Before we continue I should tell you... I am making a green guide

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo

Have you ever been involved in planning an event? Make that a large event and on campus. The amount of effort that goes into it is amazing, especially if the planners are trying to be “green”. Early this year, I attended the Sustainable Business Conference and although I was not around for the planning of the event, I was able to see the results of what I imagine to be many sleepless nights- all sacrificed in the name of being “green”.

From the choice of food served at events to the selection of speakers, every decision made while planning an event has some sort of environmental consequence. It may be the decision to order from local caterers that are committed to local and organic produce or to hold teleconferences rather than have speakers travel far distances.

Planning an event is stressful enough without contemplating the environmental consequences of every little decision, so I’m working on a “Green Guide” that will hopefully make this easier for planners. I’m researching protocols on everything from ordering the delivery of recycling and composting bins to renting out video equipment and gathering contact information for these procedures.

I even contacted the EcoLogo program, a North American environmental certification group, in order to gather ideas on environmental rating systems for events. I also met with the SFUO sustainability coordinator to discuss their green guide in hopes of creating one legit informative guide.

I will admit that I have never planned an event on campus which makes this project easy as well as hard. Easy because I know that it must be as comprehensive as possible in order for n00bs like me and hard because I have no idea all the tiny things that must be considered. I am also starting to feel like Katherine and her STARS due to the multitude of questions I am shooting at random people on campus. So thank you to all of you that have replied, and those who have not… expect more emails.

-merissa

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

The Misunderstood STARS

Photo Credit: Jonathan Rausseo

As Jon has already pointed out, we are on the final stretch of the STARS project. I know so much about STARS that it is slowly seeping out of my ears. In hopes of minimizing the seeping, I plug my earphones in, make myself a nice playlist on Grooveshark (Kat's STARS playlist) and plough through all the credits. And we are being quite efficient, if I may say so myself.

En route, nous avons rencontré plusieurs pépins : personnes ressources en vacances, courriels et suivis oubliés/ignorés/brulés/disparus de façon suspecte, rendez-vous annulés, pages web contenant des infos datant de l’âge des hommes des cavernes. Malgré tout, nous nous sommes débrouillés à coups de téléphone, surtout. C’est solide, un téléphone! Mais aussi à l’aide de connaissances et de recherches ardues.

The worst part was surprisingly not the slow if not absent feedback. It was often the fact that nobody seems to know what the heck STARS is. I understand, it’s an avant-garde thing for some. But come on! Do I really need to explain it again when the formal description, user friendly description and link are attached in the email? That’s what makes my job difficult. Some university employees were great and explained the concept to their branch or department, but others looked at me as though I were some gangly, pimply teenager wearing a Hannah Montana t-shirt paired with a Nightmare Before Christmas themed skirt.

Bref, j’adore mon boulot, mais vivement l’uniformité de l’information circulée sur le campus!

-katherine

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

Top 5… Greatest Eco-heroes of all time

This list was taken from a 2006 article featured in the Guardian.UK

Photo Credit: come on, this image is like everywhere

5. James Lovelock (1919-), Biologist

Best known for his Gaia theory, which says the Earth's biosphere works as a single living organism, able to manipulate the climate and chemistry of the atmosphere and the oceans to keep them fit for life. The idea was hugely influential among fellow scientists and environmentalists, and religious and spiritual thinkers. An ex-Nasa scientist, his work on the Viking Mars missions sparked an interest in the way planets function.

4. David Attenborough (1926-), TV naturalist

The voice of wildlife, conservation and all things that wriggle, fly and roam across planet Earth, Sir David is still going strong. His programs have brought the natural world into the living rooms of millions over 50 years and his contribution to public awareness of natural science brought him a fellowship of the Royal Society.

3. Jonathon Porritt (1950-), Government adviser

An early activist with the Green party in the 1970s (then the Ecology party) and later party chairman. Tony Blair made him head of the Sustainable Development Commission in 2001, but he remains a critic of government policy on nuclear power and in 2005 urged the prime minister to "bang heads" across departments to combat greenhouse gas emissions. He irked some activists with his book Capitalism As If The World Matters, in which he argued that environmentalists must embrace a "evolved, intelligent and elegant" form of capitalism.

