Talk:Chem395:February 8 discussion

This is the location for the first meeting of the Environmental Committee of Acme Chemical Company as part of the Chemistry 395 role playing scenario.

Date and time

Based on the times shown below, I'd suggest we meet at 2:00-3:00pm on Wednesday.

We won't be able to meet at the regular time, so we'll have to meet early next week. Please post your best times below (click "edit" and then it's pretty easy).

Available times to meet

Day	User:Walkerma	User:J-Fed	User:Murphy44
Monday Feb 11	11:30-2:30, 9:00pm-11:00pm	3:00-6:00 pm	8:00-10:00am, 10:30pm-12:00
Tuesday Feb 12	12:30-5:00	2:00-4:30 pm	8:00-10:00(pm)
Wednesday Feb 13	11:30-3:30	2:00 - 6:00 pm	2:00pm-Whenever

Agenda

At the start, I will ask Jesse to make the case for the environment (Items 1-3). Assuming he can convince us that this effort is worthwhile, we will move onto discussing what specific things we can do at Acme to address environmental issues - Chris and Joe will (hopefully) a lot to say on that.

Jesse will respond to the first three, in the first 10-15 minutes:

1. Should we even be addressing environmental issues and sustainability here at Acme, beyond our legal obligations (EPA, OSHA)? On the one hand we have the moral case that "it is the right thing to do," but if we go bankrupt in the process it's not a good thing.
2. (Related) Our core mission is to make chemicals - how do environmental issues fit in with that?
3. (Related) In general terms, how can we make the company more "sustainable?"

Then I'll open things up for all of us to chime in, on specific ways to make the company more sustainable and environmentally responsible:

1. What specific things can we do in our general ways of organization and working?
2. What specific things can we do in our plant machinery?
3. What specific things can we do in our chemical processes?
4. What specific things can we do in our sales and marketing?
5. Should we go for ISO 14000 certification?

Discussion

Hello everyone! Thanks for coming to the first meeting of the environmental committee here at Acme. Are you all here? Walkerma 14:02, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Just testing to make sure that this works! J-Fed 14:02, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Reading you loud and clear JF Murphy44 14:03, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Great! I'd like to start out by asking - should we even be doing this? Walkerma 14:04, 13 February 2008 (EST) Is it even worth us investing good money just to be "green"? Walkerma 14:05, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Yes, I feel that as long as the best interests of the company are at the forefront of any changes this is a very reasonable consideration. Murphy44 14:09, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Jesse, you've been pushing us to do this for some time. Can you spell out exactly why we should, so we all know why we're here at this meeting? Walkerma 14:08, 13 February 2008 (EST)

I believe it is important for us to be doing this, particularly for the environment. We have more to do beyond the scope of basic legal and moral obligations. it is definately worth investing in "green" processes in the long run because it will boost our efficiency and productivity and generate more profit. J-Fed 14:12, 13 February 2008 (EST)

Does this mean pushing the ACME into the red for a number of quarters? Murphy44

In other words, are we going to be losing profits for a time? Murphy44 14:15, 13 February 2008 (EST)

For a time yes. All types of new processes have some cost-benefit ratio.

Footers

We need to move past the basic moral and legal grounds to help the environment and ourselves in the process. If the environment disappears, so do the people who live in it. If we do not have customers, well there won't even be a need for production. J-Fed 14:14, 13 February 2008 (EST)