Showing posts with label Environmental Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environmental Education. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Juliet Schor on the politics of consumption
Juliet Schor's E. F. Schumacher Lecture from New Economics Institute on Vimeo.
Juliet Schor is Professor of Sociology at Boston College. The video above is a lecture she delivered at the Thirty-First Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures, New York City, November 5th, 2011.
Here is a summary of one of her ideas:
"2. Quality of life rather than quantity of stuff. Twenty-five years ago quality-of-life indicators began moving in an opposite direction from our measures of income, or Gross Domestic Product, a striking divergence from historic trends. Moreover, the accumulating evidence on well-being, at least its subjective measures (and to some extent objective measures, such as health), suggests that above the poverty line, income is relatively unimportant in affecting well-being. This may be because what people care about is relative, not absolute income. Or it may be because increases in output undermine precisely those factors which do yield welfare. Here I have in mind the growing worktime requirements of the market economy, and the concomitant decline in family, leisure, and community time; the adverse impacts of growth on the natural environment; and the potential link between growth and social capital".
More here.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Green lifestyle choices won’t solve the climate problem
Check out this article by Gar Lipow on why individual choices to be green may not help in the long run. He argues that sustainability is a collective affair requiring collective solutions. Further, he posits that governments (especially the U.S.) do not spend enough on public goods:
"Setting an example by doing some simple, logical things to reduce an individual environmental footprint is wonderful. But ultimately, we will not make up, through private spending or lifestyle changes, for the fact that we currently don't invest enough in public goods. Nor will we privately make up for the fact that much of our public spending is directed to the wrong public goods".
He uses the example of railways versus highways in the U.S. to illustrate his point:
"The road to our current predicament was long, and built on public policy and public investment. Take the gradual reduction of freight rail in this country, for example. We have less than half the miles of freight-rail track we had at the peak of freight-rail shipping; that is a result of a massive public investment in public highways -- which do not in fact pay for themselves [PDF]. In our system, rail pays property tax and highways don't, much of the so-called gas tax is really diverted sales tax, and railroads also pay fuel taxes but don't get fuel tax money back the way highways do".
While I agree with many of the points raised in this article, I still believe that individual actions (i.e. using less water, using public transit over driving, for example) can go a long way insofar as we have the communication channels to support these activities. Investment in public goods has been declining, no doubt, but we live in an era where communication via social media and public events can at least harness and shift those "individual actions" into a more collaborative and collective effort.
The age of information is a powerful one and the more individuals arguing for their green choices -- via the web, telling their friends and peers and sharing in schools and workplaces -- the more weight these arguments will have when presented to politicians.
Once the information sharing begins along with collectively arguing for the benefits we can indeed derive from public goods, people may become less apathetic and more vocal to their politicians. These collective efforts can demand change and lead to benefits for all.
"Setting an example by doing some simple, logical things to reduce an individual environmental footprint is wonderful. But ultimately, we will not make up, through private spending or lifestyle changes, for the fact that we currently don't invest enough in public goods. Nor will we privately make up for the fact that much of our public spending is directed to the wrong public goods".
He uses the example of railways versus highways in the U.S. to illustrate his point:
"The road to our current predicament was long, and built on public policy and public investment. Take the gradual reduction of freight rail in this country, for example. We have less than half the miles of freight-rail track we had at the peak of freight-rail shipping; that is a result of a massive public investment in public highways -- which do not in fact pay for themselves [PDF]. In our system, rail pays property tax and highways don't, much of the so-called gas tax is really diverted sales tax, and railroads also pay fuel taxes but don't get fuel tax money back the way highways do".
While I agree with many of the points raised in this article, I still believe that individual actions (i.e. using less water, using public transit over driving, for example) can go a long way insofar as we have the communication channels to support these activities. Investment in public goods has been declining, no doubt, but we live in an era where communication via social media and public events can at least harness and shift those "individual actions" into a more collaborative and collective effort.
The age of information is a powerful one and the more individuals arguing for their green choices -- via the web, telling their friends and peers and sharing in schools and workplaces -- the more weight these arguments will have when presented to politicians.
Once the information sharing begins along with collectively arguing for the benefits we can indeed derive from public goods, people may become less apathetic and more vocal to their politicians. These collective efforts can demand change and lead to benefits for all.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tim Jackson on prosperity without growth
Jackson says "prosperity consists in our ability to flourish as human beings within the ecological limits of a finite planet".
More here.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Making sustainable change as a student
One of my friends at UBC recently wrote a short review of a book called "The Nature of College" by James Farrell. She wrote an excellent post on the blog "Getting to GreenR" reviewing this book and relating it to current examples of applied sustainability in her program (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability) at UBC. She writes:
"By exploring the life of the average college student, Farrell finds that nature is everywhere; that between the cafeteria food, clothing choices, computer time, parties and more, the life of a student in fact, connects a lot more intimately to nature – and to a sustainable society – than appears at first glance".
Sustainability is inherently very practical and applied. It must be active on campus and carried out by students. Teaching sustainability can only go so far. Indeed, energy saving projects like double-paned windows and vermicomposting programs are two sustainable projects that students can engage with not only to green their campuses but to understand the process more generally.