2. EF Schumacher (1911-1977), Green economist

Schumacher's 1973 book “Small is Beautiful” rewrote the rules by questioning whether the objectives of western economics were desirable. He was feted by alternative circles in the 1960s for unorthodox thinking, and his opposition to nuclear power and the use of chemicals in agriculture. He was an early critic of economic growth as a measure of national progress and helped to found the Soil Association.

1. Rachel Carson (1907-1964), Author of “Silent Spring”

Disturbed by the widespread use of synthetic chemical pesticides after the second world war, she went on to write a passionate and revelatory account of the damage done by the unrestrained use of pesticides. She is seen by many as the patron saint of the green movement. The book is credited with launching the concept of the environment as a system that sustains us and that we must learn to live within, rather than a mine, dump or playground.

To view the full 100 Eco-hero list, click here

-marie-pier

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

One Small Step for the Campus...

So I have spent this last week working with Katherine on our STARS survey. We are in the home stretch with only a couple of more days left before we report and things are getting tense. I mean in reality I can't take any credit at all for the work done to date, it has all been Katherine's doing... but I still can't help but feel a small tinge of excitement.

Now I can't speak to how well we are going to do on the survey. Frankly, I would be happy just to cross the line at this point. But doing this STARS thing has really given us a good look at all the things we could be doing on this campus to make ourselves greener and more equitable.

Take our course offerings for example. The STARS survey accords points to institutions that have sustainability related courses, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and special programs. Points are even offered if your institution provides incentives to do research in sustainability. I think we still have a long way to go.

But there is one area within the survey that I was a little surprised that we aren't doing better.... that is to say with our total environmental footprint. Green buildings, climate action policy, green dinning services, etc. There are so many great things that we could do to our campus to make us, well better I suppose.

In the categories where we are super strong - water, sustainable transportation, co-curricular education, and coordination & planning (who knew).

Where we are the weakest - ethical investments, curriculum, and climate action.

In any event I am optimistic. If this survey has a silver lining it is that I will have projects to work on from here to eternity. Keep your eyes open in the coming weeks for our STARS results; we will have tonnes to discuss once the results are posted. Even if the survey is done, the real work will just be getting started.

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

Why Mr Beetle? I love my cucumbers just the way they are

Photo credit: Embracing Bevin

There’s something lurking in the Community Garden at uOttawa; a ferocious beast of the sort that haunts my nightmares (which could be due to my deep seeded fears of creepy crawlers but that’s beyond the point).

Meet Mr. Cucumber Beetle, adorned in green and black stripes with a monstrous appetite for cucumber (obviously), squash, zucchini, beans and pumpkins. Mr. Cucumber Beetle has taken it upon himself and his minions (larvae) to devour all of Brigitte’s zucchini. Brigitte has slaved over her garden all season in all weather (most notably the recent 47 degree-heat-stroke-inducing-deathly weather) in hopes that she would be awarded with delicious veggies. So, when the day came that she noticed her zucchini was being munched on she was distraught and closely inspected her plot, noticing Mr. Cucumber Beetle.

Being a lovely and environmentally conscious person, Brigitte attempted to remove the beetles using natural alternatives to pesticides including a homemade insecticidal soap and a combination of onions, garlic and spicy peppers boiled into a nasty smelling liquid (she swears it works wonders on pesky animals). When that didn’t work, well, let’s just say that we are glad we got new Katimavik participants (a.k.a Katimaslaves) that now get the pleasure of physically removing the beetles from the Community Garden plots.

As discouraging as Mr. Cucumber Beetle has been, the Community Garden is going very well this summer. The tomatoes are looking delicious, radishes and carrots have already had a crop and have been re-sown. Hopefully, some of the zucchini will survive with the aid of the Katimavik beetle fighting squad. If I had any artistic talent, this would be turned into some sort of graphic novel but I don’t so use your imaginations.

