We are all familiar with the 4 R’s of green thinking: reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose. Recently, I have been introduced to a 5th R . . . Revitalize.

A man by the name of Rich Roll has truly embraced this concept of revitalization and the effect it has on your life. At one time in his life Rich was a lawyer, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, 50 pounds overweight, and admittedly at his lowest point with satisfaction of his life. One day while climbing the stairs at his home, he stopped to catch his breath … and it was there he had enough.

“MAYBE STOP TRYING SO HARD TO FIND SHORTCUTS TO “HACK” YOUR LIFE. THE BEST THINGS ARE HARD. INVEST IN THE JOURNEY. JUST SAYIN’!” ~RICH ROLL

So what did Rich do? Exactly that! He began a new journey, didn’t look for the easy way out. Rich is now a Ultraman Champion (10km open ocean swim, 421km bike, 84km run = 8 gruelling hours for the top competitors). Oh? Did I mention he did this all while being committed to a plant based diet? Yeah! NUTS! Literally, leaves and nuts!

But there is more to the story. While Rich stopped being a lawyer, his family was barely able to make ends meet. One summer evening while attempting to make house payments, CNN contacted Rich asking for an interview. When planning on what to serve Sanjay Gupta from CNN, the biggest concern was not what to eat, but whether or not the stove top would turn on. Needless to say, the natural gas was still on and Rich became quite the famous story.

Why is this important? Because we as sustainability ambassadors have a greater responsibility than just talking about sustainability, we have to be the advocates, the voice, the beacons of change. There is no hack to being a sustainable consumer. Our purchasing behaviour has to be more dependant on our research, our challenges, our communication.

Needless to say, after much research, deliberation and understanding the path and successes of Rich Roll, I have committed to changing my eating habits and beginning the steady switch from a red meat based diet to 6-day vegetarian, with the end goal of being a fully committed vegan. Not only for the healthy benefits, but as well as the sustainable benefits from a plant based diet.

Thank You Dharini. Thank You Tess. Thank You Classmates.

#TOKYO2020 

This July, Canada is turning 150 years old! What a history we as Canadians have had. Our quilt of multicultural heritage and diversified Canadian Identity has truly blossomed. 150 years later, our rich origins with the Aboriginal People of Canada are finally receiving the necessary spotlight.

The Confederation Centre of Canada has invested $1.5 million in the Dream Catcher Project, which is touring from the Pacific to the Atlanta, to unite and educate Canadian youth about the environment, inclusion and reconciliation.
The program is focused on the youth of Canada so that they may have a better grasp and understanding of what the future of Canada can entail – to be a successful and prosperous nation in the wealth of people and culture. The Confederation Centre is asking for young Canadians to create videos, artwork and written words that describe their vision of Canada past, Canada present and Canada future.

“THE YOUTH OF OUR COUNTRY HAVE SUCH INCREDIBLE IDEAS FOR THEIR FUTURES, FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY!” ~Stephanie Ripley, The Dream Catchers

Stephanie Ripley is the project’s associate producer helping coordinate the journey across Canada. Educating the twenty youth in each province about the environment, inclusion and reconciliation. Each youthful Canadian has the opportunity to create their very own unique dreamcatcher with the guidance of Indigenous Artist, Nick Ward. Each of the individual dream catchers will be combined to create a six metre high dreamcatcher to become a central feature at the Confederation Centre this summer during the Canada150 festivities.

This has more to do about sustainability than upon first glance. Economically, there is direct investment in Canadian Culture, ensuring the stimulation of ideas and educating the youth is important subject matter. Environmentally, the youth and media followers are being engaged and educated about the importance and uniqueness of the Canadian environmental and geographic beauties that are in need of preservation. Socially, with such a rich and diversified multiculturalism aspects throughout the existence of Canada, its is extremely important to involve individuals who are becoming the future influencers throughout the next 150 years in Canada, and the world.

Finally, there is becoming a greater appreciation for understanding and reconciling the mistakes throughout the 150 years with Canadians and the Aboriginal Peoples. Luckily as UBC Students, we have this amazing opportunity to witness it first hand with the new Reconciliation Totem Pole and Dialogue Centre.

So go on, ask the questions and understand the past!

Now if you don’t know Apple, well then, take this opportunity to learn something a little about, arguably, the most iconic company of the 21st century. For the crazy ones, as Steve Jobs would refer to us, we are all now well ingrained into the contributing success and brilliance of Apple Inc.

From the desktop computer, the iPod, the Macbook, the iPhone, the iPad, the iWatch, and whatever else I am missing, Apple has developed these iconic products to become an integral  part of consumers lives. Wether the goal was to simplify the life of consumers or to have world domination in the digital consumerism, Apple has had an obvious influence on our society.

Today, it seems like innovation is slowing down and Apple is relatively stagnant within the market. Nevertheless, with a very large bank account, Apple hasn’t stopped creating. For the last two years, the company has created their second Apple campus, commonly referred to as Apple Park.

