Environmental Citizenship: What can Individuals Accomplish?

Environmental citizenship is a holistic approach, encompassing environmental awareness, consumption regulation, recycling and upcycling, volunteerism, support of local infrastructure, and an understanding that humans are an integral part of the Earth’s various processes. It is easy for humans to become disconnected from the natural world: work, school, social obligations, and a physical removal from the environment makes it easy for people to forget that we are intimately connected to nature.

One does not have to abandon their current way of life if it is proving unsustainable; rather, one must make feasible low or no impact concessions in their daily lives. This can be as simple as switching to energy efficient goods, or as complex as undertaking local sustainability initiatives. Eating local foods and supporting local businesses, as well as volunteering for community organizations, are all beneficial to the individual and the community they reside in.

The world we live in has finite resources, but an exponentially growing population. As time progresses, this means that there will be less resources spread across more people. With this in mind, everyone must actively do their share in reducing their ecological footprint while contributing to their communities and country.     

Composting: The Ugly Duckling of Environmentalism

What exactly is compost, anyway? Why should I be composting?

Compost is partially decomposed organic material that improves soil and enhances plant growth. It’s a garden’s best friend! Compost improves the movement of water, dissolved nutrients, and oxygen through the soil, making it easier for plant roots to absorb these vital substances. A versatile material, compost benefits virtually any soil type from clay to sandy. It also adds small amounts vital nutrients like zinc and copper to soils. Moreover, even though compost does eventually biodegrade naturally, it still sits in landfills for a very long time, occupying a lot of their space. When waste in the landfills is reduced, it costs less to maintain the landfill site, it’s less polluting, easier to maintain, and the carbon footprint is smaller since less trucks are transporting garbage! It’s a win-win.

How does the composting process work?

Is there anywhere on campus I can go to personally see the benefits of compost?

Absolutely! The UNBC compost site features a beautiful organic garden, demonstrating organic gardening and the value of compost. You’ll surely be amazed at how those bits and pieces that nearly made it into your trash contributed to something so gorgeous—composting is truly the “ugly duckling” of environmentalism.

Okay, I’m sold. I’m ready to compost. Where and what can I do that at UNBC?

UNBC has had an excellent composting program since 1995, thanks to the collaboration of REAPS (Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society) and PGPIRG (Prince George Public Interest Research Groups). Although the program is not currently in effect, this is only temporary, allowing it to expand and provide more waste management solutions in the longterm. When the program is up and running, green composting bins can be found on campus. you’d be surprised at how much of your waste is easily composted! Materials you can compost include cardboard, coffee grounds/filters, vegetable and fruit waste, dryer lint, eggshells, feathers, grass clippings, dry leaves, pine cones/needles, plant trimmings, straw and hay, teabags and sawdust.  With this is mind, however, the UNBC composting program asks that you avoid composting meat, fish, dairy, oils, and diseased plants.

The composting project would not be possible without its incredibly hard-working volunteers, and there are many volunteer opportunities available for those who are interested. These are varied and include everything from physical labour to brainstorming—no matter what your skill set is, you can help!

http://pgpirg.unbc.ca/compost.htm

How to Save the Planet and Not Go Broke:

When I mention being ‘environmentally friendly’, most people assume that there is some ridiculous cost involved. Especially being students, we can understand that making every dollar count is of the utmost importance. On the contrary, being environmentally aware has a lot to do with limiting consumption.

Naturally, the less we find ourselves consuming, whether it’s energy, food, clothing, or other seemingly unimportant items, the more we are helping the environment and keeping it from slowly deteriorating until it can no longer support our lavish lifestyles. We are here to give some handy ideas for not only saving you money in the long run, but also helping to limit your impact on the planet.

First on the list is to limit your water use. This can be as easy as turning off your faucet while you brush your teeth or shave. Shorter showers are your friend! Set yourself a reasonable limit for how long you think you actually need to be in the shower. Wash your clothes in larger loads of laundry, and not just to clean your favorite shirt. Putting a brick or other solid object in your toilet tank can also help to save water. If you’re feeling especially proactive, you can collect rainwater for things such as watering your plants. Other useful water conservation tips can be found here. When we waste water we are literally allowing our money to disappear down the drain.

Next up is to buy second hand. Thrift stores are a wonderful source for even the most random items you may find yourself needing. Clothes, dishes, furniture, and all sorts of other things can be found at your local thrift store or vintage shop. This also means that recycling your old stuff is important as well. Recycling isn’t only relevant for things like paper, plastic and glass. Drop off your old, unwanted clothes and other stuff at a local Salvation Army or goodwill store as there are several people who can benefit from your hand-me-downs.