-merissa

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

Top 5… Sustainable things to do on a date / Rendez-vous verts

Photo credit: http://www.armengames.webs.com

5. Treasure hunting on garbage day. Go for a late night walk through fancy neighborhoods and see what you can find!

Chase au trésor le soir des poubelles. Promenez-vous dans les quartiers chis de la ville et voyez ce que vous pouvez y trouver!

4. Kayak or canoe the Rideau Canal from the docks at Dow’s Lake where you can rent them. Check out the duck pond while you are on the water. It’s quite a sight.

Allez en kayak ou en canot sur le canal Rideau à partir des quais du lac Dow. Si vous avez la chance, passez par le petit étang des canards.

3. Go on a Bike ride on the Trans-canadian along the Ottawa River or try its sister trail in Gatineau. Why not stop for a picnic by the rapids on Bate Island while you’re at it?

Faites une promenade en vélo sur la transcanadienne d’un côté ou de l’autre de la rivière des Outaouais. Tant que vous y êtes, pourquoi ne pas faire un pique-nique sur l’île Bate près des rapides?

2. Board a random bus and go on a photo chase. Try to find beauty in what you see along the way and at your final surprise destination. (YAY U-pass!)

Montez dans un bus au hasard et partez sur une exploration de la ville à travers la lentille de vos caméras. Chercher la beauté dans ce que vous apercevez sur votre chemin et sur les lieux de votre destination surprise. (merci u-pass)

1. Browse the nearest Farmer’s Market for local, in season foods and prepare a home-cooked meal with your lover. Compliment the evening with a bottle of rarely deceiving and affordable Ontario Wine.

Parcourer les allées du marché frais le plus près et trouvez des aliments locaux en saison pour preparer des plats maisons avec votre amoureux(euse). Aroser votre festin d’une délicieuse bouteille de vin Ontarien.

-marie-pier

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

Bus Tickets Now Available in Hipster Purple

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo

There is an old hipster adage, "if you want to sell something, put a bird on it". The idea being that hipsters love birds and so if you put a bird on it, they will buy it in droves. I kind of think that this is what OC Transpo had in mind with their new "hipster purple" bus tickets.

Seriously though, last year it could be argued that the U-pass saved transit for the City of Ottawa. Ridership was down after the strike and a fresh injection of the "youthful" variety has really helped out. Carleton University turned out to be the big winner with a huge increase in ridership.

Anyways, when the U-pass was brought back to council this year for renewal, there was a resounding yes from the transit committee and the program was re-implemented at the same price of $145 per semester (this is not at anyone's expense, this is simply because the program is revenue neutral so the addition of thousands of more students to both institutions will make up the cost increase).

What I wanted to really point out is the price on the purple tickets. Transit fares now stand at $1.30 per ticket. This was a scheduled increase that took place in July. But the U-pass program remains the same cost. Why? Because the transit system will actually benefit from increased ridership... more people actually getting onto the bus.

Hopefully the Universities in Ottawa can help expand their programs so that even more students can partake in the glory of public transit (currently only full-time students have access to the program). And hopefully we can transit to t a respectable level ahead of the introduction of the LRT tunnel.

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

REDUCE, REUSE and then Recycle

Photo Credit: Jonathan Rausseo

As a child, this message was ingrained in my brain from the time I was able to understand what a blue box was for and to this day it has been repeated over and over, especially since I began my job here at the Sustainability Office on Campus. However, it has taken on a different meaning than when I was a child because I am no longer focused on which bin should my juice carton go in, in fact, I am not focused as much on recycling at all.

It started way back during Recycle Mania when our Waste Diversion Coordinator decided to go waste free for the entirety of the competition. This brought up some important messages from previous courses including “life cycle analysis” which focuses on the environmental impact from the creation to the disposal of a product. Brigitte was concerned about the end point of her products, where her waste would go and how she could REDUCE her impact. After trying waste free for a week and picking up the book “No Impact Man” by Colin Beavan, I have completely rethought my purchasing practices. This includes reflective questions such as “Is this container reusable?” or “Is there a trickster piece of plastic film hidden under this recyclable packaging?” and can been very frustrating at times (Damn you, plastic film!).