"At my own campus at the University of British Columbia, one of the newest courses on offer is Applied Sustainability: UBC as a Living Laboratory, which will be open to students across different faculties, and combines theory and knowledge with practical projects that will be geared towards greening the university’s own operations. By having students act, in essence, as consultants for the university, both groups benefit from the project, while driving sustainability action on the ground. What’s also great is that students themselves are helping to design the course, providing a valuable learning experience and providing student perspective to the course syllabus".
Read the full post here.
"By exploring the life of the average college student, Farrell finds that nature is everywhere; that between the cafeteria food, clothing choices, computer time, parties and more, the life of a student in fact, connects a lot more intimately to nature – and to a sustainable society – than appears at first glance".
Sustainability is inherently very practical and applied. It must be active on campus and carried out by students. Teaching sustainability can only go so far. Indeed, energy saving projects like double-paned windows and vermicomposting programs are two sustainable projects that students can engage with not only to green their campuses but to understand the process more generally.
"At my own campus at the University of British Columbia, one of the newest courses on offer is Applied Sustainability: UBC as a Living Laboratory, which will be open to students across different faculties, and combines theory and knowledge with practical projects that will be geared towards greening the university’s own operations. By having students act, in essence, as consultants for the university, both groups benefit from the project, while driving sustainability action on the ground. What’s also great is that students themselves are helping to design the course, providing a valuable learning experience and providing student perspective to the course syllabus".
Read the full post here.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Eco-Friendly School in Bali
Image credit: gizfactory.com"Understanding the current and future needs of our planet it is extremely vital that we move to renewal sources of energy in all spheres of our day to day lives. Keeping in lieu with this, a beautiful eco-friendly school has come up in Bali. The idea behind the school is to empower global citizens and green innovators who are inspired to take responsibility for the sustainability of the world".
Read more here.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Greenest City Action Team: Vancouver
I am reading through a report titled "Greenest City". It was put together in 2009 by the Greenest City Action Team (GCAT). The team comprises a number of environmental experts including councillors, Vancouver's Mayor Gregor Robertson, David Suzuki, David Boyd (one of Canada's leading environmental lawyers) just to name a few. This group of independent experts represents an immense knowledge base. They have a close understanding of the most pressing environmental interests that Vancouver faces. The GCAT was given an audacious mandate: to figure out what Vancouver needs to do to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. The report is about 30-pages in length.
The report outlines several recommendations including the "greenest city action fund". In short, this recommendation suggests that the City seek funding partners (the provincial and federal governments, private donors, and businesses) to establish a Greenest City Action Fund to support investments in green infrastructure, energy efficiency, green jobs, environmental education and green business.
Specifically, with the establishment of this fund, the City could create a world-class environmental education centre, the acquisition of land for public green spaces, development of small-scale sources of renewable energy (geothermal, biomass, solar etc) and even an energy efficiency retrofit program for residential buildings.
Cities like Stockholm have shown great leadership on similar initiatives. Indeed, in 2003, Stockholm established the "Miljomiljarden" or Environmental Billion initiative, dedicating one billion Swedish kronor to improving environmental conditions. The money was spent on various projects including: environmental information, activities that promote the preservation of biodiversity, efficient energy consumption and waste management and the decontamination of polluted lands, lakes and water courses. Stockholm was recently named the Greenest City in Europe.
Vancouver has high hopes but is undoubtedly on the right track. The Greenest City Action Fund is a progressive and holistic approach to greening a city. However, it is not money that will exclusively solve all of Vancouver's environmental challenges. The fund will require a number of inputs beyond just monetary provision. Indeed, greening a city requires active participation and collaboration among the private sector, government agencies, citizens, agriculture and local schools. All of these stakeholders are critical in the sustainability process and all need to articulate how such a fund would benefit the city as a whole.
Key Message: We should commend the hitherto green leadership shown by the Mayor, Gregor Robertson and the Greenest City Action Team. With their ambitions, vision and drive, the team will in some way lead Vancouver in a direction that will make the city more livable and sustainable.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Guest Entry: Vermicomposting program a big hit in Queen’s residences
By: Trevor Shah
The Queen's Vermicomposting Program was initiated in the fall term of the 2009-2010 academic year and is the first systematic University Residence vermicomposting program in Canada. What’s more, the program is entirely student driven. Queen’s university helped us run the initiative through paying the necessary expenses to lease 11 hand-made vermicomposters from a local, student-run non-profit business called the Living Cities Company.
The idea for the Vermicomposting program came about in April 2009 when four students came together to explore ideas on how to make Queen’s residence greener. Though the project was initiated by four students, it became the project of hundreds of students living in residence. Throughout the year, the residents of the 11 floors in residences, led by their Residence Advisors, looked after the day-to-day maintenance of the composters.
It should be noted that these vermicomposters were used to process the food students ate outside of the cafeteria. Most students ate in the cafeteria which uses an industrial composter; this industrial composter is entirely separate from the vermicomposting program.
From the point of view of residents, Residence Advisors, custodial staff, and the Queen’s community, the program has been successful. As shown by organic waste statistics tracked by students in two different residence buildings, each vermicomposter is able to consistently divert 2-4kg of waste each every week. Throughout the 8 months, we were able to divert about 400kg of waste through using 11 vermicomposters.
To promote the initiative and garner support we wrote articles to 3 different media sources; this was one of the best ideas as we were shortly contacted by CBC Radio Host Wei Chen, who read one of our articles in a local Kingston newspaper and interviewed us on CBC Ontario Morning.
