Purple & Green Winter 2013

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Winter 2013

Western wins Ontario’s Achievement Award for Corporate Governance

If you have an article idea for this newsletter, or for more information, please contact Beverley Ayeni, Energy and Environment Manager at [email protected] or visit the Sustainability Website at sustainability.uwo.ca.

Last year, Western had the honour of winning an Ontario Business Achievement Award (OBAA). The award was in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario Corporate Governance Award category. Earlier in 2012, Western received the London Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Award for Environmental Leadership. It was because of this win that Western became eligible to apply for the OBAAs.

On October 25th, 2012 the 30th annual OBAA Ceremony was held at the Toronto Metro Convention Center. Along with an incredibly energetic, comedic host, guests that evening also had the privilege of hearing Dalton McGuinty speak for what he referred to as the last time he would speak publicly in the capacity of Premier of Ontario. He made a last-minute appearance at the ceremony to acknowledge the excellent work of the businesses represented there from all across Ontario. Following his presentation, the first award of the night was given out to Western University.

Western received the OBAA award due to the university’s

commitment to the environment and society. Western has pledged to embed sustainability into every facet of daily life on campus. This commitment can be seen in several ways on campus: Western hosts a variety of outreach campaigns regarding environmental and social well-being; the university has been increasing the amount of sustainability in curriculum; and, campus’s facilities staff embrace sustainability in operations campus-wide through efficient building design, energy reduction

practices and waste diversion. One noteworthy example of Western’s excellence in waste diversion is that Westminster College was one of the first buildings on any university or college campus across North America to be named “Zero Waste.”

Western is proud to be recognized as an exemplary corporate citizen and looks forward to receiving many more sustainability awards in the future.

Western’s Waste & Landscaping Manager, Jim Galbraith (right), sits in the winner’s lounge with the OBAA host to discuss what contributed to Western’s win.

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National Environmental Events Calendar (February – April 2013)February

February 2: World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day began in 1971 in an attempt to improve wetland conservation and raise public awareness. Even though Canada has more wetlands than any other country in the world, habitat destruction and fragmentation is taking a huge toll on the ecosystem. Continue reading on p. 4 for more information on World Wetlands Day and what you can do to help conserve these valuable habitats.

March

March 22: World Water Day

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. http://www.worldwaterday.org

In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. The objective of the year is to raise awareness of the potential for, and value of increased cooperation in relation to water.

Continue reading on p. 5 for more information on World Water Day and what you can do to help conserve freshwater resources.

March 30, 8:30-9:30 PM: Earth Hour

Every year on the last Saturday in March, the world comes together to turn the lights out from 8:30-9:30 PM. According to earthday2012.org, this initiative, known as Earth Hour, or World Earth Hour, is the largest call for action on climate change in history and continues to grow every year. In 2012, Earth Hour celebrated its largest event to date with more than 6,950 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories switching off their lights. Turn your lights out for one hour on Saturday, March 30th and help promote awareness about climate change!

AprilApril 19: 20 Minute Makeover

On this day, businesses and community members will be encouraged to pick up litter around their property and nearby areas for 20 minutes or more. Visit Western’s Sustainability Website at sustainability.uwo.ca before April

19th to view ways to get involved in the 20 Minute Makeover on campus.

April 22: Earth Day

Earth Day occurs on April 22nd each year, and is highlighted by “Acts of Green” occurring all over the world. For example, during 2012’s Earth Day, the City of London hosted its “Clean and Green” event, where individuals from all over the city took part in litter pick-up and tree planting events. There are no specific criteria for activities that occur on Earth Day, only that they should serve to help the planet and promote sustainable living!

April 21-27: Earth Week

Earthday2012.org defines Earth Week as “a time to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, sustainable living and earth awareness.” It falls on the week of April that encompasses Earth Day. Visit www.cleangreen.london.ca/events_cal.html for a list of some activities taking place in the London community this Earth Week.

Western staff and friends planting trees along Veterans Memorial Parkway. From left to right: Stefanie De Adder, Kirsi McLandress, Doug Rodwell, Aaron Gates and Katie Wall.

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This Valentine’s Day, show someone how much you care for them and the environment!

Utilize the tips below to reduce your impact on the environment while making your sweetheart happy this Valentine’s Day.

