What We Do

The Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) is an advisory board to the ASUCD Senate comprised of nine members and up to four alternates. It is responsible for researching environmental issues affecting the campus and its surrounding area, as well as providing recommendations for improvement. EPPC is committed to creating new and enforcing past environmental legislation. EPPC aims to provide environmental education and outreach in order to better inform students and the campus community about the environment and relevant issues. EPPC works with students, administration, ASUCD, student environmental groups, the City of Davis and other relevant bodies in order to better recognize and address the environmental concerns of the campus and its community as well as to encourage collaboration in working toward the creation of a more sustainable environment.

Past Events

EPPC has helped to improve campus sustainability in numerous areas, and is always looking to do more. If you have any ideas for projects or want to give suggestions for our current projects, please reach out to us! Here are some examples of EPPC's sustainability efforts:

• Commissioners Maya Bhadury, Amaris Fraley, Forrest Pasturel, and Carly Placencio rewrote Chapter 17 of the ASUCD Bylaws (the ASUCD Environmental Sustainability Guidelines). The rewritten bylaws mandate a higher level of sustainable operation within ASUCD with a goal towards being zero waste. 
• EPPC led UC Davis in becoming a Fair Trade Certified University. As UC Davis was the fifth UC campus to become Fair Trade Certified, the four remaining UC campuses must now become Fair Trade certified.
• EPPC created the Student Sustainability Career Fair Committee, a group that seeks to educate students on sustainable and environmental career paths and provide career-related resources.
• The Environmental Sustainability Student Coalition was established by EPPC and the Campus Center for the Environment. This organization aims to allow for increased communication and collaboration among environmental organizations on the UC Davis campus in order to more effectively address environmental issues as a unified group of students.

EPPC 2011-2012

January 31, 2012: EPPC’s Green Wheels event highlighted sustainable transportation in the CoHo that included local bike shop Ken’s Bike and Ski and their electric bicycles, Davis Pedicab, Campus Center for the Environment, free giveaways of cycling water bottles, bike gear and much more! 

April 23-27, 2012: EPPC's Earth Week event include a week long celebration of activities to prepare to live every week like it's Earth Week! Festivities included: 

Party With Planet Earth on Monday: A green party without Ralph Nader—play sustainable apple juice pong with reusable cups, pick up some tips for hosting a zero-waste party, and more! Trashy Tuesday: Who says being trashy can't be classy? Enjoy a trashion show—trash + fashion = trashion—and get in touch with your artsy side with some green crafts: make your own jewelry out of recycled paper and dishes out of soda cans. Food Fight Wednesday: Come hungry, leave informed and happy! Thirsty Thursday: Kick your bottled water habit—just tap it! Learn more about how to be eco-friendly when it comes to two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen. Winds of Change Friday: Learn about the Cool Cities campaign, alternative energy, and some easy lifestyle tips on how to go green.

EPPC 2009-2010

Earth Week 2009

2009's logo and theme" 

 

+ Meat v. Beet Debate - Six student panelists made up the Debate. Nilli Grutman (Davis Vegetarian Society), Dani Lee (Davis Vegetarian Society) & Brian Seaby (California Student Sustainability Coalition) made up the vegetarian side, while Brandon Craig (Davis College Democrats), Sara Meimin (EPPC) & Jack Zwald (ASUCD Senator) made up the non-vegetarian side. Professor Thomas Famula of the Animal Sciences department moderated the debate.

+ Environmental Lecture - Professor Stephen Wheeler of Landscape Architecture read an enlightening anecdote about environmental utopia from a book he edited.

+ 3rd Annual Trashion Show - EPPC and the Student Fashion Association joined forces again to reinforce the importance of sustainable practices. The winning outfits included and dress and hat made entirely of wallpaper, a dress made entirely of candy wrappers, and a vest made from burlap with a matching purse. This outfit also included a skirt made entirely of pages from a phonebook.

+ Environmental Club Fair - Many environmental clubs agreed that there was a major disconnect between each other. So, EPPC hosted a club fair to collectively publicize each club's distinct cause and/or purpose. Among those who participated were the Davis Vegetarian Society, Students for Sustainable Agriculture, Project Compost, R4 and the California Student Sustainability Coalition.

After Earth Week, EPPC, GASC and CCE joined together to inform students about the impacts of sex on the environment in an event titled "Green Sex."

In November, EPPC worked with yourenew.com, an electronic waste recycling company, to hold an E-waste Recycling Event where students brought in old electronics to get recycled. Valuable items were compensated for and all the electronics were taken to a recycling center. Items people brought in included cell phones, mp3 players, cameras, laptops, cd's, and many other numerous electronics.

On February 25, 2009 EPPC hosted "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in CHEM 194. In lieu of the movie, the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies was present at the MU Patio from about 12-1 pm where there was a hybrid plug-in car on display to showcase research going in the field of alternative energy and transportation.

EPPC 2008-2009

2008's logo and theme: 

On October 30, 2008, EPPC and the Student Fashion Association hosted the "Green Halloween Fashion Show." It featured sustainable fashion designs, KDVS DJ Marly Young and models. The winning design was a "1950's girl" ensemble with a newspaper poodle skirt, plastic bag scarf and plastic bakery box purse.

On November 24, 2008, EPPC hosted the ultra-popular local band "Sex, Funk and Danger" at the Delta of Venus and gave away 75 free reusable bags! The band members produced some sweet beats, and even gave the crowd some shockingly sad statistics about the detrimental impact of plastic bags on the environment. The point of this event was make environmental awareness fun. All 75 bags were gone by the end of the night! You can party and save the earth at the same time.  

CO-SPONSORSHIPS

+ ESLP (Education for Sustainable Living Program) + UC Davis Farmers Market + Campus Center for the Environment + Project Compost

Reduce Your Impact

• This is an awesome list of ways you can reduce your ecological footprint: Read more here.