Fall 2012
Riding to reduce Western’s carbon footprint is a growing concern on campus as greenhouse gas accumulation continues to affect global climate patterns. Given the size of the university, it is especially important that everyone take responsibility for the environment - and what better way to reduce your footprint than by riding your bike? “Just over 70% of staff and students arrive on campus using a private vehicle,” noted Beverley Ayeni, Western’s Energy and Environment Manager. “As part of our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus, we are really encouraging everyone to consider more sustainable options.” Sustainable options just became a little more accessible with the unveiling of 16 new, brightly coloured bike racks on campus. The artistic, yet functional, sculptures are the result of a unique collaboration between Engineering and Visual Arts students. They showcase true ‘engenuity’ on campus, and are meant to encourage sustainable practices by providing stylish bike parking in high traffic areas. The newly installed bike racks are in addition to more than 200 regular bike racks conveniently located across campus, as well as a bicycle air pump located behind Lawson Hall.
New bike rack designs are the result of a unique collaboration between Engineering and Visual Arts students on campus.
Bike racks aren’t the only resource on campus that encourage a smarter commute. Cyclists can also spruce up after a ride at a number of publicly available shower facilities. Showers are available in the Western Student Recreation Centre, the Student Support Services Building, and the Thompson Engineering Building. Other services include the Campus Community Police Service that provides bicycle safety, theft prevention, and registration programs throughout the year. Purple Bikes on campus also offers bike rentals and bicycle repair workshops.
To help you plan your route, the City of London has developed a Bike and Walk Map showing the types and distances of bike paths throughout the city. This map can be accessed online at http://www.london.ca/d. aspx?s=/Transportation/bikepage. htm, or picked up at bicycle stores, libraries, and City Hall in London. Biking is a great way to exercise, save money, and reduce your environmental impacts, so throw on a helmet and ride to campus!
For more information, contact Beverley Ayeni, Energy and Environment Manager p. 1 at sustainability@uwo.ca or visit the website at sustainability.uwo.ca
Purple Bikes; Your campus solution to a smart commute If you are wondering how to avoid busy bus stops or paying for parking permits, it might be time to make a smarter commute. By biking to campus you can save money and time, ‘burn fat not gas’, and enjoy the fresh air. Now is a perfect time to rediscover cycling. London is equipped with a growing network of bike paths. It also publishes a ‘Bike and Walk’ map, which helps you navigate the city. Purple Bikes enables you to take cycling in your community for a ‘test ride’. You can find the path that best fits your cycling style. Everyone is eligible to rent from Purple Bikes. You can rent a bike for 48 hours, one week, or for even longer.
All rentals are prepared with a helmet, lock, light and bell. That is, you are fully equipped for your cycling experience. 48 hour rentals are sold at Western Connections in the UCC. Longer rentals are offered in the Purple Bikes workshop, UCC 318. The workshop is open from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Monday to Thursday. For more information on the services provided by Purple Bikes including bike workshops and repairs, visit their website at purplebikes.ca. Check it out and make a smarter commute.
Fall Farmers’ Market - “The proof is in the produce” Gone are the days when students, faculty and staff at Western must venture off campus to purchase some of our region’s finest farmfresh produce and locally made treats like honey, jams and baked goods. Hospitality Services is proud to host a Farmers’ Market on campus this fall. The market will be set up every Tuesday, rain or shine, from 11:00am to 2:00pm in the green space beside McIntosh Gallery across from the Social Science Building. Increasing the accessibility of fresh, local foods on campus is a key priority for Hospitality Services, and the Farmers’ Market is just one way the department is achieving this goal. “The proof is in the produce, you won’t find any ‘truck-ripened’ tomatoes or peppers here; the items at this market are as fresh as it gets,” says Kirsi McLandress,
your local grocer. Above all else, nothing beats being able to chat with your local farmer to find out exactly how and where the products you buy are grown. Want to taste the difference between Windermere and Port Stanley honey? McLandress suggests stopping by Tuesday afternoon and talking with the licensed apiarist, just one of the very knowledgeable and passionate vendors on site. photo: Hospitality Services
Sustainability Advisor Hospitality Services.
