EXPLORE/CONNECT

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EXPLORE/CONNECT

• Ecology and sustainability in your daily life

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• Food, transportation, recreation and other daily
  choices
• Practical tips and resources to explore
• Revisiting the Ecological Footprint and ecology
  principles/concepts to date
• What is happening at UBC, in the local community
  and beyond to help us make informed decisions
  and/or get involved?

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Start with your list

• At UBC
• Local community
• In Canada
• In the world

• Generally, or more specific to something in your
  life
• 1 example for each level

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My example

• At UBC
• Local community
• In Canada
• In the world

• Bike kitchen
• Volunteer for Green Thumb Theatre
• Learn more about the Green Party
• Coral reefs of the world - enjoying while
  reducing impact

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Fleming Beach, Maui

• Rated Americas best beach in a recent top ten
  poll (June 2006)
• According to Stephen Leatherman, director of
  Florida International Universitys Laboratory for
  Coastal Research

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After you have made your list

• Add one more item to each level and add resources
  or actions based on the knowledge in the room and
  material we will look at in slides and handouts
• You may add a comment, question or criticism to
  one resource or proposed action

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In an upcoming class.

• Recent announcements at the civic, provincial and
  federal govt. levels about programs to address
  sustainability, climate change and related
  ecological issues
• Good, bad, other? Why? How?

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UBC in relation to the world..
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Sustainable Endowments Institute

• Compiled the College Sustainability Report Card
  (January 2007)
• UBC rated B- for greenness
• A in administration, climate change and energy,
  food and recycling and green buildings
• F in endowment transparency and shareholder
  management

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How could we have done better?

• Used UBCs endowments to change corporate
  governance practices
• Made public statements about investigating or
  investing in renewable energy funds or community
  development loans

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But the good news

• UBC was described as a campus sustainability
  leader, along with 26 schools in the US,
  including Harvard and MIT
• Endowmentinstitute.org

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What is happening at UBC?

• ECOTrek water and energy retrofit
• (cost 35 million, will save 2.6 million in
  energy costs each year)
• Low-flush toilets
• Upgraded lights and heating systems
• Steam plant burner replacement (reduced
  greenhouse gases by 80)

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Local examples?

• 1. Green Cities Project 40 million fund from
  province to advance municipal projects.such as
• Bike paths, greenways, disabled access,
  childrens parks and playgrounds

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Local examples?

• 2. 100-mile diet Alisa Smith and James
  MacKinnon
• For 365 days, eat only foods/beverages produced
  within a 100-mile radius of their Kits apt.
• www.thetyee.ca www.100milediet.org

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Local examples?

• Recycling on several fronts
• Computers for Schools
• Product Care - paint other hazardous
• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.
• GVRD 101 things to do with all your old stuff

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Look at your phone book

• Super Pages
• Home pages section includes Choices for Wiser
  Living
• Many examples here of ecology in your daily life

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Wackernagel, M. and W. Rees. 1996. Our ecological
footprint. Reducing human impact on Earth. New
Society Publishers. Gabriola Island.
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Ecological Footprint defined

• Accounts for the flow of energy and matter
  from/to a defined economy (e.g. your life) and
  converts it to land/water area required from
  nature to support these flows

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Examples from other parts of Canada
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Cross-Canada studies

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Measured EF of 20 major urban regions (Dec.,
  2005)
• Avg. Canadian was 7.25 ha/person
• 1.9 ha/person of productive land/sea is available
  (on the planet)

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• Energy demands 55
• (38 by industry)
• Transportation 35
• (12 commercial,business)

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Solutions?

• Drive less increase walking/cycling/carpooling/us
  ing public transit
• Eat locally grown food
• Retrofit buildings to save energy
• Use renewable energy and energy-efficient
  vehicles

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2. Other organizations

• Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers
• Presents at an annual trade show
• Examples include Ethical Bean Coffee Company - to
  expand into mainstream supermarkets

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3. Local groups in specific areas

• Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
• Brochure on living toxin free
• www.thescca.ca

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4. Canada-wide initiatives

• Bird Studies Canada, in partnership with
• Bird Life International
• Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Survey, etc.
• 10,000 volunteers in Canada each year

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Around the world

• 1. Global Footprint Network http//www.footprintne
  twork.org/
• Mission to support a sustainable economy by
  advancing the EF, that makes the reality of
  planetary limits relevant to decision-makers
  throughout the world

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Around the world

• 2. Imaginative Travelers Volunteer Program
• www.trekescapes.com
• Work with local people on various projects, such
  as Habitat for Humanity, improving schools or
  protecting local water supply with composting
  toilets

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3rd World Urban Forum (established by the UN)

• Held in Vancouver June, 2006
• Addressed rapid urbanization and its impacts on
  communities, cities, economics and policies
• http//www.unhabitat.org/wuf/2006/default.asp