to individuals representing organizations that work, or have worked,
directly with grassroots groups. PIRG and Clean Water Action come
to mind as potential recruits, but there other good organizations.
Beyond this we should have more women and minorities (some
things never seem to change!). My personal bias is to keep a balance
of recycling and wasting activists; on the *recycling* side, ensure a
balance between narrowly-defined recycling and waste prevention,
reuse and composting; and to look for individuals who can help us
articulate zero waste.

The Steering Committee needs to organize into task groups no later
than July 31st:
-- interim chair
-- campaign planning group (task one above)
-- media committee and spokesperson
-- list and mailing manager
-- finance, budget and grant-writing committee
-- winter conference committee
-- outreach committee (for contacting targeted allies)
-- regional leaders
-- ad hoc action committees (e.g. party platforms; zero garbage day
events)

3. POLICY STATEMENTS Revise campaign policy statements
already being circulated and maintain as draft documents up to the
organizing conference next winter. By the end of July be prepared to
approve a draft to circulate to key potential allies for input and
agreement. Obtain comments by end of August. Distribute prior to
NRC Congress.

ACTIONS:

4. MEDIA CAMPAIGN Develop a short-term media campaign
focusing on GRN agenda and need for action. (How to create a
campaign in the absence of a widely-perceived crisis.) Possibilities:

a. Press release addressing EPA's plan to increase national recycling
goal. (I think GRN should demand that EPA switch to wasting goals.
We have learned that recycling goals do not necessarily mean less
landfilling, but zero waste will translate into more recycling.)
b. National wasting/recycling report card.
c. Press release addressing attempted roll-backs in recycling
legislation.
d. Approach Environmental Working Group (the DC media group
that promoted the Evangelicals for Endangered Species Protection
campaign) about promoting Zero Waste campaign message.

5. INITIAL ORGANIZING
a. Letter writing campaign regarding attempted legislative roll-backs
and supporting zero waste vision.
b. Zero Garbage Days? Feature unrecyclable products.

6. MILESTONES:

a. PITTSBURGH NRC CONGRESS Mary Tkach will scope out
place and time we can meet, in conjunction with the Nonprofit
Recycling Council.
b. WINTER ORGANIZING CONFERENCE We have talked about
a central location like Kansas City. Neil and I will redraft the Turner
proposal (which can be resubmitted to them in October), and look for
other funding possibilities. Release policy papers and legislative
agenda. Provide campaign training.
c. EARTH DAY 1997: Take it over. Zero Waste prototypes.
d. CRRA and NRC annual conferences: Zero Waste theme.

-end-