Then the day came that I was taken to 200 Lees to visit our furniture recycling rooms. Now, Katimavik had told me marvellous stories about the wonders that lay in these three massive rooms and how we had to organize, lift and move pieces of furniture that the university decided it did not want anymore. However, seeing these rooms, piled high with chairs and desks was beyond amazing.

I was in paradise because a lot of my furniture in my student apartment was already from something we call “Goods Exchange Day” in Owen Sound, when people would move their unwanted items to the curb for others to take. Three rooms full of free things was like a condensed version of one of my favourite days, a garage sale where everything is potentially free and crammed together into one space. Needless to say, I was in awe and recently have identified some things I want to REUSE rather than buy my own new stuff which REDUCES my consumption and the amount of furniture that goes to the dump.

Recently, these R’s have been further emphasized as we cleaned out the fourth floor of Montpetit. We just finished sorting through crap that profs decided they did not want to go through- choosing furniture we can reuse and even going through old papers to find one sided paper for recycled notebooks. I have found some awesome bucket seat chairs, a bookshelf and a coat rack which I am bringing home with me to furnish my apartment in September. It is satisfying to know that what would have been thrown out before Brigitte worked here is now saved from the landfill and reused all over campus and our community.

Remember:

REDUCE, Reuse and then recycle.

-merissa

Put That Hemp Away, Just Recycle Instead

Photo credit: uOttawa

After spending a week in bed recovering from a nasty kidney infection (watching bad Ashton Kutcher movies, reading and sleeping) I am back at work! Of course, drinking enough water to become PRS’ very own Niagara Falls and begging for kidney rubs from my chair (a lazy boy would certainly optimise productivity). Anyhow, once at my desk, comfortably seated with water, the first step was answering a gazillion emails and step 2 was scheduling meetings to get this STARS business done with!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love meeting new people and learning awesome facts about the university campus. But I’m still on the road of recovery here; I walk as fast as a turtle and the highlight of my day is going back to bed.

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Zlotorzynski, a very friendly Environmental Health & Safety Officer in Gendron. As I came into his office, I shot out a joyful “Good morning Mr. Zloto….sky… ANDREW”. Fun fact is that the only other person working in that office was also called Andrew. But Andrew #1 was much more fun: thick polish accent, and absolutely enthusiastic about the chemical re-use program on campus. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling when he would spontaneously grab his phone and to call a co-worker in hopes of getting more information and I pray for the poor guy who was not at his desk and now has a five minute long message on his voicemail box. Andrew actually gave me more information and detail about this program worth only 0.25 points in STARS than others have given me for whole sections worth a gazillion points asking for legit numbers and descriptions.

I also discovered the government offered funding for anti-terrorist programs… something about chemicals that could possibly be used for harming nice people *shudder*. Anyhow, I was a prisoner of this man’s knowledge until we had googled everything that could remotely have to do with waterless urinals and the amount of caffeine in the sewer water.

In conclusion, people like Andrew make my job (and life) that much better and lighten the environmental mood. The motivation behind the program was definitely monetary at first (as chemical disposal programs cost a lot of mullah), but simply made more sense in the end. They created a web server and are now connected to three other universities: Concordia, Queens and the Royal Military College which all list their chemical products and can swap some quantities with other institutions (think of it as pokemon cards).

No need for a vegan diet, an electric car or to have your face in the next Greenpeace newsletter to make a difference. In the end, it’s just the small things that count. Saving the world is as simple as that.

-katherine

http:thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

How Green is Our New Sports Field

Photo Credit: Jonathan Rausseo

I just got this letter from our partners at LOOP TECHNOLOGIES. They were the group that helped us with our new Sports Field; specifically, making sure that there is a hefty does of sustainability involved. I thought that I would share it with you. The depths to which they are willing to go to make sure that we made the best choice for the environment are ... well they are simply fantastic.