with
There are many benefits of buying goods from your local farmers’ market. Not only are you supporting the local economy, but you are also reducing the ‘food miles’ that would have accumulated by sending products to a central processing hub, and then back to
To date, feedback from students, staff and faculty alike has been very positive. “This weekly market is just another way Hospitality Services and Western are continuing to show their commitment to providing sustainable, fresh and local options for the community,” says McLandress. Next Tuesday, why not visit the farmers’ market? You won’t be disappointed! p. 2
Solar LEDs shed light on Western’s environmental committment The University Student Council (USC), in partnership with Facilities Management, installed two solar powered LED lamps on campus this summer. The project cost $16,000, and is an initiative generated as a result of the USC’s Student Legacy Fund Challenge in 2010. The solar panels are mounted onto two poles along Oxford Drive in front of the University Community Centre. Energy captured from the solar panels is stored in batteries that directly power the attached LED lamps. This fixture was chosen because of low maintenance requirements, long life span, and energy efficiency. The lights work on a sensory system, and turn on only when it
is dark outside. They will provide lighting around concrete beach at night, and store enough energy to stay on until morning. Overall, the panels will improve the quality of campus core lighting at a fraction of the cost. “The primary objectives of the solar LED lighting are to provide the university with green energy, and to act as inspiration for environmentally sustainable practices in the community,” commented Marissa Joffre, VP of Current Issues at the time when the project was initiated. “The project also aims to improve visibility and therefore security overnight for Western students. This was an important goal for the USC when putting the project into effect.”
The solar panels have a life expectancy of 20 years, and the LED lights are expected to last up to 50,000 hours. Overall, the new street lights will serve as a beacon of Western’s commitment to sustainability for years to come.
Green vans featured at Green Energy Park launch Western’s Facilities Management Division (FM) reinforced its commitment to alternative fuels by featuring its new electric vans at the TD Green Energy Park launch, Canada’s first net-zero energy banking facility. As FM embarks on initiatives to conserve energy and invest in alternative fuels on campus, sharing their knowledge and assets is a critical part to supporting the great initiatives occurring beyond the campus boundaries. At TD Canada Trust’s Masonville branch, local dignitaries, TD employees, public school students, and Facilities Management leaders, were on hand to officially open the TD Green Energy Park. The park, a green space highlighted by an amphitheatre occupies the real
estate directly behind the branch building and features 244 solar panels as well as a dual electric car charger for customers. The photovoltaic arrays are expected to generate as much or more electricity than consumed by the branch — is the first of its kind in Canada for TD. Designed and renovated to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Building Platinum certification, the facility draws
its energy requirements from the adjacent solar arrays set up in the park, expected to generate 100,000 kw/h of electricity each year. Western has been the beneficiary of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation in recent history. The group contributed $35,000 to the CMLP native plant garden, which launched earlier this year, and awarded $25,000 to Western student winners of the Go Green Challenge. p. 3
Western works towards a zero waste campus With reduced landfill space becoming a bigger problem nationwide, it is time to get serious about waste reduction and diversion. Last year, Western diverted 60% of its waste from the landfill by recycling and composting. This year, we are aiming even higher! Western has already taken great strides to improve waste management practices. You may have noticed the new multi-stream recycling bins installed inside residence cafeterias and lounges. “The labels on these bins have been designed specifically for Western residences, and include pictures of common waste items and a colour-coded system for separating waste into different streams,” advises Stefanie De Adder, Sustainability Coordinator with Facilities Management. The dark blue ‘Plastics, Cans and Bottles’ stream will be replacing the old ‘Co-Mingled Beverage Container’ bin. In this stream, plastics with a recycling logo and number 1, 2, 4 or 5 (normally indicated on the bottom of containers) are accepted, as well as glass and metals such as aluminum cans, aluminum foil, and steel cans. The light blue ‘Paper’ stream will be replacing the old ‘Co-Mingled Paper’ bin. In this stream, fine paper, fine cardboard and other paper products are all accepted. Keep in mind that paper products such as napkins, paper towels, and coffee cups are not accepted in this stream. In many kitchens and cafeterias, there is a green ‘Organics’ stream for waste that can be composted. Items such as food waste and soiled paper products like napkins and paper plates are accepted in this stream. You can also compost