Finally, eating smart is not only about paying attention to what you put in your body, but also where it comes from. If you’re not much of a cook and spend a lot of time eating out, try thinking about how much money you could save by learning a few cheap, healthy and easy to make meals. Cheap, Healthy, Good is a blog that caters to you folk, with plenty of different meal suggestions. It is also worth knowing that lamb, beef, and some types of cheeses are high both in carbon emissions and price point, so finding alternatives is a good thing. You can also help your community by buying locally sourced food, while significantly reducing your food carbon footprint.

That’s all for now, but in no way is that all you can do. There are tons of resources on the net that provide information on environmentally friendly products and steps that you can take to lessen your impact. Remember, this is the only Earth we have, and once it’s gone, there are no alternatives.

Check out Green Money Saving Tips by the Huffington Post for more money saving tips, and naturalhealthcare.ca’s article on environmentally friendly clothing options  for more useful information.

Recycling and 'Upcycling'

Recycling is the process in which used or diminished materials are made into new products to prevent the waste of potentially useful materials, to reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, and to reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfill disposal). This is accomplished by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to making new products.





'Upcycling' is a relatively new phenomenon, in which broken or used goods are converted into a new, usable product. The products created through this process are generally environmentally focused, as goods or materials destined for the landfill are now able to be used productively in other forms. Investing time in upcycling will allow groups or individuals to save money on new materials, and to use creative ingenuity to replace conventional products. Some interesting upcycling ideas can be found here: http://www.upcyclemagazine.com/

The University of Northern British Columbia offers many recycling opportunities through the recycling bins throughout the campus. These materials are the main materials that are recycled at UNBC, which are: bottles (glass and plastic), jars (glass and plastic), aluminum cans, paper, newspaper, cardboard and even old cell phones. The recycling at UNBC is run by volunteers who directly work under the Prince George Public Interest Research Group, PGPIRG.

Why Should We Eat Local? 7 Benefits of Eating Local Foods.

Eating local foods helps to create healthier citizens, it helps mitigate environmental issues incorporated with the packaging and transporting of imported foods, and helps support local farmers which in turn strengthens local economies. Here are the top 7 reasons for eating local foods
    •    Local foods are fresher and taste better
The produce you buy from a farmers market or local farmers were likely picked within a couple days of purchase. This means it was allowed to fully ripen on the plant and is bursting with flavour and nutrition. This is compared to buying produce from supermarkets where it was likely sitting in a transit or on shelves for up to 2 weeks already, lowering the nutritional value and taste with every passing day. Local foods are also void of the numerous preservatives and contaminants which are applied to foods that must withstand long travel times.
    •    Local Foods are Seasonal and Promote Variety
By eating foods with the seasons we are eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and are the least expensive to grow (and purchase). This helps to create diversity in your diet, and more appreciation of foods if you haven’t eaten them in a while. For example Fresh corn in season tastes best when you haven't eaten any in 9 or 10 months--long enough for its taste to be a slightly blurred memory that is suddenly awakened with that first bite of the season. Supporting local foods also creates a greater variety of foods available, farmers who run community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) sell at farmers markets and provide for local restaurants have enough demand and support for raising more products and/or livestock.
    •    Local Foods Have Less Environmental Impacts
Buying local foods is a clear way individuals can help lower their environmental impact. When importing foods from other countries, every step in the process (growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting) requires energy inputs and contributes to climate change via greenhouse gas emissions, and results in a large carbon footprint (or foodprint). It was found that the miles that organic food travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic. So by supporting local farmers who follow sustainable farming practices, we can lower the amount of imported food required and in turn help lower the environmental damage of transporting food products around the world.
    •    Local Foods preserve Green Space and Farmland
Purchasing foods from local farms helps to support local or small time farmers and provides them with the economic security to continue growing produce and/or livestock.  This helps to preserve farmland and green spaces which is crucial to ensure that we don’t hinder our ability to feed ourselves locally in the future. Without this economic support, local farmers could be forced to sell their farmland and with every section of prime agricultural land that is paved over, we further hinder our ability to be sustainable, which could be detrimental in the unknown future that is ahead of us.
    •    Local Foods Promote Food Safety
The fewer steps required to get food from its source and your refrigerator, the less chance of that food being contaminated or loaded with preservatives. Local foods promote a much healthier diet by eating food that are fresh and are at their nutritional peak. Knowing where you food was produced also allows a greater sense of security in regards to food overall food safety.
    •    Local Foods Support Your Local Economy
By purchasing food from local farmers or local businesses, the money spent stays in the local economy and helps strengthen the community’s ability to be sustainable, environmentally, economically, socially and culturally. This is in contrast to purchasing food from large supermarkets which only support large corporations, which often grow their food in developing nations in unsustainable practices, and directly contribute to climate change.
    •    Local Foods Enrich Communities
Buying foods from local farmers creates a connection to those who raise and grow your food. This helps to create a greater sense of community and interconnectedness between producers and consumers (at a local level). Local foods are helping bring people together, enhancing a sense of community, and is helping to revitalize rural farmers and economies.