These articles can be found at:
http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2009-11-10/news/residences-venture-vermicomposting/
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1773166
http://qnc.queensu.ca/gazette/4b0bf3bcb0220.pdf
There is an array of benefits of vermicomposting for residence buildings. They include:
First, vermicomposting offers an easy, cheap, and sustainable way to divert student generated organic waste from garbage cans/landfills. Since you can dispose of waste on-site, there is no energy cost of transportation. Moreover, the start-up cost of vermicomposting is almost twenty times less expensive than procuring an industrial composter. Vermicomposters are also self-propagating, as the worms are able to reproduce within 3 months, allowing their offspring to be used to start another vermicomposter.
Second, vermicomposting is net-energy-neutral and non-polluting. Unlike industrial composters, the vermicomposting process does not require inputs of heat energy, because vermicomposting utilizes worms to convert waste into fertilizer. In addition, no harmful chemicals are added, making vermicomposting 100% organic.
Third, the vermicomposting progress is fast. In general, 2 pounds of red wiggler worms will decompose 1 pound of waste within 24 hours. The ability of worms to consume their weight daily means that the system has high-throughput and is able to handle the waste-generation requirements of students in residences.
Fourth, the compost produced by the worms can be sold as an excellent fertilizer. The vermicompost increases soil workability, water holding capacity, erosion, while moderating temperature of the soil environment. Compost also enhances microbial action in the soil, further increasing the remineralisation of soil nutrients for plant use.
Finally, vermicomposting has a great educational value, as it exposes you to the first-hand practicality and benefits of vermicomposting.
We are looking to double the number of vermicomposters to 22 next year and we have submitted a 26-page report to residence administration proposing this expansion.
Trevor Shah is a second-year commerce student at Queen’s University and is one of the four founding members of the Vermicomposting program.
The Queen's Vermicomposting Program was initiated in the fall term of the 2009-2010 academic year and is the first systematic University Residence vermicomposting program in Canada. What’s more, the program is entirely student driven. Queen’s university helped us run the initiative through paying the necessary expenses to lease 11 hand-made vermicomposters from a local, student-run non-profit business called the Living Cities Company.
The idea for the Vermicomposting program came about in April 2009 when four students came together to explore ideas on how to make Queen’s residence greener. Though the project was initiated by four students, it became the project of hundreds of students living in residence. Throughout the year, the residents of the 11 floors in residences, led by their Residence Advisors, looked after the day-to-day maintenance of the composters.
It should be noted that these vermicomposters were used to process the food students ate outside of the cafeteria. Most students ate in the cafeteria which uses an industrial composter; this industrial composter is entirely separate from the vermicomposting program.
From the point of view of residents, Residence Advisors, custodial staff, and the Queen’s community, the program has been successful. As shown by organic waste statistics tracked by students in two different residence buildings, each vermicomposter is able to consistently divert 2-4kg of waste each every week. Throughout the 8 months, we were able to divert about 400kg of waste through using 11 vermicomposters.
To promote the initiative and garner support we wrote articles to 3 different media sources; this was one of the best ideas as we were shortly contacted by CBC Radio Host Wei Chen, who read one of our articles in a local Kingston newspaper and interviewed us on CBC Ontario Morning.
These articles can be found at:
http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2009-11-10/news/residences-venture-vermicomposting/
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1773166
http://qnc.queensu.ca/gazette/4b0bf3bcb0220.pdf
There is an array of benefits of vermicomposting for residence buildings. They include:
First, vermicomposting offers an easy, cheap, and sustainable way to divert student generated organic waste from garbage cans/landfills. Since you can dispose of waste on-site, there is no energy cost of transportation. Moreover, the start-up cost of vermicomposting is almost twenty times less expensive than procuring an industrial composter. Vermicomposters are also self-propagating, as the worms are able to reproduce within 3 months, allowing their offspring to be used to start another vermicomposter.
Second, vermicomposting is net-energy-neutral and non-polluting. Unlike industrial composters, the vermicomposting process does not require inputs of heat energy, because vermicomposting utilizes worms to convert waste into fertilizer. In addition, no harmful chemicals are added, making vermicomposting 100% organic.
Third, the vermicomposting progress is fast. In general, 2 pounds of red wiggler worms will decompose 1 pound of waste within 24 hours. The ability of worms to consume their weight daily means that the system has high-throughput and is able to handle the waste-generation requirements of students in residences.
Fourth, the compost produced by the worms can be sold as an excellent fertilizer. The vermicompost increases soil workability, water holding capacity, erosion, while moderating temperature of the soil environment. Compost also enhances microbial action in the soil, further increasing the remineralisation of soil nutrients for plant use.
Finally, vermicomposting has a great educational value, as it exposes you to the first-hand practicality and benefits of vermicomposting.
We are looking to double the number of vermicomposters to 22 next year and we have submitted a 26-page report to residence administration proposing this expansion.
Trevor Shah is a second-year commerce student at Queen’s University and is one of the four founding members of the Vermicomposting program.
Monday, March 22, 2010
World Water Day...
Happy World Water Day! World Water Day is all about raising awareness of the global water crisis. Yes it is true, Canada has an abundance of water. But that does not mean that we as Canadians can neglect the importance of this day. On average every Canadian uses 343 litres of water per day. We use about 1.5 times more water per capita than most European countries and significantly more than those in the developing world. Check out Peter Gleick's post on World Water Day focusing on water quality in Nairobi.
