![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/tiegan-feature-graphic-aug.png\")
<\/a>\u201cI think there\u2019s other things, where you could have not-paper-based textbooks, where you\u2019re saving people money that way,\u201d she says. \u201c[Another] example may be food, and different incentives for healthier food choices. It\u2019s not just about finding local options, but options that are more affordable and healthier.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environmental Technology and Electronics and Computer Engineering instructor Ian Browning says that students have been showing an interest in making environmentally sustainable projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn the Electronics side, over the last few years, there have been various projects students have been doing on renewable energy systems,\u201d he says. \u201cFor example, one group did a sun tracking system, so solar panel trackers to make it more efficient. We\u2019ve had things like composting systems people have done as well to prove the efficiency of composting. On the Environmental Technology side, there have been various ecological restoration projects, so working with different organizations on restoring particular ecosystems, for example, the stream or Garry Oak meadow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browning says that the college has an eye to the environment with its architecture, as well, pointing to the new Alex & Jo Campbell Centre for Health and Wellness at Interurban as an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re doing a pretty good job on that already,\u201d he says. \u201cMy knowledge of it is that it\u2019s sort of a passive design, so it\u2019s designed to be partially heated by sunlight, and lighted. It\u2019s also got things like rainwater capture and stormwater management features.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He adds that environmental architecture will take time to be energy efficient, and that there\u2019s also a cost involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously, the college is operating with limited money, so we\u2019d need the government to step in and say, \u2018Here\u2019s $7,000,000 to do all this work.\u2019 That is sort of happening, but is it happening fast enough? Probably not. But again, it\u2019s all about money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) sustainability director Tamara Bonsdorf is currently building projects in preparation for the CCSS\u2019 Sustainability Day, taking place on October 17 at the Interurban campus. She\u2019s working on building three \u201cpillars,\u201d one each for food, transport, and waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the food pillar, we\u2019re going to work with the Culinary department [and] the Culinary students to get vegan tasters to be made to give out to the students for free and to start that conversation about how cutting out meat can help the environment, and also hopefully talk about fair trade and buying local.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bonsdorf says that seeing what would affect students in their daily lives is important. She says that transportation is a big one for students at the Interurban campus because they are having a hard time finding parking there. The college will be on hand at Sustainability Day talking about its Park and Ride\/Walk program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[The program] is set up with a couple other businesses that will have parking for the students and then they can make their way from those places to campus,\u201d says Bonsdorf. \u201cSo letting people know about that, and the Camosun Express between the two campuses, helping organize carpools, and having a bike tune-up station to help them be more comfortable with biking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bonsdorf is talking with the college\u2019s Facilities department to get information for the waste pillar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey do waste audits every few years, so we\u2019re going to do a small one for [Sustainability Day] where we take a week\u2019s worth of waste from one of the buildings and sort it out in the open and show how much that could have been diverted if it had been properly sorted,\u201d she says. \u201cAlso just raising awareness on single-use products. A lot of coffee cups end up getting used where they could have been easily replaced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate change isn\u2019t the type of issue that can be solved locally, but more urgent action could lead to taking part in a global response. While students who specialize in earth sciences and environmental studies have a deeper understanding of how human interference damages the Earth, there are questions as to how Camosun can promote an eco-conscious lifestyle inside and outside the classroom. As an educational institution, Camosun holds the power to demonstrate and encourage awareness of the world we live in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have some other ideas for events I want to do later on in the year,\u201d says Bonsdorf. \u201c[Sustainability Day] is the main thing that\u2019s coming up, but in the fall I was also talking to [Camosun] about doing an \u2018I don\u2019t know\u2019 bin in the waste station with the paper and the landfill\u2014having a bin that says \u2018I don\u2019t know,\u2019 and get an idea of what students are confused about, because they know it\u2019s a problem, but [Facilities] are trying to find the best way for the students to know where things go. I think UBC have their own facility on campus, and they do all their recycling programs. But that\u2019s just pretty expensive, and it needs full-time workers, so that\u2019s out of the scope for Camosun. Another idea I have for a future event would be to have something with pollinator plants or indigenous plants to give out to students to start that discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environmental Technology and Biology instructor Annette Dehalt also pitched her ideas for encouraging larger changes to Camosun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m part of the \u2018animal ethics on campus\u2019 community of practice,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve lobbied the cafeteria in order to have, for instance, \u2018meatless Monday.\u2019 So far there is resistance\u2014we usually get the answer, \u2018Well, there is a lot of vegan options.\u2019 I think as an educational institution, maybe there has to be direction from some higher-up to make it an educational experience. There\u2019s free bus passes, so maybe we can subsidize healthier diet choices. [For] some people who\u2019ve never tried non-animal proteins, it could be subsidized just like bus passes being subsidized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browning says that methods of educating students within the classroom vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow do we bring this environmental knowledge to areas other than the ones like Environmental Technology? I think various faculty make efforts to bring that into the classrooms through projects or writing assignments, but I\u2019m not sure if there\u2019s a clear policy to do that,\u201d he says. \u201cI think it\u2019s just sort of happening naturally, because a lot of faculty are concerned about that, so they find ways to incorporate it into their subjects where they can.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On campus, the changes are difficult for students to notice. Second-year Arts and Science student and CCSS women\u2019s director Shayan de Luna-Bueno says that lots goes on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe [CCSS] sustainability director does a lot of work with localizing sustainable development and trying to get more community engagement and climate initiative. So, [that\u2019s] kind of more on the lower scale.