Western Sustainability Coordinators, Stefanie De Adder and Katie Wall are proud to show off the new waste receptacle labels created for residence cafeterias and lounges
organic material at the UCC Centre Spot. If you work in an office on campus, you can even request a small compost bin for your floor; contact the Service Centre at ext. 83304 for more information. Lastly, there is a ‘Landfill’ stream. Items like coffee cups, and food wrappers must always go into the landfill stream unless indicated otherwise (for instance, ecotainer coffee cups in some residences are biodegradable and can be composted). Plastics with a recycling logo and number 3, 6, or 7 must also be thrown into the garbage on campus. This differs from off-campus in the City of London where plastics with the recycling logo and any number from 1 through 7 can be recycled. Furthermore, Western has programs to recycle more unique
items. Batteries can be placed in designated battery recycling bins that are located on almost every floor of every building next to Recycling Stations. Recycling Stations are found near Green Boards which are bulletin boards with sustainability themed posters and updates. Each Green Board has a ‘Recycling at Western’ poster that guides you through sorting your waste properly, and provides contact information in case you have any other special items to discard (ex. furniture, hazardous waste, etc.). De Adder added, “The potential exists for Western to be a zero waste campus. If everyone takes part in reducing and diverting their waste, the campus would be a much greener and more attractive place to be.” p. 4
Western gives new meaning to ‘green washing’ Western’s use of environmentally preferred ‘green’ cleaning chemicals is not ‘green washing’ in the conventional sense - it’s green washing in a more positive light. Western has moved away from conventional cleaning chemicals and invested in a green cleaning product line. In 2008, with the construction of the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, the campus’ first LEED Certified building, caretaking services committed to the use of environmentally preferred cleaning products. The benefits were quickly realized and soon the rest of the buildings on campus were being scoured with green friendly supplies. Jerry Minler, Director, Caretaking Operations was inspired to be more environmentally friendly. “We wanted to do the right thing,” says Minler. “The cost of the green cleaning products is on par
with other cleaning products, and they provide better alternatives for our staff, community, and the environment.” Western currently uses an expanded green product line supplied by Enviro-Solutions, offering products that are safer for the workplace and the natural environment. Enviro-Solutions products are typically Green Seal certified and sport the Ecologo, an official mark licensed with Environment Canada. The floor cleaning product currently used by Western differs from conventional floor cleaning products that are known to harm the environment. Similar to other Green Seal products, it is readily biodegradable, made from naturally derived renewable resources, and has low human and aquatic toxicity. Not only are the supplies green, but there is also a concerted effort
to reduce packaging. The green cleaning products are concentrated formulas, using less packaging material for easier transportation. The smaller containers also conserve space in storage closets and are easier to lift. Concentrated formulas are loaded into controlled dispensers where they are combined with water to create proper dilutions. This saves time for caretaking staff, no longer required to measure out exacts amounts of solution. Dan McIntosh, a caretaker at the Support Services Building comments, “It’s really easy because [the dispenser] gives the solutions in the proper proportion which maximizes the cleaning ability and minimizes waste.” Western’s move to green cleaning is a quintessential triple bottom-line investment – being environmentally, socially and economically sound.