Chris and I delivered a presentation today in our global environmental policy class. The presentation was on a proposed international convention on water. We have done a tonne of research on the economic, political, social and environmental implications of such a convention. We looked at water as a human right, we explored water as an economic good and water as a property right.
Water is going to be increasingly more important to our planet in the 21st century. It has been fundamental to our existence and will be even more critical considering its dwindling supply due to population growth, climate change and creaking infrastructure. On an optimistic note, there has been a concomitant increase in education around the protection and preservation of water.
One of my thesis recommendations is for the City of Peterborough to have its own World Water Day. Stores such as Home Depot, Home Hardware and Canadian Tire would have a chance to present their latest water efficient technology solutions and encourage city residents to consider purchasing these products.
While Peterborough is fortunate to have an abundant supply of clean and affordable water, the event could raise funds to provide water to some of the most vulnerable populations on the earth. Therefore, the event would raise awareness of water resources both locally and globally. There can also be tours of the wastewater and water treatment plants. Such an opportunity may not be always available. It would provide the public with a much better understanding of the technical dimensions and challenges of water management in the city. This sort of an initiative can take place in any city.
The development of partnerships is integral to the success of World Water Day. Using the example of Peterborough, World Water Day could bring together Fleming College, Trent University, businesses, water-related stakeholders and other groups. This would allow for great potential in the formation of partnerships in promoting sound water practices. These partnerships may promote more effective water management and governance; provide education on the negative aspects of bottled water and information about the use of current technology in the area of water resources. Above all, it would present a networking opportunity for water professionals and student groups wishing to collaborate in a more fruitful and productive way.
Key message: World Water Day should be everyday. However, because it is formally on March 22nd, cities in Canada and abroad would benefit greatly from presenting information about the protection, preservation and ultimately the significance of water resources. As said, World Water Day is becoming more popular; however, ask yourself.... is my city doing anything on this day? Either way, be thankful that Canada provides safe, reliable, and affordable clean water and sanitation -something that 1.1 billion people in the world do not have the luxury of enjoying.
Chris and I delivered a presentation today in our global environmental policy class. The presentation was on a proposed international convention on water. We have done a tonne of research on the economic, political, social and environmental implications of such a convention. We looked at water as a human right, we explored water as an economic good and water as a property right.
Water is going to be increasingly more important to our planet in the 21st century. It has been fundamental to our existence and will be even more critical considering its dwindling supply due to population growth, climate change and creaking infrastructure. On an optimistic note, there has been a concomitant increase in education around the protection and preservation of water.
One of my thesis recommendations is for the City of Peterborough to have its own World Water Day. Stores such as Home Depot, Home Hardware and Canadian Tire would have a chance to present their latest water efficient technology solutions and encourage city residents to consider purchasing these products.
While Peterborough is fortunate to have an abundant supply of clean and affordable water, the event could raise funds to provide water to some of the most vulnerable populations on the earth. Therefore, the event would raise awareness of water resources both locally and globally. There can also be tours of the wastewater and water treatment plants. Such an opportunity may not be always available. It would provide the public with a much better understanding of the technical dimensions and challenges of water management in the city. This sort of an initiative can take place in any city.
The development of partnerships is integral to the success of World Water Day. Using the example of Peterborough, World Water Day could bring together Fleming College, Trent University, businesses, water-related stakeholders and other groups. This would allow for great potential in the formation of partnerships in promoting sound water practices. These partnerships may promote more effective water management and governance; provide education on the negative aspects of bottled water and information about the use of current technology in the area of water resources. Above all, it would present a networking opportunity for water professionals and student groups wishing to collaborate in a more fruitful and productive way.
Key message: World Water Day should be everyday. However, because it is formally on March 22nd, cities in Canada and abroad would benefit greatly from presenting information about the protection, preservation and ultimately the significance of water resources. As said, World Water Day is becoming more popular; however, ask yourself.... is my city doing anything on this day? Either way, be thankful that Canada provides safe, reliable, and affordable clean water and sanitation -something that 1.1 billion people in the world do not have the luxury of enjoying.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Travel behaviour...
Before I get into the post, I wanted to wish Chris a happy birthday.
The pie chart to the left is a percentage breakdown of greenhouse gas emissions per sector.
I am doing a lot of reading these days about the relationship between travel behaviour and transportation choices. For example, why do people decide to drive their own vehicles (with only themselves in the vehicle) when they are surrounded by public transit choices, bike paths and carpooling options? There are some obvious reasons for this, but travel behaviour can be a lot more complex than this. Understanding travel behaviour has been a focal point of transportation research. More important, it has been crucial for understanding how we can minimize transportation's impact on climate change.
I was reading a study that looked at the factors influencing the future travel behaviour intentions of young people between 11 and 18 and how climate change considerations affect these. The sample was a group of youth in the U.K. Photography was shown by the researchers to the youth to compare photos between things like traffic congestion, motorists who looked happy while driving and pictures of the natural environment. These photos were used as a trigger for discussion about the environmental impacts of transport.
Results show how these young participants are enthusiastic to drive if provided the opportunity because of the speed, cost-savings, convenience, flexibility and freedom. The youth mentioned how walking and cycling is good for health, but it is an inconvenience. Using a car saves their "personal energy", they think that exercising should be separate from traveling. The sample group identified the importance of the environment and climate change, but said that it would still not deter them from their willingness to drive. Indeed, this was identified as the social dilemma where their own efforts to tackle climate change may be rendered worthless by the inaction of others.
