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APRIL People, stories and ideas at Queen’s University CREATING A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY onQ people, stories and ideas at Queen’s University April 2011 note EDITOR Anita Jansman [email protected] EDITOR’S noTE ext. 77646 ADVERTISING AND CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Peter Gillespie [email protected] ext. 75464 SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER In putting together this issue of onQ, I came into contact with people who share Rhonda Monette a passion for the environment and for the exploration and development of sus- GRAPHIC DESIGNER tainable practices: Steve Harrison’s and Joshua Pearce’s work on alternative Christine Jamieson energy, Harry McCaughey’s research in climatology and his commitment to the School of Environmental Studies, Ann Browne’s knowledge of sustainable MANAGER, VISUAL DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY Greg Black building practices, and Aaron Ball’s innovative initiatives for creating a culture of sustainability, all represent a determination to respect and conserve our envi- ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS ronment. And they are among many faculty and staff at Queen’s who share that Lorinda Peterson passion. EDITORIAL BOARD I also came across the word ‘action’ a lot: Queen’s Sustainability Action Aaron Ball, Sustainability Office Committee; Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada; AMS Sustainability Steven Moore, School of Business Action Fund. ese all contai n that key word. I was pleased to discover that, in Charles Sumbler, Office of the Provost fact, Queen’s has been active in creating a culture of sustainability. Some people and Vice-Principal (Academic) I spoke to expressed frustration and impatience that we aren’t more active. Ivana Zelenika-Zovko, Society of Graduate Others countered that sentiment by pointing out the progress we’ve made and and Professional Students outlining plans for new initiatives. ONQ is published monthly, (circulation 5,000) e message that I took away from my discussions and research is that from September to June by the Department of action is still required. e sustainability champions on campus are making Marketing and Communications, Fleming Hall, great strides in this important cause. However, every single person at Queen’s Queen’s University, Kingston, ON Canada, needs to take action if we are to succeed. K7L 3N6 queensu.ca/news/onq Take a close look at the front cover, a mosaic of the people, facilities, and services that help to make up Queen’s campus and Queen’s spirit. ese images hiddEn GEMS EDITORIAL POLICY represent all of us coming together to create a culture of sustainability for our Commentary and expert opinions that address issues related to higher education and are con- beautiful, yet fragile environment. It really is in our hands. do you recognize this sistent with the mandate of onQ are welcome to Viewpoint. The editor reserves the right to edit Anita Jansman architecture on campus? or decline submissions based on style, length, Turn to p.15 for the answer. appropriateness, relevance, and legal consider- ations. Maximum 300 words. Letters are welcome and should address issues directly related to stories that appear in onQ. The editor reserves the right to edit or decline submissions based on style, length, appropri- ateness, relevance, and legal considerations. Maximum 200 words. All submissions must be original and addressed to the editor, and include your name, affiliation paRTicipaTE in ThE and phone number. Send submissions to onQ READER SURVEY [email protected] by the 15th of each ca.studentvoice.com/queens/onqreadership month to be considered for publication in the next issue. On THE COvER: Take a close look at the people, buildings and facilities that make up our campus. 2 ONQ apRil 20 VIEWpoinT SUSTAINABILITY: TiME To pRacTicE WhaT WE TEach NOTES on BY JOSHUA PEARCE Q ■Queen’s Solar coalition has been Sustainability is not debatable. You can't student minds can be the opposite of my awarded the Commerce and Engineering fake it. Either your system can continue intent. It is like lecturing your children Environmental Conference (CEEC) Green indefinitely or it can't. If your system de- about the dangers of smoking and climate Globe Award for Queen’s community involvement. The core of the coalition pends on a finite supply of fossil fuels, change as you chain smoke while driving consists of the Alma Mater Society, which have a well-known direct link to them tosoccer practice in an SUV. An Society of Graduate and Professional global climate destabilization, then it is otherwise strong curriculum is undermined Students, Main Campus Residence not sustainable by definition. Here at by practices on campus that effectively Sustainability Coordinators, Queen’s Queen's our greenhouse gas emissions teach lessons of waste, inefficiency, and Backing Action on Climate Change, Queen’s Applied Sustainability, and amount to more than 55,000 tons per year disregard for human health and the envi- the Rector. www.eec. ca instead of zero. We are not sustai nable – ronment over the long term. we are not even close. It should provide In my