1) While flowers make for a great romantic gesture, they can also have significant negative effects on the environment. According to Alie Visser, a Business Library Staff member at Western, 52% of Canadian males will buy flowers on Valentine’s Day, and UPS will import approximately 14.8 million fresh cut flowers into North America from Colombia and Ecuador. All of this transportation adds vast amounts of pollution to the atmosphere. This year, shop for locally grown flowers. Stop by London’s Farmers’ Market, open every Saturday from 8am-3pm at 900 King Street. For more details about items sold at the Market, visit www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca. You can also check out the Covent Garden Market, open every day and located at 130 King Street in London. For more details about the items sold there, visit www.coventmarket.com.

2) Give delicious, locally produced chocolates. Not only will you be helping to reduce emissions from transportation, but you will also be supporting local business owners. There are some chocolate vendors at the London Farmers’ Market and the Covent Garden Market. Annie’s Chocolates is also a great shop located just two minutes north of London, where chocolates and other tasty treats are sold, like brownies and tarts. Visit www.annieschocolates.com for more information and location details.

3) Send a free e-card. These little gestures really brighten someone’s day while also saving you money and reducing your impact on the environment. Check out www.bluemountain.com or www.hallmark.com to view their selection of free Valentine’s Day e-cards.

4) Make dinner using local ingredients. Shop at the London Farmer’s Market or Covent Garden Market for supplies, and surprise that someone special with a romantic home-made meal.

5) If you can’t think of any presents to give, take your Valentine

out for an activity. Try skating in Victoria Park or heading to the movies. These gifts don’t require delivery to stores, packaging, or wrapping. They are a fun, environmentally-friendly way to spend your Valentine’s Day.

6) If you want to get really creative, create a coupon book for that someone special. Include activities instead of presents. These can range from homemade dinners, to massages and movie-nights in.

Be creative this Valentine’s Day! Utilize these tips to surprise your sweetie, save some money, and reduce your impact on the environment.

How to have a sustainable Valentine’s Day

Students in London Hall dialed back their energy consumption during the end of November to win Western’s “Rez Powers Down” conservation challenge. In their building alone, participants reduced energy consumption by 19.3% compared to the prior two weeks, equivalent to nearly 18,000 kWh of energy!

Rez Powers Down was developed at Western to create conservation awareness. This year’s campaign challenged residences to out-conserve one another in terms of

energy consumption. Although London Hall led the competition, Alumni House placed second with 10.8% savings, while Delaware placed third with 4.5% savings. Overall, participating residences reduced their energy consumption by approximately 5%, saving Western over $4,000.

Energy was saved during the competition in numerous ways. For example, some students in suite-style residences made sure to unplug microwaves when they weren’t in use, avoiding the

consumption of phantom power (power that is consumed by items that are turned off but still plugged in).

Andrew Quenneville, Alumni House Assistant Program Coordinator and leader of the campaign, hopes the learned energy conservation habits will help students throughout their year in residence and continue once they live off-campus. He is satisfied with this year’s results, and plans to build on its success in future challenges.

Residences rounded up to power down

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World Wetlands Day

February 2 is World Wetlands Day!

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 because it is the adoption anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands which occurred in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. The convention was initiated to improve wetland conservation. Every year, the Ramsar Secretariat provides resources to raise public awareness about wetlands across the world.

Wetlands are an extremely valuable resource. Along with being great for recreational purposes, wetlands provide ecosystem services like water filtration, flood control and food production. The ecosystem resources and services that wetlands provide to Canadians have an estimated worth of 20 billion dollars annually!

There is also a vast array of species that make wetlands their

home. Along with fish, there are unique wetland birds, frogs and toads, reptiles like snakes and turtles, and even furry mammals. In London, the watershed is protected by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and contains over 90 species of fish, 30 species of freshwater mussels and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. London is also home to the threatened spiny softshell turtle which is limited to small areas of Southern Ontario and Quebec.

Unfortunately, many of these species are at risk. Even though Canada has more wetlands than any other country in the world (wetlands cover approximately 14% of the country), habitat destruction and fragmentation is taking a huge toll on the ecosystem.

Luckily, there are lots of ways to help conserve wetland habitats. To

help do your part, and to celebrate World Wetlands Day, here are some things you can do in London:

• Reduce your water consumption by taking shorter showers, fixing leaky taps, turning off the water while brushing your teeth, and doing less laundry.

• Take a walk on one of London’s Conservation Area trails and get acquainted with the local wildlife. Remember to leave nothing but footprints, and take nothing but pictures!

• Take any expired or unused medication to a nearby drug store with a take-back program. Medication that is thrown in the garbage or flushed down the toilet has a negative impact on wetlands.

