Looking into the future: An Environmental Centre at McGill

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Looking into the futureAn Environmental Centre
at McGill
Environmental Centre Task Force Sub-Committee on
the Environment Sophie Mazowita Violet Compton
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• Introduction
• Current situation
• Leading examples
• University of British Columbia
• University of Toronto
• Harvard University
• Taking initiative at McGill
• Conclusions

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Introduction

• ECTF formed in November 2005
• Who we are
• Goals
• ECTFs vision
• McGills mission

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Taking initiative at McGill

• What McGill offers
• Recycling program
• Paper use policy
• Energy reduction week
• Clean green
• Student-run campus groups
• green initiatives, sustainability, composting
• Bicycle-share program
• 1 full-time position, 3 part-time students

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Leading examples

• University of British Columbia
• Founded 1998 ? 50,000 seed funding
• 3 full-time 2 part-time staff
• Energy retrofit management ?
  office autonomy
• Directed by Land Buildings Services
• under VP Admin Finance

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Leading examples

• University of Toronto
• Established 2005 from Toronto Atmospheric Fund
  grant
• 5 full-time staff, several work study positions
• Joint direction
• Centre for Environment
• Utilities and Building Services
• Central goal of energy use reduction

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Leading examples

• Harvard University
• Harvard University Green Campus Initiative -
  established 2000
• 70,000 grant for a strategic sustainability
  plan at the university
• 13 full-time staff, 40 part-time positions
• Campus utility costs reduced by over 1
  million/year
• GHG reduction of gt20 million lbs CO2

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Taking initiative at McGill

• What McGill should offer
• Exhaustive recycling program
• Campus utility GHG reductions
• Transportation alternatives
• Sustainability workshops education
• An environmental resource library
• Meeting place
• A physical space on campus

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Taking initiative at McGill

• Why??
• Talloires Halifax declarations
• Montreal Sustainable Development Plan
• 2008 Policy on Residual Material Management
• Ratification of Kyoto
• Benefit to the McGill community

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Taking initiative at McGill

• What McGill NEEDS
• A physical space on campus
• Environmental Centre
• Funding
• Student research position
• Credit for change

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Conclusions

• ECTF future goals
• continued research
• gathering community support
• and publicizing