Apple Park is unlike any other office space in the world. Being one the largest at 2.8 million square feet of office space and is designed to look like a spaceship, Apple Park is creating more buzz than just being the building from the future, but their building is powered on 100% renewable energy. WHAT! 100% renewable energy at that size, is something to be marvelled, envied and renowned. 

The designed is inspired by the late CEO, Steve Jobs who was not only the vision for the dynamics of Apple, but one who was well connected with the Earth. The campus features a circular spaceship design, with large panels of curved class, and a ceiling covered with solar panels.

Current CEO, Tim Cook, stated, “Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come”. This quote is not only a representation of the legacy of Steve Jobs, but also a continued promise to pursue innovation and to never stop creating.

Remember, we are all the crazy ones, the round pegs in square holes, the ones who see things differently. 

A wise man once stood on a stage in front of a crowd of 1000. With one hand he gripped the podium, and with the other he held the very breath of his audience. With power, jubilation and grit he said to them:

“If it is not yours, don’t take it

If you break it, fix it

Don’t say bad things about other people

Live a honorable life

Stand up for good in the world

Lead with dignity

Make a contribution in the world”

Sitting there trying to make sense of it all, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant nor how could I apply that to my life. So I sat and pondered, reciting each line over and over again in my head. Until it struck me, “was there something else I could do without have to change the world of thought, reorganize an industry, or restrict consumer behaviour.”

Then it hit me! If you break it, fix it!

What a simple set of 6 words, struck deep into the core of my thoughts. When we as consumers break something or create something that isn’t easily recyclable, we often leave it to fade or ship it to landfills. Nevertheless, there are the spirited ones, the creative thinkers, the ones who have this amazing ability to see things differently. These innovators are not solving climate change, but they are showing that past mistakes can be created into new ideas.

Ocean plastic is an ongoing issue that consumers have yet to solve. However, there are companies actively trying to find ways to not only collect and remove these plastics from the ocean, but repurpose them into durable consumer goods. For example, a company by the name of Bureo, located in Chile, are salvaging fish nets from the ocean (these make up 10% of all plastics in the ocean). The company takes these fish nets, makes it into plastic pelts and in turn creates
great, recycled and fun skateboards. What began as a little project in 2013, the men and women at Bureo have to date recycled more than 175,000 square feet of fish nets from the ocean.

Striving to rid the ocean’s of this harmful waste, Bureo is shifting their focus to educate youth in both Chile and North America not only about their recycling program, but the ability to see a problem and with simple ingenuity, create a fun and positive solution.

Now who doesn’t love a classic comeback story?

The Underdog! The David vs. Goliath! The Miracle on Ice! The Rocky Balboa! The Oliver Twist!

John Paul DeJoria is the very definition of an underdog. To often these stories become high publicized and materialized by mainstream media and hollywood, but instead these stories should be understood from the humble beginnings in which they originate.

Born in Los Angeles, California to an immigrant mother and father, John was immaculately tossed into a world of challenges. When he was two his parents divorced, and by the age of nine John was selling christmas cards and newspapers on the street. A year later he and his brother were forced into foster care. By his mid 30s, he was a single father selling hair care products and living out of his car with his daughter. Without many options left, he began to lose hope.

Pushing his hair care products on whoever would buy them, he was fortunate enough to meet Paul Mitchell, a famous hair dresser. Together, with a $700 loan, the two formed John Mitchell Systems, and needless to say the rest is history.

Now worth over $3 Billion, actively involved in entrepreneurship and charitable acts, John is telling his story.

But how do we find these stories to inspire us?

We watch the news, read the newspaper, browse articles on social media, and hear stories through word of mouth. Nevertheless, I didn’t find John’s story this way, but rather on a podcast (would highly recommend listening to this). One of my favourite athletes of all time has recently dedicated his post athletic life to podcasts, sharing stories from people all around the world and their incredible journey throughout life.

While driving home one evening with my brother, we listened to Lance Armstrong’s interview with John Paul DeJoria. While telling his rags to riches story, he paused to give great credit to his selectivity of business ventures, where premium quality and sustainable actions were at the very root of his decision making.

While his partner was in Mexico on a business trip, he sampled an exclusive batch of tequila. With its superior taste and humble distilling process, he immediately called John. John flew down the next morning to sign a deal, on the basis that the glass battles would only be produced with recycled glass.

This tequila is the one and only, industry dominating, Patron.

It is with great, great sadness that we as sustainability and environmental enthusiast we say goodbye to the great Rob Stewart. Even more so as Canadians, we have lost a man of legacy and education, who believed in the power of the environment so much that he had to put his life in such circumstances to just capture a frame of powerful words.

Rob Stewart was born in Toronto in 1979. By age 13 his passion amounted, when his underwater pictures began becoming published around the world. By 18, he took his passion to others by becoming a scuba instructor and wild life conservation educator. His schooling took him all around the world. From the simple upbringings of Ontario, he took to Jamaica and Kenya to embrace the diverse natural environment that surrounded him.

