It’s the time of year for setting aside a few moments to assess the year that was, and to set new goals for the year ahead.
There’s a new way of approaching this longstanding exercise – perform a personal ‘green’ audit on our current environmental practices and create personal green goals for the year ahead.
Looking back, Western has been improving in this area but still has a way to go. For example, results from the October 2009 Waste Audit showed that, on average, 23 per cent of the material being thrown in the trash is actually recyclable.
So here are 10 potential New Year’s resolutions for embedding sustainability into campus life.
The list is only a starting point; better yet, create your own list. Then share your ideas by sending them to newseditor@uwo.ca. We will publish a selection on the web and in Western News.
So, here goes.
Take home your books in a reusable bag
The Book Store at Western is phasing out plastic bags by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bag or buying one of theirs for 99 cents. The five cents now charged for each biodegradable plastic bag covers Stewardship Ontario’s surcharge, which funds blue box programs, and produces an annual donation to ReForest London.
Start using a travel mug
Disposable coffee cups represent 10 per cent of the waste on campus. Not only do travel mugs keep your coffee warmer and produce less waste, but travel mugs also net you a 10 per cent discount when buying coffee or tea anywhere on campus. Bring your own or buy a new travel mug for only $10 from EnviroWestern’s Mug Team.
Car pool
Save money and the environment by sharing a ride to campus. Visit Carpool.ca or Western’s own Share a Ride program and connect with fellow members of the Western community looking to share rides. London doesn’t yet have a car-share program (shared ownership of one vehicle among 20 or so individuals), but a little advocacy might speed it along.
Register for a course in environmental studies
From physical phenomena of the Earth and its atmosphere to the history of Canadian environmentalism, Western boasts a wide range of courses addressing environmental issues. For a list of undergraduate and graduate courses and degree programs, visit the Centre for Environment and Sustainability. Almost every department has a course on the topic. For information on how to audit a course, visit the Welcome to Western site.
Attend a talk from a leading environmental expert
Author Melissa Hardy will be visiting Western January 18 to read from her book “Land as Story: a road broken and the tragic undoing of the Cherokee Nation.”
Pick up free notepads and support ReForest London
Graphic Services is helping campus departments reduce paper waste and save trees by producing scrap paper pads out of paper sheets that have been used on only one side. You can order free UTOSS (Use the Other Side Scratch-pad) notepads or encourage your department to donate paper. Pads are free but Graphic Services invites you to donate to EnviroWestern’s tree planting project with ReForest London.
Visit Western’s green building
The first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building on campus, Engineering’s Claudette Mackay-Lassonde Pavilion, features environmentally sensitive physical facilities in addition to housing engineering research into environmental technologies. The new Ivey building under construction on the west side of Western Road in front of Brescia University College will also carry the LEED certification, with sustainability embedded in the design and construction process from rainwater used for toilet flushing to geothermal heating and cooling.
Learn something new about trees
The Sherwood Fox Arboretum encompasses all the planted trees and shrubs on the Western campus. The arboretum plays an important role in public education and scientific research, and many of the trees on campus are labeled for easy identification.
Get involved!
Visit Sustainability.uwo.ca and find out what environmental initiatives are taking place across campus. Check Envirowestern on campus and help conduct waste audits, plant trees and build community gardens.
Green your workstation
Do you really need those fluorescent lights under your cabinet? Can you dim your monitor a bit? How about sprucing up your area with a few plants? Check around your work area and you’re sure to find ways to use less energy and become more efficient. Divert waste by using the recycling bins around your office. Your co-workers will be ‘green’ with envy.