What does this mean for policy? Policymakers need to promote cycling as a signal of success and promoting it as "cool" instead of just the obvious environmental and health benefits. Researchers suggest that society must empower young people in relation to their knowledge of climate change and how to tackle this issue as well as their ability to communicate this knowledge effectively to others.
The authors state that there would be merit in gathering more youth together and providing them with different transport choices, seeing what their choices are and their reasoning. Or, introducing “covered” cycle paths and walkways to protect people from the weather. Researchers suggest that these recommendations might help with changing youth’s perceptions regarding driving and climate change. Also, if there were regulations to enforce travel behaviour change towards more environmentally friendly options, then it could help remove the social dilemma identified by the youth.
As mentioned, climate change has become an overarching issue in the transportation research agenda. By developing a better understanding of travel behaviour, particularly for youth, policymakers will be able to implement measurements that promote a more environmentally friendly transportation system while concomitantly addressing the critical issue of climate change.
Key message: We need to understand how our youth perceive (if they even do) the issue of climate change as it relates to things like driving their family car. When I got my license at 16, I was completely excited to drive whenever and where ever I could. I never thought about the environment. Mind you, climate change has become more of a hot topic since, but we still need to communicate and educate our youth about the significant relationship between driving and its impacts on the planet.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Fun Theory...
I think the last time I had fun recycling a product was tossing a glass bottle into a recycling bin like a basketball, which quickly turned to guilt-ridden fear as the bottle shattered and I ran away. But for the most part, activities like recycling or cleaning up litter are far from exciting. A self-induced pat on the back is probably the most many people get when they toss their can in the recycling bin.
German auto manufacturer, Volkswagen is trying to change that. As part of an initiative known as the Fun Theory, Volkswagen has launched a website filled with videos that are dedicated to making mundane but important activities fun. According to the website, "This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."
Some of the videos I have attached showcase how fun is being used to engage people to take part in activities that they might not otherwise engage in. For example, bottle return stations -- not used in Ontario and some other jurisdictions because of curbside pickup programs -- are about as thrilling as watching paint dry. But when they are turned into a flashy arcade game, people flock to it.
Or how about waiting for the bus? In some cities it might be difficult to know whether the bus is actually on its way. And standing around awkwardly not talking to other people is all too common. But this all changes when a street periscope is built at the station. People can look through the periscope to see if their bus is on its way, and can also explore other parts of the city. Plus it gives them something to talk to others about at the station.
And when you are coming off the subway, why would you take the tiring and boring stairs when the elevator doesn't require you to really do anything? To play a song of course! When the stairs are turned into a piano, use of the stairs increases significantly.
Our friend Kingsley -- who happens to originate many of the ideas that appear on this blog, although he never seems interested in writing anything himself (hint, hint, cough, cough) -- was telling me about can-crushing Plinko. Based on the famous game from The Price is Right, people crushed their cans and then dropped them onto a Plinko board and then settled into a recycling bin. You can only imagine how much of a hit that'd be.
One of the biggest problems with environmental programs is getting people to buy into them and become engaged. No matter how green they are, how convenient they might be, how healthy they are or how nice they are financially, people just might not care enough to get engaged. But if they are made fun and exciting, as the videos above indicate, people will participate.
Now of course, the novelty would quickly wear off if every set of stairs in a city all of a sudden allowed you to practice Beethoven's Fifth and get in your fitness workout at the same time. But there are undoubtedly countless creative and innovative ideas out there waiting to be unleashed on the unexciting but important aspects of our world.
What is more, having these fun programs out in the public generates all sorts of community energy. Rather than having everyone walk past each other on the street without offering as much as a glance to one another -- as I have encountered far too many times when travelling through downtown Toronto -- people could share in the fun of these activities, talk with one another and generally just have a good time. A happy, lively and friendly community is a good community.
Being told to take part in things in order to evade guilt and simply getting beaten over the head with the negative consequences of our actions is not always the best way to get people to buy into something. Sometimes they might do the opposite just to spite you. But putting a positive spin on things is a win-win for everyone involved. Well done, Fun Theory.
German auto manufacturer, Volkswagen is trying to change that. As part of an initiative known as the Fun Theory, Volkswagen has launched a website filled with videos that are dedicated to making mundane but important activities fun. According to the website, "This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."
Some of the videos I have attached showcase how fun is being used to engage people to take part in activities that they might not otherwise engage in. For example, bottle return stations -- not used in Ontario and some other jurisdictions because of curbside pickup programs -- are about as thrilling as watching paint dry. But when they are turned into a flashy arcade game, people flock to it.
Or how about waiting for the bus? In some cities it might be difficult to know whether the bus is actually on its way. And standing around awkwardly not talking to other people is all too common. But this all changes when a street periscope is built at the station. People can look through the periscope to see if their bus is on its way, and can also explore other parts of the city. Plus it gives them something to talk to others about at the station.
And when you are coming off the subway, why would you take the tiring and boring stairs when the elevator doesn't require you to really do anything? To play a song of course! When the stairs are turned into a piano, use of the stairs increases significantly.
Our friend Kingsley -- who happens to originate many of the ideas that appear on this blog, although he never seems interested in writing anything himself (hint, hint, cough, cough) -- was telling me about can-crushing Plinko. Based on the famous game from The Price is Right, people crushed their cans and then dropped them onto a Plinko board and then settled into a recycling bin. You can only imagine how much of a hit that'd be.
