I am very happy to say that the University of Ottawa is again in the top tier of universities in the world when it comes to being a sustainable institution. (UI Green Metric World University Ranking)
This goes out to the rabble-rousers that stocked the shelves of the Free Store even though it was impossible to ever keep them full for more than 5 minutes;
to the caffeine junkies that gave away free coffee to the masses in order keep garbage out our the landfills;
to the cyclists that couldn't say no to one more ride even if it was in the rain;
to the paper pushers who still got the information out without having to knock down a tree to do it;
to the residence herders who would always share green tips with their flock even if it meant being called a tree-huger;
to the organics smugglers who would stuff old apple cores into their pockets because they couldn't stomach tossing good compost into a dirty garbage bin;
to the white-collar hippies who believe that the triple bottom line is the only bottom line;
to the green thumbs who willingly spent an entire summer toiling with the hard soil if it means that they get to enjoy the spoils of fresh cherry tomatoes;
to the bus nomads who dive head first into a stuffed metal box because it means that one less car hits the road;
to the mad scientists of the living lab who believe that experimenting on the public is totally cool if by experimenting you mean making more green space;
to the freegans who find endless ways to make endless meals with the endless amount of good food that almost went into the garbage;
to the pallet hoarders who know that with great pallets comes great furnishability;
to the light dowsers who know that a room without people is a room that doesn't need to have a light on;
to the committee hounds who are willing to sacrifice a beautiful Sunday to stay in a dingy meeting room if it means that the policy they create could make the difference between clean planet or a dirty one;
to the office recycling police who have an encyclopedic knowledge of what can go into any recycling bin;
to the office jungle guides who grow so mnay plants in their office that it could easily be mistaken for a forest;
to the dreamers who never accept what is but rather what could our campus be;
to the people at the power plant;
to the plumbers;
to the electricians;
to the carpenters;
to the designers and planners;
to all the profs and and student volunteers;
to the alumni;
to the largest donors;
to the smallest contributors;
This accomplishment is your accomplishment... thank you!!!
~jon - campus sustainability manager
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