• Tell your friends about World Wetlands Day and get them to celebrate with you!

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March 22nd is International World Water Day. This event is celebrated on March 22nd every year to focus attention on the importance of freshwater resources and management. Each year, there is a new topic. This year, the topic is Water Cooperation.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The UN General Assembly responded by designating March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day.

It might be tempting to think that Canada has a never-ending supply of freshwater with all of the Great Lakes nearby; however, the lakes are getting smaller. It is important to realize that although water scarcity is likely not a problem for most Canadians, access to adequate amounts of drinking water is a constant struggle for millions of people around the world.

The United Nations has projected that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will be “water poor.” This means that these people will not have access to an adequate quantity and/or quality of water.

One billion people in the world today already live in chronic hunger. This is largely due to a lack of water availability for crop production. According to the UN, coping with population growth and ensuring access to food and water for everyone calls for a series of actions that we can all help with. These actions include:

• Follow a healthier, more sustainable diet. This largely means cutting back on the amount of meat that you eat. The amount of water required to produce one pound of meat is about 10 times the amount of water required to produce one pound of grains. This means that you can use a lot less water to feed yourself on a diet involving less meat.

• Reduce food wastage. Approximately 30% of the food produced worldwide is never consumed. Therefore, the water used to produce it is lost.

• Reduce direct water usage. Western has installed low flow shower heads, saving over 45,000 cubic meters of water annually. By installing these shower heads at home, you can help reduce your direct water usage. You can also think about installing low flow toilets in your home. Some other things you should always be mindful of are unnecessary toilet flushing, the amount of water you use when washing your dishes, and the length of your showers.

We all have a role to play in reducing water consumption, especially here in North America where we are the world’s biggest consumers of water. Do your part to help the environment and become a part of World Water Day’s movements!

World Water Day

Nominations Open Now!Recognizing individuals & groups working to promote

sustainability within the Western community

making a difference?

Are your classmates,coworkers, or professors

Green Awards

Nominations open until February 27, 2012Forms and Guidelines available online: www.uwo.ca/fm

Facilities ManagementPresented by







Green Awards







Green Awards



Recognizing individuals & groups working to promote sustainability within the Western community

For application and deadline details, please visit www.uwo.ca/fm

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In November 2012, EnviroWestern, in partnership with Facilities Management, hosted part one of a four-part education series titled, “Our Green Campus.” The series consists of four modules, each consisting of a 1.5 hour presentation from one or more sustainability professionals on

campus. The week following the presentation, corresponding on-campus tours are held. Module one was titled, “Sustainability at Western & Sustainability Certifications: LEED.” Within a few hours of opening up registration, the 200 available spaces for module one were filled. The second and third modules were titled, respectively, “Biodiversity at Western - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” and, “Western’s Water and Energy Consumption.” The fourth module, titled, “Native Trees, Native Soil - Sustainable Landscaping and Waste Management at Western,” will take place from 7:00-8:30 PM on March 6th and 7th and still has some spaces open for those interested in registering. If you would like to participate in this module, please preregister by emailing [email protected] with your name, student number, email address and which night you would like to attend the presentation. After attending both the presentation and the campus tour the following week, participants will receive a certificate, displaying their dedication and interest in the field of sustainability.

The “Our Green Campus” education series is intended to become an annual initiative at Western, continuing to build upon students’ knowledge and interest of sustainability.

Our Green Campus Education Series

•Earth Hour: – On Saturday, March 30th, Facilities Management division along with residence groups will be powering down on campus in acknowledgement of Earth Hour. From 8:30-9:30 PM on the last Saturday each March, the world comes together to reduce the effects of climate change on the earth. Do your part at home this year and turn off the lights for Earth Hour!

•RefilltoWin: Refill to Win is EnviroWestern’s alternative to Tim Horton’s Roll up The Rim to Win contest. In an effort to reduce coffee-cup waste, Refill to Win is held simultaneously with Roll up The Rim to Win in March and April. The event provides students with a chance to win a prize by receiving a ticket each time they use a reusable mug. It is held across campus at 19 of Western’s eateries.

•Campus Cleanup: In the beginning of April, EnviroWestern’s Campus Cleanup team will be hosting a cleanup of the portion of the Thames River that runs through campus. This will be open to all students, staff and faculty. Join in and get a better appreciation for one of Ontario’s Heritage Rivers!

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Dr. Jane Bowles, Director of the Sher-wood Fox Arboretum, points out a Norway Maple during the Biodiversity module tour.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS?