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GET INVOLVED AND HELP MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY MORE SUSTAINABLE
EnviroWestern EnviroWestern is a student-run group that provides both action and advocacy for environmental issues important to students at Western. The group also provides numerous opportunities for students to get involved. EnviroWestern has many new and exciting initiatives that the Western community can take advantage of. A few of these initiatives are listed below: The new clicker take back program, in partnership with Financial Services, will help eliminate e-waste by incenting students to return their old classroom clickers for proper recycling in return for an entry into a draw for various prizes. Clickers can be taken to the USC Office in UCC room 340 until the draw date on February 1st 2013. In partnership with Facilities Management, a new Green Education Program will expand on Western’s current Green Building tours to provide members of
the community an opportunity to learn about Sustainability at Western with a Focus on LEED, Biodiversity, Western’s Water and Energy Consumption, and Sustainable Landscaping and Waste Management at Western. EnviroWestern also has many projects continuing from previous years such as the GROW vegetable garden and reforestation site south of TD Stadium, as well as the wildflower garden west of Talbot College. Other continuing projects include Refill to Win, which incents the use of reusable travel mugs instead of disposable coffee cups during Tim Hortons’ popular “Roll up the Rim to Win” promotion; Residence Issues, which educates students on sustainable living; Waste Audit, which provides valuable information about what Western is sending to landfill; and Western On Earth, a radio show on CHRW 94.9 which highlights sustainably issues on campus as well as locally,
nationally and globally. From Oct. 9-12, EnviroWestern will be hosting Enviro Awareness Week in the UCC atrium. Some of the week’s highlights will include: showcasing EnviroWestern’s initiatives, movie screenings, a farmers market, and many other activities both on and off campus. In addition to these projects, EnviroWestern is also working to eliminate disposable water bottles from Western’s campus, hosting debates about the Alberta Oil Sands, and providing environmental education to community groups in London. For more information about EnviroWestern, visit www. envirowestern.ca. For questions or project ideas, contact EnviroWestern’s Coordinator, Dimuth Kurukula, at usc. environment@uwo.ca.
SOGS Sustainability Committee The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Sustainability Committee is comprised of graduate students striving to promote sustainability on and off campus. The goal of the committee is to address ecological and social challenges by engaging Western’s diverse graduate community. The committee is also a member of the Student Sustainability Collaborative, bringing together student sustainability groups from all over campus, including EnviroWestern and Ivey Sustainability Club. SOGS Sustainability is working on several projects to promote sustainability during the upcoming
school year. Providing graduate students with the opportunity to compost organic material is one of the committee’s major initiatives. SOGS Sustainability has partnered with Facilities Management to provide compost bins in graduate lunch rooms. Either party can be contacted to receive a small green pail for compost in offices or lunch rooms. The committee is also funding a composting program for the Grad Club kitchen and would like to start post-consumer composting in the dining room. This will require the education and cooperation of all Grad Club patrons, but the committee is optimistic that it is possible.
Look forward to the SOGS Green Challenge starting Fall 2012. SOGS Sustainability will be hosting a competition of ideas for sustainability projects focusing on campus community, campus systems, climate and resources. There will be prizes and recognition for the top three proposals. More details are provided on the website (http://www.uwo.ca/sogs/ Committee/sustainability.html). If you want to get involved and make a difference, the SOGS Sustainability Committee is always looking for new members and ideas. Please contact: sogs.sustainability@ uwo.ca. p. 6
Environment and Sustainability Society
Upcoming Events
The Environment & Sustainability Society (ESS) is an active organization on campus that aims to “do green,” by virtue “do good” and have fun while doing it! ESS is mainly comprised of graduate students affiliated with the Centre for Environment and Sustainability, both from the MES and collaborative programs, although not exclusive to these students by any means. • Enviro Awareness Week is taking place from October 9th – October 12th. Make sure to drop by the UCC to check out displays, public speakers and movie screenings to increase your environmental awareness. • Western is hosting an e-waste drive during waste reduction week, October 15th-21st. Bring your old electronics to Western and dispose of them in a safe, e nv i ro n m e n t a l l y- f r i e n d l y way! Items can be brought to Arthur & Sonia Labatt Health Sciences Parking Lot near Lambton Drive & Huron Street Intersection from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit www. recycleyourelectronics.ca for a list of accepted materials.