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third-year General Science student Carmon Salomonsson says that because he\u2019s busy he probably isn\u2019t aware of what the college is doing as far as environmental initiatives go. \u201cBut they\u2019re not really reaching the busy people,\u201d he says, \u201cso maybe on the website, like on D2L, on the front page, they could have [something that says], \u2018This is what we\u2019re doing to tackle climate change on the college campuses.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First-year Computer Engineering student Wakan Tomita says it\u2019s important to pay attention to environmental issues because of all the changes going on around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe should definitely stop climate change because all the animals are really dying,\u201d says Tomita, \u201cand the ice keeps melting, and the water keeps rising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a phrase nearly everyone I spoke with for this story said: \u201cNot just Camosun.\u201d It evoked a feeling of community beyond the campus, and even beyond the city. The main concept I found among the people I interviewed was that changing all of our own lives could lead to a positive eco-revolution. Being eco-friendly is beyond trendy; the online excitement over a pneumatic fish tube in Washington proves that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dehalt feels positive that there is growing change and awareness for buying more environmentally friendly products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m all for it; I use reusable bags myself,\u201d she says. \u201cI think there should be a shift from recycling to the other two Rs: reduce, reuse. You have a plastic bag\u2014wash it a few times. Or don\u2019t use it in the first place. A lot of things still come automatically in plastic bags. I wish there were more options in grocery stores to avoid it, but I think with consumer pressure, it\u2019ll happen. The world is drowning in plastic; there\u2019s more than can be recycled. Really, reducing should be the first action. Then reusing, then recycling. Simply separating your garbage, in other words. People say, \u2018Oh, I recycle.\u2019 It\u2019s really not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dehalt says that the reaction to climate change should be non-discriminate in geography. \u201cThere\u2019s great urgency,\u201d she says. \u201cI think you\u2019ve got to make the change where you are. I understand that Camosun or any other business doesn\u2019t want to make any top-down decisions, or say, \u2018Okay, you can\u2019t use your car to get to campus, or you can\u2019t have meat or dairy in the cafeteria.\u2019 It\u2019s difficult for any one food provider, or any one educational institution or any one business, to make choices because those customers might not be ready for that change and go elsewhere. People, as long as there\u2019s an option to opt out and let others make the change\u2026 As long as they have a chance to opt out, they will. Those that are trying to force change for the better, they may lose business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dehalt says that what you do is more important than who you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think students, faculty, and staff are all the same, with the choices we make every day. Like I said, transport and diet are the biggest ones. It comes down to these small choices. I tell my students they make choices about the environment, about animal welfare, three times a day. Every time you eat, every time you go to the grocery store. All your other products included, too. Look at the impact, look at what the packaging is, [and] look at the contents. It should become part of everybody\u2019s lifestyle. It kind of comes as a second nature. I\u2019m not sure we\u2019re there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browning says environmental technology is going to be \u201ccoincidentally important\u201d in the future of the world; in fact, he thinks it already is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt seems like we\u2019ll transition to electrification in transport systems,\u201d he says. \u201cRenewable energy, also, is just going to grow, grow, grow. All kinds of technology\u2026 increased efficiency of resource use. Basically, I just think all of those are going to increase just by economic necessity as well as environmental necessity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browning says that unifying as a society will lead to a more beneficial change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know things do take time to change, but I think a lot of the things could be done much faster than are being done,\u201d he says. \u201cCamosun\u2019s making some great efforts to do that, but just as a society in general, we haven\u2019t gotten up to speed yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Browning says that being environmentally conscious in daily life is a very important step to take to raise people\u2019s awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if you can say, \u2018Well, just one plastic bag won\u2019t make a difference,\u2019 but it\u2019s raising people\u2019s awareness that there are issues in getting us to think differently, and to slowly modify our lifestyles to be left with something that\u2019s less damaging,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some students agree with Dehalt that, in 2019, being environmentally conscious goes beyond recycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[I] lessen my consumption and, instead of using plastic, use reusable things,\u201d says de Luna-Bueno. \u201cBut really, [I] just cut back on how much I buy and consume.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I realize there isn\u2019t anything necessarily wrong or counter-productive in being aware of what I\u2019m doing for the environment. Most of what I do isn\u2019t even necessarily a conscious thought in regard to being \u201ceco-friendly.\u201d Maybe the fact that we as individuals can\u2019t change the world is a good thing, and joining together to make amends in our lives and willingly educate ourselves on the matters of our ecosystems will strengthen our bonds with the Earth and each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buying local products\u2014anything from home-grown foods to bags and clothes made by independent artists\u2014or cutting meat out of your diet or paying a little more for a silicone alternative is worth it. As we progress in technology and industry, I realize more that we as a species cannot exist relying on ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think of how often in fiction we talk about how the end of days is coming, and how we need to prepare for a post-apocalyptic world. Why should we wait for the world to end before we start caring? So I\u2019ll go ahead and wear that cruelty-free makeup and wash it off with coconut oil. I\u2019ll buy my books second-hand, and wear sweaters when I\u2019m cold. Instead of buying into the waste, I\u2019ll opt for a tea infuser and bring my own mugs to cafes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can\u2019t drop everything and live as naturally as possible, but we can transition into a sustainable life. I think now that this is what it means to be a human being; I think we need to start giving back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Living in Victoria is living in an urban fantasy. My commute to work or school is greeted with cautiously curious deer, or ominous crows, or the neighbourhood cats. Tamed flowers in people\u2019s gardens burst into bloom in spring, and vibrant, fiery leaves drop from their branches in autumn. This sensory life cycle constantly changes around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,235],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-august-28-2019"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18022"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18024,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18022\/revisions\/18024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}