By: Niklas Agarwal
In some regards “sustainability” is just another buzzword created by the same people who thought of “environmentalism” and “eco-friendly.” It is a feel good word, but what does it really mean?
In 1987 a groundbreaking report was released by the UN titled “Our Common Future” describing sustainability as a process that “that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” As is no surprise to most people, at the current trend that we are going at we will not leave future generations (or this one) the ability to meet their own needs. Sustainability is often referred to as three pillars: Social, Economic, and Environment. To truly live in “sustainable” world we have to balance all three.
Residence factors into this because recent data from Campus Community Planning has revealed that residence is responsible for 21% of all energy on campus, 13% of water, and a significant portion of waste. Living in residence is when most people learn life patterns that they will follow throughout their lives. That is why it is imperative that we change our behaviour and our peers’ behaviour in this portion of our lives. Here are some tips/ideas on creating a more sustainable lifestyle in residence:
- Get your Eco-To-Go card and use it frequently. Not only do you get a discount off your food, but you also help reduce waste and promote a culture of sustainability. You can get your first card for free by going up to the Dining Hall office by the dessert station.
- Learn how to #SortItOut. UBC is pushing to achieve 80% diversion by 2020. Right now we are at 50%. You can see a simple guide here: http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/recycling-waste/sort-it-out/what-goes-where
- Take shorter showers! Try to limit your showers to 5 minutes. Pumping water takes a huge amount of resources, so let’s try to limit it. When others see you taking shorter showers it will also affect their behavior – selective peer pressure!
- Join the sustainability committee in Vanier! Ask your RA to get involved. You can collaborate on a larger scale to create behavioural impact here in Vanier.
- Turn off those lights. Not only in your room, but in the floor lounges when no one is using them.
- Say hi to your floor! Behavioural change does not occur in silos, and if we don’t have connections that target sustainability in multifaceted approaches, nothing will ever change. Social sustainability feeds into everything.
- Check out the toolkit to get more info: http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/sustainability-residence/sustainability-residence-toolkits
- Lastly, come to Place Vanier Sustainability Week! Not only will you learn new things and get free hankies, but you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a residence advisor auction! All the proceeds will go to Forest Ethics which seeks to protect BC’s prime wilderness.
Follow