The organization meets biweekly to plan different events and activities that they plan to offer throughout the year such as documentary film nights, a sustainability speaker series, Eco Challenge, guided hiking tours, and volunteer opportunities with environmental organizations such as Friends of the Cove, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and Adopt a Street London. A highlight for ESS this year will be organizing the 2nd annual Green Ball – a formal charity ball organized by ESS to raise money for an environmental cause in the community (this years is yet to be determined). Any interested students can get involved in ESS by dropping in on one of our biweekly Monday meetings in NSB 12 at 11:00am (next meeting will be Oct 15th) or join the facebook group “Environment & Sustainability Society (ESS)” to find details about the organization.
• David Suzuki and Jeff Rubin will be visiting Western on Thursday, October 18th , 2012. They will be speaking in Alumni Hall about their new project called, ‘The End of Growth: How to Achieve a Truly Sustainable Future.’ Tickets for the event are $10 plus tax for students and $15 plus tax for non-students. More details can be found by visiting http://www.usc.uwo. ca/theendofgrowth/ p. 7
Get out the candy and costumes... It’s that time of year again! Halloween is a time full of sweets, decorations, costumes and parties. This Halloween, find an elaborate costume, give out lots of candy and turn your home into a haunted house, all while minimizing your impact on the environment! Check out the following tips for ideas on how to ‘green’ your Halloween: 1) Be creative with your costumes. You don’t need to spend a fortune every year to change things up. Purchase your costume at a thrift store or trade old costumes with a friend to save money. 2) Carve Jack-O-Lanterns out of organic, locally grown pumpkins. To get the most out pumpkins, bake the shells into pies, soups or other dishes. The seeds also make a delicious treat! Just clean them off,
Green Tweets
add a dash of salt for seasoning, and bake for 20 minutes at 350⁰F. 3) Recycle your decorations. Reuse those fake cobwebs and tear up old sheets to make spooky ghosts. Just cut the sheets into 2 ft. by 2 ft. squares, stuff the center with leaves, tie an elastic band around the leaves to make a head, and draw on some fun faces! You can hang these around the house or on tree branches. 4) Give out candy that comes in recyclable wrappers. For example, Smarties, Glosette Raisins and Mike and Ikes all come in cardboard boxes that can be recycled. 5) Going trick-or-treating? Forget the plastic bag! Use a cloth bag, or even a pillowcase to reduce your impact on the environment.
Reusable bags are also stronger and will hold more candy without breaking! It won’t take much for you to reduce your impact on the environment this Halloween. By adopting these tips, you can save money and help the environment while looking great and having fun!
Did you know that Western has started sending its leftover paint to Habitat for Humanity? Not only will this help save the university over $1000 a year in disposal fees, but this initiative also supports individuals in need. By donating hundreds of gallons of unused paint to Habitat for Humanity each year, Western is helping low-income families purchase items that they would otherwise be unable to afford.
Ontarions send about 38% of their recyclable plastic beverage containers to the landfill. You can help reduce this waste and save money by re-filling a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. Over 80 water bottle re-fill fountains have been installed on campus, allowing everyone to do their part. Each fountain has a counter that represents the number of plastic water bottles that have been saved by using the fountain instead of buying bottled water. As of August 2012, waste from over one million water bottles had been reduced across campus. Great job Western!
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Got e-Junk? IT’S TIME TO GET RID OF THOSE OLD ELECTRONICS!
Western’s e-Waste Drive Mon. Oct 15 - Sun. Oct. 21, 10AM-2PM
The drop-off centre is located in the gravel parking lot next to the Labatt Health Sciences Parking Lot (at Lambton Drive and Huron Drive)
For every item you bring in, receive one entry to a draw for a
$100 prize!
Accepted Items ...
TVs & Accessories (VCRs, DVD & Blu-Ray Players, etc) | Cell Phones & Accessories (Chargers, Bluetooth Devices, etc) | Computers, Laptops & Accessories (Mouse, Keyboard, etc) | Phones & Answering Machines | Camcorders & Digital Cameras | A/V Equipment (Projectors, Speakers, Amps, etc) | GPS & Vehicle Accessories