opinion, what makes this espe- ■RecycleMania Queen’s has been participating in RecycleMania, a friendly little comfort that other institutions are cially sad is that it costs Queen's more competition and benchmarking tool for objectively even worse. money to waste this fossil fuel than it college and university recycling programs Yet we try to teach sustainability. ere would to fix the problem. We burn through to promote waste reduction activities to is a growing list of courses, driven by about $15 million per year ni utility bills. their campus communities, running from student and faculty interest, to study and We could save a minimum of $5 million February 6th to April 2nd. Watch for results to be announced in early April. solve sustainability problems. We even per year undergoing a campus-wide guar- www.recyclemaniacs.org started an Applied Sustainability graduate anteed energy savings program, which program in Engineering. However, there would not cost us a penny. Corporations ■Spring Reunion Weekend – You’re invited! Queen’s Reunion is a risk we are learning more from a called “energy service companies” would Weekend is May 27 – 29 and it’s not just “shadow curriculum” than romf the course jump at the opportunity to fix our campus for alumni. Queen’s faculty, students and content. I can lecture on energy efficiency and feast on the rich profits of eradicating staff are also encouraged to join the fun and renewable energy until I am blue in our waste. It is long past time we take a and party like it’s 1841 during Queen’s at the face, but if the building I am teaching real leadership role in sustainability, crush the Fort! Queen’s will invade Fort Henry Saturday, May 28 and will have exclusive in is flagrantly inefficient (they all are), the “shadow curriculum” and begin to access to tour the facilities, enjoy a three the bottom line that is transferred to practice what we teach. Q course dinner, entertainment by the Fort Henry Guard and Queen’s Bands, and have the evening capped off with Queen’s- themed firework s! Complete information and registration is available online at onQ welcomes commentary and expert opinions that address issues related to higher education to Viewpoint. Email [email protected] or www.queensu.ca/alumni submit via www.queensu.ca/news/onq. Maximum 300 words. 216 Princess St., Kingston Ontario 613.542.8112 apRil 20 ONQ DID YOU KNOW? • it takes 17 trees to make a ton of paper • Queen’s spends approximately $800,000 to purchase new office supplies each year • one piece of garbage in a recycling con- tainer makes it all garbage • a basic styrofoam cup takes an average of 50 years to decompose in a landfill • last year Queen’s generated enough waste to fill the Queen’s centre pool 13 times WHERE DOES IT ALL GO? • garbage – hauled by BFi canda to three landfills throughout Eastern ontario • recycling – Manco in napanee and hGc is Belleville • compost – norterra in Joyceville QUEEN’S GREEN INDEX annual waste weight ..................................................................2800 metric tonnes (MT) annual composting weight ......................................................142 MT annual recycling weight ............................................................1155 MT annual diversion rate ..................................................................41 per cent annual electricity consumption ..............................................98 million kW/h annual steam energy produced ..............................................500,000 gigajoules (GJ) campus building square footage ............................................6.9 million campus population (employees and students)..................27,000 campus carbon Footprint ..........................................................55,000 tonnes (co2e) Source: Queen’s Sustainability office living Wall in Beamish-Munro hall ONQ apRil 20 COVER SToRY A CULTURE OF nn Browne, Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities), likes to remind SUSTAINABILITY ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS people that Queen’s is like a city of 25,000 people. Like any other city, the campus accommodates and provides for its citizens in A principal Woolf signs the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement myriad ways, through housing, access routes, facilities, and services that of Action for Canada keep it clean and safe. And as with all cities, sustainability is top of mind AMS Sustainability Action Fund provides resources for student-led sustainability initiatives for those involved with planning and maintenance. After Ms Browne came to this role she established the Sustainability Fescue Grass test site assesses the usability of a drought-tolerant, slow-growing, Office as the focal point for all matters relating to sustainability at Queen’s. and pest-resistant grass “Sustainability at Queen’s applies to individuals, the campus and the com- Freecycle@work network provides university community vehicle munity, and this office is meant to coordinate activities addressing envi- for promoting reuse of campus assets ronmental, social and economic concerns that are consistent with the Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory annual report university’s goals,” says Ms Browne.