While on assignment in the Galapagos Islands, he discovered the horrific world of sharks. It wasn’t the horror story of their aggression and fables, but rather, the poaching and illegal killing of these beautiful creatures. This ultimately lead to his first major film, Sharkwater. The movie was produced by Alliance Atlantis, Warner-Bros, Disney and MK2-, and become a world renowned hit. The film depicts a movement for shark conservation and a call for a reform in government policy, to protect these creatures and to inspire change.

What an amazing word, inspire. We must discover what or who inspires in order to proactively make a change worth fighting for. While this blog is focused on sustainability, this specific post focuses on our personal journey to discovery.

I never knew Rob Stewart, nor had I ever seen any of his material, or so I thought. When I saw the story from CBC, I was very intrigued by the story about a filmmaker dying while out at sea. So I began to do some research about who Rob was and why he was out there. I soon discovered this piece ….

This is a quote I had read when I was doing research in grade 10, on a piece about the frontiers. The ocean has been one of the ongoing and continuously unveiling of new species, a frontier constantly being rediscovered time and time again. I had never remember the author of the quote, but rather the beauty and truth.

My passion for sustainability has always been water, whether it be fresh or salt, simply on the fact that ….

Water is life.

We are all rather familiar with the story of colonization. Christopher Columbus and his boat of merry men landed on the shores of Eastern Northern America, and well, the rest is history. In its truest roots, Canada has been in the spot light with balancing the power of the established Federal Government and that of the vast First Nations peoples that inhabit the land.

In Canada there are two varieties of land rights: Crown Land and Indigenous Land (traditional, ancestral, unceded territory). For example, UBC is situated on borrowed land from the Musqueam People, and we were officially granted permission to use the Thunderbird by the Kwicksutaineuk people of the B.C. west coast. Nevertheless, in countless occasions in Canadian History, there has been an ongoing debate and struggle for proper entitlement to the land and its wealth. Canada is a very prosperous nation with copious natural resources: minerals, water, lumber, etc. When the Federal Government looks to exploit these resources in order to help prosper the Canadian Economy, it often comes at the cost of moving onto Indigenous Land.

On January 27th, 2017 the First Nations of Vancouver Island placed a ban on industrial logging and mining operations, in the name of sustainability. “80% of almost 171,000 hectares will be set aside as cultural and natural area”. This is spirited in the quest to conserve the massive and rich area from inevitable ecological destruction.

Hadley Archer, Natural Conservancy Executive Director, described how this ban on industrial practices is at the pure foundations of the triple bottom line of sustainability: where social, environmental and economic significance are taken into account for the sustainable future of their globally significant ecosystems.

Upon deeper analysis, it is evident that the First Nation Council is actively taking steps in the right direction, in effort to keep their rightful land intact and by making effective use of its natural abilities. The Band has been overly concerned with the logging of old-growth forests, as well as salmon farming in the area. The Ahousaht people are presenting plans to help diversify the community’s activities by developing light infrastructure to support run-off-river hydroelectricity, tourism and lumber harvesting.

This is a powerful story of resilience and sustainability, where the people still proudly stand for the values where they can continue to prosper as an independent people, while preserving the very land upon which their ancestors lived.

It is the unfailing optimism that eluded us,

where a swift ocean breeze may sail us away to were all hope may be lost.

But it is the orgiastic purpose that keeps us searching:

to find a tool, learn a fix and travel on a corrected course …

all to save a body of water worth fighting for.

The changing face of our very environment is at the hands of every human interaction: leisure, work, transactions, etc. To combat the negative effects of climate change, more often than not, we turn to our leaders to inspire policy action, guidance, and ultimately the ability to make the necessary changes.

The political landscape of North America is changing at every turn. In recent years, we have seen significant change in power and national values: Harper -> Trudeau, Obama -> Trump. These are drastic shifts not only in leadership, but also in political platforms and preferences on federal spending. Media has intensely covered Trump’s selection of his of cabinet secretaries, notably Scot Pruitt, an active climate change denier, as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is a shift from Obama’s EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, who held a long tenure in the organization and was referred to as ‘the President’s serious push’ to address climate change. There is an opposing shift within our own country, where Prime Minister Trudeau confirmed his Minister of Environment, Catherine McKenna, who is steamrolling Canada in the direction of cleaner forms of fuel and energy, replacing Harper’s Leona Aglukkaq who on numerous occasions was absent from international climate change discussions; notably The Climate Summit of the Americas in 2015. Seems to be evident that as Canada takes a step in one direction, the US may be heading in the other. What are the possible implications of the future of the environment and relations with the US?

When referring to the article, Creating Shared Value, Porter and Kramer address the directed role that governments play in regulating ways to enable shared value, not resisting against it. There is a correlation to the possible development of clusters and communities to enhance the triple bottom line of sustainability (social, environmental, financial). Nevertheless, there are barriers to scale that are only conquered in collaboration with governments and within the society. If our elected governments and policy officials refuse to establish the necessary programs within these communities, there are potential threats that can prohibit inclusive business.

Successful strategies that strive for shared value with progressive relationships with government have expanded economic opportunities and preserved integral environmental concerns.

With the power, and arguably duty, that governments have in respect to environmental protection and good business, the implications of the next 4 years of governance could influence our next ‘X’ on the ballot.