"We want to share some interesting sustainability information with you regarding the Matt Anthony Field Replacement project. L.M.L chose to ship the new turf rolls from Atlanta, Georgia to Montreal, Quebec via rail, rather than truck. Using standard emissions factors produced by the US EPA, we can estimate the CO2 emissions of various methods of freight transportation.

We used the following assumptions to determine the approximate CO2 produced for both rail and truck transportation:

Assumptions:

• Freight Distance (truck or rail): 1,200 miles (1,920 kms)
• Weight of shipment (as per L.M.L shipping documentation): 20,000 lbs (9,090 kgs)

Results:

As the graph below illustrates, shipping the turf rolls by rail rather than by truck decreased the resulting carbon emissions by a factor of roughly 10. Shipping by truck would produce approximately 3575 kg of COs, while shipping by rail produces approximately 305 kg of CO2.

If this type of information is useful, we would be happy to discuss opportunities to produce similar data for other University of Ottawa programs moving forward through Halsall or our sister company, Loop Initiatives, who you have already met with. Please let us know if you would like to discuss this further. I would be happy to set up a meeting with ourselves, or with Loop."

- Regards, Trevor

Thanks to the people who made this project green.

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

My Environment is Killing Me

And I blame humans. We started this war and Mother Nature is finishing it; playing dirty to get even with us.

I like to believe I am a healthy individual. I eat properly, exercise daily and generally speaking take care of myself. It does not matter how many vegetables I eat or how many kilometers I run a day because dearest Mother Nature has launched a vendetta against me and my fellow humans. She’s hitting below the belt, attacking where it hurts most and frankly, I’m sick of it. Literally.

Today, I realized that many of the things that are physically wrong with me have some sort of link to my environment. Sure, maybe I was simply reflecting fondly on my environmental epidemiological paper I wrote last semester for Health Geography, but still.

From Kawasaki Syndrome to my sucky kidneys that I have been struggling with since having E coli last summer- I can attribute most anything to my environment (thanks presumably to heavy cleaning chemicals and barn animal feces in my drinking water). Even though such connections are sometimes difficult to make due to all the possible underlying factors, it is obvious with current research that our impact on the environment is directly affecting our health. Take GEG3303 if you don’t believe me.

Solution? Well, if we want to start taking our health seriously we should aim to nurse our poor, old Mama Nature back to health. Stop polluting the air so poor Jimmy can run around the school yard without wheezing from his asthma. Quit pumping cattle full of Human Growth Hormone so little Sara can enjoy her youth rather than hitting puberty by age 8. Maybe we should reconsider the addition of fluoride to water, genetically modifying our crops or using aspartame and related sweeteners because extrapolating data from animal and short term studies just does not quite cut it for me.

If only it was this easy, Katherine could potentially eat gluten and I could have an ice cream cone.

-merissa

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

A Campus For Foodies?

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo

I recently got into a conversation about the quality of food on campus with a colleague. I know that I was defending a losing battle but I do want to mention a couple of highlights... or milestones.

The campus has become a bottled water free place. I know this seems like a water issue but it is related to food. Increasing the number of fountains on campus does in fact increase access to water. No word yet though as to whether people are buying more unhealthy things (like soft drinks) instead.

We are experimenting with mobile food. This year marked the arrival of the Soup Truck on campus. Yummy local, organic treats located halfway between classes. Easily one of my favourite things.

More interesting food options. I don't just mean the addition of Quiznos and Bento Sushi, but even in the Café Écolo there was a nice change of pace with local artisan bread for the sandwiches.

The continuation of the community gardens on campus. This year we have found a more stable home for the plots and there is still a good chance that we will have mobile plots added to the campus.

And in the works... the fair trade campus certification of course. Not to mention that the Nutritional Program on campus has been doing a whole bunch of consulting on campus to help improve our food options.

Of notable absence though....

More farmers markets

Sustainably harvested Seafood certification

More veggy alternatives

More nutritional labeling

We have come a long way but there is always more we can do. The SFUO is looking to make sustainable food options their primary focus this year. That means a greater focus on food related issues and services. I often wondered if we could ever get to the point where our campus would become a hot spot for foodies. After all, there are many places in the States where jut just a thing is the case. So come on all you foodies out there, what do we need to do to make this campus more... eatable?