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Operation GreenHealth care waste is a major

environmental problem. It is estimated that health care facilities in the United States alone generate a total of 4 billion pounds of waste each year. One Western student initiative is working to combat that environmental problem with a global health solution. This initiative is called Operation Green.

Operation Green, a project run by students at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry since 2010, works with the staff of London’s hospitals to divert surgical waste to where it is needed. As London Health Sciences Centre operating rooms aim for absolute sterility, disposable surgical equipment that is opened and unused is usually destined for landfill or incineration – even if it has never come into contact with a patient. Operation Green organizes the collection of these supplies for their provision to areas of the world in desperate need of them.

The most recent shipment this past fall from Victoria Hospital in London weighed a total of 641 pounds. The donation contained a large number of medical supplies

ranging from 125 compression stockings, 200 pairs of surgical gloves, 14 sterile stethoscopes, 9 fetal blood sampling units, 3 radial artery catheterization sets, and one neonatal endo-tracheal tube. These, among many other supplies, were delivered to the charitable organization International HOPE, which distributes supplies around the world to where they are needed and can be used.

The supplies are greatly appreciated; the team was delighted this fall to receive a thank-you email

from the office of the Ambassador of Yemen in Ottawa.

This month the members of Operation Green are excited to have a new space made available to them within University Hospital. This will allow for revamped collection at that site and a greater ability to salvage and distribute supplies to those in need.

Visit www.operationgreen.ca for more information or if you would like to help out.

EnviroWestern sheds light on Alberta’s oil sandsOn November 8th 2012,

EnviroWestern hosted an informative event about the Canadian Oil Sands in the University Community Center. The event consisted of presentations from distinguished speakers including: Dr. Gordon McBean, Director at the Centre for Environment and Sustainability and Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction; Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov, a European Union delegate to the UN negotiations on climate change and a Consultant to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development; Dr. Jim Barker, Professor Emeritus

in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo; Don Thompson, past President of the

Oil Sands Developers Group; and Adam Scott, Climate and Energy Program Manager at Environmental Defence. The controversial Oil Sands debate was examined from many perspectives and included commentary on the long-term economic impact of the oil sands and the effect of the development of fossil fuels on our climate system.

Inspired by the success of the Canadian Oil Sands event, EnviroWestern members are currently organizing a similar event on the topic of wind turbines for the end of January.

The Operation Green Team. From left to right: Horace Cheng, Thomas Fear, Louise Gilmer, Adam Zhu, Shawn Segeren, Sonika Kainth, Anne Kneale and Nathalie Carey.

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Sustainability Tips, Tricks & FactsKn w?

Did You

Campus Electricity Consumption

eWaste DriveThe proper disposal of e-waste is important in order to reduce space taken up in landfills, prevent greenhouse gas emissions and to protect the en-vironment. In October, Facilities Management at Western partnered with EnviroWestern to host a week-long electronic waste drive. Over the span of the week, old televisions, computers, phones and other electronic waste was brought to a collection site in the Labatt Health Sciences Parking Lot. By the end of the week, almost 4000 pounds of e-waste was collected from Western staff and students, as well as members of the London community.

Western uses more electricity than the whole city of St. Thomas, Ontario! Although the population of the campus community at Western is similar to the population of St. Thomas (around 37,000), Western only covers about 5% of the land that St. Thomas does!Much of Western’s electricity consumption comes from the need to keep hallways and communal areas lit and thermo-controlled at all times. There-fore, much of our electricity consumption habits cannot be changed; how-ever, there is still much that members of the campus community can do to help reduce Western’s electricity demand. • Turn off the lights if you are the last to leave a room.• Dress in light layers, allowing you to adjust your clothing before adjusting the thermostat.• Unplug items when not in use. Items that are plugged in and turned off ac-count for approximately 10% of consumed electricity.

Weldon Library WasteLast semester, two waste audits were conducted on campus by members of EnviroWestern’s team. It was found that a shocking 79% of the weight of the garbage stream at Weldon Library is comprised of organic materi-als! This includes items such as foods, liquids, paper and tissues. Although Weldon Library currently does not publicly offer composting within the building, there are things that individuals can do to ensure that they are not sending unnecessary waste to the landfill. For example, all paper products (excluding tissues and paper towels) can be placed within recycling bins. For those individuals who are really determined to make a difference, head over to the UCC with your food scraps and dispose of them in Sustainability Central’s compost bins. It is little steps like these that make big differences and will help Western on its path to become a Zero Waste campus!

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Purple & Green Winter 2013