One of the biggest problems with environmental programs is getting people to buy into them and become engaged. No matter how green they are, how convenient they might be, how healthy they are or how nice they are financially, people just might not care enough to get engaged. But if they are made fun and exciting, as the videos above indicate, people will participate.
Now of course, the novelty would quickly wear off if every set of stairs in a city all of a sudden allowed you to practice Beethoven's Fifth and get in your fitness workout at the same time. But there are undoubtedly countless creative and innovative ideas out there waiting to be unleashed on the unexciting but important aspects of our world.
What is more, having these fun programs out in the public generates all sorts of community energy. Rather than having everyone walk past each other on the street without offering as much as a glance to one another -- as I have encountered far too many times when travelling through downtown Toronto -- people could share in the fun of these activities, talk with one another and generally just have a good time. A happy, lively and friendly community is a good community.
Being told to take part in things in order to evade guilt and simply getting beaten over the head with the negative consequences of our actions is not always the best way to get people to buy into something. Sometimes they might do the opposite just to spite you. But putting a positive spin on things is a win-win for everyone involved. Well done, Fun Theory.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bill McKibben, mobilizing America on climate change action…
American environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, has and continues to vehemently spread awareness and education over global climate change. We don’t hear much about McKibben in Canada because of David Suzuki’s ubiquity, but McKibben has raised some really important questions around climate change and America’s energy challenge.
Among many of his noble efforts in the climate change movement, he has created a website called 350.org which is campaign dedicated to raising awareness over this salient issue. 350 refers to 350 parts per million. Climate change experts have identified this number as the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere. We are presently at 385 parts per million and as McKibben continues to exclaim “climate change is not a problem for the future; it’s a crisis for this moment". Anyone can join 350.org and become a member of this movement. More to come on local initiatives and groups you can join to further your knowledge on climate change and how you can educate and mobilize others in your community to think more seriously about it.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Energy Conservation in Toronto…
On average, about 20% of your home electricity costs are attributed to lighting.
This past weekend I was working an event called “Spring Turn On” at a Home Depot location in Toronto. It is a two weekend event (May 23rd/24th and May 30th/31st) at Home Depot and Canadian Tire locations across the city. Toronto Hydro, the largest electricity utility in Canada, is the main organizer with aims to inform customers about the latest energy conservation programs available in the city. Summerhill Group, my employer is a company dedicated to transforming markets to achieve sustainability. They are running the event in conjunction with Toronto Hydro, Home Depot and Canadian Tire.
For both Saturday and Sunday, store customers found themselves wandering around curious to find the latest deals and bargains on new cool appliances. Once customers noticed our presence they were filled with excitement and irrational exuberance desperate to grab their free compact fluorescent light bulb. We provided 350 free CFLs to the first 350 customers which served as a great avenue to educate inform and discuss the numerous benefits that CFLs serve. There is more to it however, the customers were required to fill in a quick survey on energy conservation in Toronto so that Toronto Hydro can identify what part of the city their from, their knowledge on energy efficient strategies and how often they participate in these eco events. We are also providing $4 rebate coupons for all Energy Star Certified light bulbs, and $10 coupons for power bars with timers.
One of my responsibilities was to inform and educate customers on Toronto Hydro’s peak saver program. In short, only residents who have centralized air conditioners and/or water heaters are eligible. Why? In the summer months when residents profligately run their air conditioners, it contributes to peak demand because everyone in the city is doing it. So, Toronto Hydro figured that by installing peak savers on air conditioners for absolutely free and providing a $75 gift card in the process, residents would feel more inclined to have it.
How does it work? During peak periods, Toronto Hydro will send a signal to the AC or water heater to interrupt power to the appliance for a short time. Air conditioners are cycled off for 15 minutes out of every 30 minutes. This way, a lot of pressure is taking off of the hydro system thereby reducing demand and keeping the cost of power lower in the future. Additionally, this reduces the need to import electricity.
We are also informing people about “time of use” pricing. Both smart meters and time of use pricing help minimize peak demand. Let’s say for example you want to use your clothes dryer and it is 6 pm in the evening. Chances are a lot of people are using their dryers at this time and will have to pay the on-peak (highest price) of 8.8 cents per kWh. If you wanted to dry your clothes at 11:30 pm you would be paying off-peak (lowest price) of 4 cents per kWh. In other words, incentives do exist to encourage residents to think about when they wash and dry their clothes, use their AC and dishwasher.
Key message: “All electrical devices have two prices tags, the initial purchase price and the cost of operating it.”
This past weekend I was working an event called “Spring Turn On” at a Home Depot location in Toronto. It is a two weekend event (May 23rd/24th and May 30th/31st) at Home Depot and Canadian Tire locations across the city. Toronto Hydro, the largest electricity utility in Canada, is the main organizer with aims to inform customers about the latest energy conservation programs available in the city. Summerhill Group, my employer is a company dedicated to transforming markets to achieve sustainability. They are running the event in conjunction with Toronto Hydro, Home Depot and Canadian Tire.