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

The New Green Normal

Photo Credit: Jonathan Rausseo

Normative behaviour is a very strange beast. It is perhaps even the ‘holy grail’ of environmental psychology. It is thought that with the right strategy, normative behavior could save the planet. Dramatic pause…..

Okay, maybe this statement means nothing to you right now but give me a moment and maybe I can give this statement some impact.

First we need to lay out some ground rules; some guiding principles that will help us move through this conversation quicker. You will have to take these on faith but feel free to explore them in detail later.

1. Everyone just wants to belong. Maybe not to the mainstream, but to something that’s for sure.
   There are very few actual loners. Most people may actually associate some form of subculture. Think about it; geeks hang out with geeks, jocks hang out with jocks, goth hang out with goth, and gleeks hang out with gleeks. All this is not to say that there isn’t inter-click mixing,
   
   
2. In the absence of direct peers, people will follow the heard
   This doesn’t mean that everyone is cattle, it is just that most people don’t want to stick out so they go with the flow. This is only really untrue when you are with a group of friends that, together, can act as a collective counter balance. For example, if you are walking down the street and a homeless person falls over, completely drunk, and nobody does anything about it… odds are you won’t either. Unless two of your friends rush over to help, then you are more likely to do something.
   
   
3. The things you find weird are usually part of a shared experience that has been conditioned into you by society.
   It’s true. Boys used to wear pink because it was a stronger colour; up until the 70’s, at which point pink became for girls. In the Middle East, men commonly hold hands while walking down the street as a sign of friendship. In China you can burp after a meal to show that you are satisfied. In Vietman it is important that everyone knows your marital status. If all this seems weird to you, that could be because you are weird.

Now if you are on an empty bus and all the seats are unoccupied, how would you feel if another person got on the bus and sat right beside you? Would you feel strange? Have you ever thought about why that is? Well, what if that feeling of awkwardness could be harnessed for good?

In the world of psychology there is something called normative behaviour. People tend to do the things that they think are normal; so if you could change a behaviour so that people thought it was normal... everyone would do it. There are already many examples in your life that lean both ways. Only girls wear dresses – hitting people is inappropriate - Canadians like Hockey – pick up litter on the ground - if somebody sneezes you say “bless you”.

Environmental psychologists have been tinkering around with the idea of establishing normative standards for environmentalism. Imagine if the default setting for people was to be green. The most recent example in our society is the move to charge money for plastic bags. In a couple of years people will stop expecting that plastic bags should be free.

At the University of Ottawa campus there is talk of trying to use some normative behaviour for disposable dishware. Instead of getting a discount for bringing a reusable mug, you would be charged a tax for not bringing a mug. The cost would turn out to be the exact same as it is today but there would be a very important change... the word tax is introduced. Even though you would be paying the same price, you instinctively know that paying taxes is bad and so you change your behaviour in order to not ‘pay the tax’.

So what do you think? Are there any other examples of things on campus that you think we could change to create a new green behaviour? Do you think that changing the pricing structure of disposable items could work?

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com

Water and Festivals and Bottles

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo

This isn't a long post and it is certainly a message that you have heard before.... but.... please remember to bring your water bottle with you when you are headed outdoors, especially for things like festivals.

Tonight I am headed out to Bluesfest and I will be packing my trusty water canteen with me. Now if you have been to any festivals in Ottawa lately you will certainly be familiar with the WATER STATIONS that are popping up like weeds (I guess they are well watered- hahahaha... oh... I am lame). I really like these stations because they are really reminding people to bring your bottle or suffer the consequences.

I know this is a tough habit to pick up; after all, people like to travel light at these events. But water canteens are really more like a necessity now. Better to bring the bottle than be stuck with paying $4 for bottled water. Trust me, you will be happier buying a CD or a t-shirt from your favourite band.

-jon

http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com