Student Action

Canada: Students play 'a critical role' in sustainability

- The Muse. By Michael Power -

Suhashi Gadag of MUN Rights and Democracy, Stella Magalios of MUNSU, and Heather Comerford of ACE Memorial are getting the sustainability message out to students. [Photo: Jonathan Penney]

If MUN students are wondering how, or what it means, to be sustainable, this week should bring them some answers.

On Monday, the MUN Sustainability Coalition, and Students for Sustainability kicked off Sustainability Week with a press conference in the Loft on the third floor of the University Centre (UC).

Both groups are joint projects of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Sierra Youth Coalition, along with the support of many on-campus groups such as Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Memorial, Engineers Without Borders, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network.

The week’s events highlight unsustainable areas of campus life, and how they can be improved. Focus areas include water issues, emissions reduction, fair trade, and waste reduction. Friday features a Sustainability Fair in the UC.

Katherine Giroux-Bougard, the CFS’s Newfoundland chairperson, says Sustainability Week is a combined effort of environmentally conscious individuals and groups from MUN, along with the community at large, to bring about sustainable change.

“Students have played, and continue to play, a critical role in keeping our environment clean and healthy, and our governments accountable. They have always been on the forefront of social change, and once again lead the charge in ensuring that our institutions and communities follow sustainable practices,” she said.

According to Giroux-Bougard, universities and colleges could play a big part in training people to have environmentally sustainable habits, and that on-campus habits affect students’ lifestyles once they go into the real world. However, they have not always played the leadership role they should, and a week like this is a friendly reminder to do so.

“Since universities and colleges have turned to the private sector to raise revenues, this affects a campus’s ability to be a sustainable place,” she said.

“Because of this, large contracts with multinational corporations allow them to sell bottled water right here, and these types of actions undermine confidence in our public resources.”

Giroux-Bougard says that week’s goal is to educate people about the effects of climate change and how they can have both a sustainable community and lifestyle at the same time.

But the week is not just about talk – it’s about taking action, too. Giroux-Bougard says students will be signing, and asking the administration to sign the Talloires Declaration –an official statement by universities committing to sustainability in higher education,

“It provides a 10-point plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, and outreach,” said Giroux-Bougard.

Over 350 university presidents and chancellors in over 40 countries, including 27 institutions in Canada, have signed on so far.

Giroux-Bougard wanted to make sure students were fully involved in the week’s events, and to make clear that it’s not just large institutions that can become more sustainable.

“There will be workshops on composting, so people can do small changes in their own lives. They can use reusable mugs, and carpool to work and school. These actions in themselves call on the University to implement policy that reflects its own people,” she said.

Stella Magalios, director of campaigns for the MUN Students’ Union, emphasized that the organizers have a clear definition of sustainability, and that it would show through the multitude of daily events happening until March 28.

“The point of this week is to work with students, and show them how they can be more respectful towards the environment,” she said.

“Sometimes it’s more expensive to buy products that don’t come in all sorts of packaging, and it’s tough to recycle here in St. John’s. This week, though, we’re really trying to show how you can do these things, while spreading the word about sustainability and allowing students to see how they can be part of bigger change.”

Heather Comerford, president of ACE Memorial, agreed with Magalios, and says that since this is the first year for the event, it needs the right mindset.

“This week is helping to develop on-campus awareness of green practices, and how ethical it is to be sustainable. As the leaders of tomorrow, we have to make sure we have a tomorrow, environmentally.”

Those interested in attending the remaining events of Sustainability Week can check out the posters around campus or go to www.cfs-fcee.ca/sustainability.