For both Saturday and Sunday, store customers found themselves wandering around curious to find the latest deals and bargains on new cool appliances. Once customers noticed our presence they were filled with excitement and irrational exuberance desperate to grab their free compact fluorescent light bulb. We provided 350 free CFLs to the first 350 customers which served as a great avenue to educate inform and discuss the numerous benefits that CFLs serve. There is more to it however, the customers were required to fill in a quick survey on energy conservation in Toronto so that Toronto Hydro can identify what part of the city their from, their knowledge on energy efficient strategies and how often they participate in these eco events. We are also providing $4 rebate coupons for all Energy Star Certified light bulbs, and $10 coupons for power bars with timers.
One of my responsibilities was to inform and educate customers on Toronto Hydro’s peak saver program. In short, only residents who have centralized air conditioners and/or water heaters are eligible. Why? In the summer months when residents profligately run their air conditioners, it contributes to peak demand because everyone in the city is doing it. So, Toronto Hydro figured that by installing peak savers on air conditioners for absolutely free and providing a $75 gift card in the process, residents would feel more inclined to have it.
How does it work? During peak periods, Toronto Hydro will send a signal to the AC or water heater to interrupt power to the appliance for a short time. Air conditioners are cycled off for 15 minutes out of every 30 minutes. This way, a lot of pressure is taking off of the hydro system thereby reducing demand and keeping the cost of power lower in the future. Additionally, this reduces the need to import electricity.
We are also informing people about “time of use” pricing. Both smart meters and time of use pricing help minimize peak demand. Let’s say for example you want to use your clothes dryer and it is 6 pm in the evening. Chances are a lot of people are using their dryers at this time and will have to pay the on-peak (highest price) of 8.8 cents per kWh. If you wanted to dry your clothes at 11:30 pm you would be paying off-peak (lowest price) of 4 cents per kWh. In other words, incentives do exist to encourage residents to think about when they wash and dry their clothes, use their AC and dishwasher.
Key message: “All electrical devices have two prices tags, the initial purchase price and the cost of operating it.”
Monday, April 13, 2009
Adding value to first-year university education…
In 2009, universities across the country offer a plethora of disciplines giving you (the student) an opportunity to study whatever you would like from the sciences to the social sciences to programming to the more practical/professional programs like Nursing, Engineering and Commerce. There is so much variety and choice these days and we often do not know what are major is going to be until the end of our first or second years. As an Arts student I have had the flexibility to take various courses that either directly pertain to my major, or courses that I am just generally interested in. However, I think two courses must be made mandatory for all first-year university students irrespective of what you are studying.
The first we’ll call Personal Finance 101. This course would not be a "business" one by any means, but a course that allows students to explore personal financial decision-making. The benefits of such are extensive and wide-ranging but mainly comprise learning good money management skills, how investment works, how we issue stocks and bonds, credit cards, insurance etc. Students are financially illiterate. Considering that ~ 55% of undergraduates students in Ontario are on OSAP, it is critical that everyone learn about how loans work, how to be smart with bursaries and grants, and how to put money into a savings account for starters. Learning how to budget personal finances can teach students a lot of useful information about checking and savings accounts for instance. It also teaches us how to set goals, devise a financial plan, and how to execute our plan. This gets us thinking about how we earn our money, and how we can start spending it more wisely or saving it for that matter.
We need to better understand personal balance sheets which lists the values of personal assets (e.g., car, house, clothes, stocks, bank account), along with personal liabilities (e.g., credit card debt, bank loan, mortgage). Such knowledge goes a long way. Even with the recent government tax form (T2202) or the T4, students were so confused and ambivalent about how to complete them and send them in. Such a course can review personal income statements and how taxes operate in this country.
The second course should be titled “environmental appreciation”. Such a course can expose students to the university’s natural environment, nature areas, gardens, rivers, streams or bodies of water. The point of the course is to inform students about their natural environment in a way that makes them critically review their connection with the environment and how they treat it. Such a course would not be overly scientific, but instead introduce students to the names of the local trees around their university, the birds that hover over campus, how the university gets its water and electricity, how the university composts its waste etc. This generates awareness and fosters a space that can teach students to embrace the natural environment with harmony and grace.
Key message: Knowledge on personal finances and the natural environment are seriously lacking. Confusion over how to pay your credit card and consequently being charged 18% interest is a problem that many students encounter. Neglecting the environment which connects everything in our life is also a problem. Incorporating these topics into first-year education certainly has some merit. If not a course then at least consider running on-going workshops and nature walks throughout the year to generate that awareness.
The first we’ll call Personal Finance 101. This course would not be a "business" one by any means, but a course that allows students to explore personal financial decision-making. The benefits of such are extensive and wide-ranging but mainly comprise learning good money management skills, how investment works, how we issue stocks and bonds, credit cards, insurance etc. Students are financially illiterate. Considering that ~ 55% of undergraduates students in Ontario are on OSAP, it is critical that everyone learn about how loans work, how to be smart with bursaries and grants, and how to put money into a savings account for starters. Learning how to budget personal finances can teach students a lot of useful information about checking and savings accounts for instance. It also teaches us how to set goals, devise a financial plan, and how to execute our plan. This gets us thinking about how we earn our money, and how we can start spending it more wisely or saving it for that matter.
We need to better understand personal balance sheets which lists the values of personal assets (e.g., car, house, clothes, stocks, bank account), along with personal liabilities (e.g., credit card debt, bank loan, mortgage). Such knowledge goes a long way. Even with the recent government tax form (T2202) or the T4, students were so confused and ambivalent about how to complete them and send them in. Such a course can review personal income statements and how taxes operate in this country.
The second course should be titled “environmental appreciation”. Such a course can expose students to the university’s natural environment, nature areas, gardens, rivers, streams or bodies of water. The point of the course is to inform students about their natural environment in a way that makes them critically review their connection with the environment and how they treat it. Such a course would not be overly scientific, but instead introduce students to the names of the local trees around their university, the birds that hover over campus, how the university gets its water and electricity, how the university composts its waste etc. This generates awareness and fosters a space that can teach students to embrace the natural environment with harmony and grace.
Key message: Knowledge on personal finances and the natural environment are seriously lacking. Confusion over how to pay your credit card and consequently being charged 18% interest is a problem that many students encounter. Neglecting the environment which connects everything in our life is also a problem. Incorporating these topics into first-year education certainly has some merit. If not a course then at least consider running on-going workshops and nature walks throughout the year to generate that awareness.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Composting at Trent Part II…
A few months ago I conducted a survey with a classmate of mine on composting on Trent's campus.
The following is a list of the key findings from our research on composing at Trent:
-The university’s average waste disposal costs on an annual basis is between $90,000 and $100,000, and this is based solely on how much volume we produce
- The compost program on campus is well-established however, the program awareness, and the involvement of students, faculty and community is seriously lacking. Given the student population of 7,475 we are not doing too badly
-Based on our survey, a significant percentage of the sample group (130 participants) acknowledged and agreed that composting is an essential component of waste management- 31% of the sample said they compost “all the time”
- Based on the survey results, 87% of the participants said that they compost on campus
***Trent University composted 15,000 kilograms in the 2006-2007 academic year. In the 2007-2008 academic year, Trent composted 56,000 kilograms of organic waste, an increase of 273%*** We also noted that during this time there was a 9.6% decrease in the university’s waste disposal costs. This may be attributed to a higher composting rate.
- the university needs to obtain various community environment funds to operate a sustainable composting program. Environment funds from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Eco-Action Canada, Nature Conservancy, Conservation Authorities, the city of Peterborough, the Sierra Youth Coalition and other organizations that value sustainability
-the campus must use materials for education and training including training manuals and posters, pamphlets describing the waste management system, as well as posters and emails distributed across the campus (only 28% of the sample agreed that Trent does a good job at promoting and informing students about waste diversion)
-use community-based social marketing to enhance the composting program. The rationale of community-based social marketing is to create cohesion through direct and personal contact among members of the campus community
-academic departments need to help build the composting program. More information and knowledge will be gained and this can provide the university with a better assessment of its waste management system. For instance, research projects administered by professors and students on studying the environmental impacts of the university's organic waste pile.
-The bottom line is that information dissemination is not enough for meaningful change to occur. Outreach and education programs need to engage and inspire students permanently to change behaviour. In other words, the main goal of compost education should be to explain the merits of why composting is important for the university and how it helps the environment.
-Compost can be sold to local businesses in the Peterborough community. Given that there is substantial demand for the compost, it would generate considerable revenue for the institution. Trent needs to identify the compost market in Peterborough; this can provide an outlet for selling the compost produced at Trent. McGill and UBC have already done this and run their composting programs completely off of the revenue gained from selling their compost to the community
The following is a list of the key findings from our research on composing at Trent:
-The university’s average waste disposal costs on an annual basis is between $90,000 and $100,000, and this is based solely on how much volume we produce
- The compost program on campus is well-established however, the program awareness, and the involvement of students, faculty and community is seriously lacking. Given the student population of 7,475 we are not doing too badly
-Based on our survey, a significant percentage of the sample group (130 participants) acknowledged and agreed that composting is an essential component of waste management- 31% of the sample said they compost “all the time”
- Based on the survey results, 87% of the participants said that they compost on campus
***Trent University composted 15,000 kilograms in the 2006-2007 academic year. In the 2007-2008 academic year, Trent composted 56,000 kilograms of organic waste, an increase of 273%*** We also noted that during this time there was a 9.6% decrease in the university’s waste disposal costs. This may be attributed to a higher composting rate.
- the university needs to obtain various community environment funds to operate a sustainable composting program. Environment funds from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Eco-Action Canada, Nature Conservancy, Conservation Authorities, the city of Peterborough, the Sierra Youth Coalition and other organizations that value sustainability
-the campus must use materials for education and training including training manuals and posters, pamphlets describing the waste management system, as well as posters and emails distributed across the campus (only 28% of the sample agreed that Trent does a good job at promoting and informing students about waste diversion)
-use community-based social marketing to enhance the composting program. The rationale of community-based social marketing is to create cohesion through direct and personal contact among members of the campus community
-academic departments need to help build the composting program. More information and knowledge will be gained and this can provide the university with a better assessment of its waste management system. For instance, research projects administered by professors and students on studying the environmental impacts of the university's organic waste pile.
-The bottom line is that information dissemination is not enough for meaningful change to occur. Outreach and education programs need to engage and inspire students permanently to change behaviour. In other words, the main goal of compost education should be to explain the merits of why composting is important for the university and how it helps the environment.
-Compost can be sold to local businesses in the Peterborough community. Given that there is substantial demand for the compost, it would generate considerable revenue for the institution. Trent needs to identify the compost market in Peterborough; this can provide an outlet for selling the compost produced at Trent. McGill and UBC have already done this and run their composting programs completely off of the revenue gained from selling their compost to the community
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