Our student union at Ryerson University made environmental initiatives a top priority this year and, as students, we love that. But we were curious to know what environmental advocacy was taking place on other campuses across Canada.
In fall 2008, David Suzuki went across the country visiting different universities telling students why they need to get active for sustainability now. So, we asked the questions: what are student unions doing for major provincial environmental issues, as well as for their campuses?
After contacting one college or university from every province and territory, we found that most student unions take on micro-local environmental initiatives rather than provincial ones.
To find out why student unions take on more micro-local approaches to their environmental campaigns, we talked to Shelley Melanson, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students Ontario. She says that student unions are in a position to pay attention to their own environmentalist groups on campus.
âMost student unions tend to rely on a base of very dedicated volunteers who know the issues very, very well,â says Melanson. âBut the student unionâs primary focus is advocacy for studentsâ rights.”
âAny student that is a member of a student union has the ability to bring a motion to council and seek their support of the studentsâ union on a particular issueâŠThe priorities of the student union are set by the students. If the students want the union to do this [environment] work, they have to take initiative.â
As we mark Earth Day 2009, here is a coast to coast to coast survey of green campus initiatives.
British Columbia
Representative: Caitlin Meggs, Chairperson, University of Victoria Studentsâ Society
rabble.ca: For the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, thousands of trees will be cut down and mountain sides in the Callaghan Valley will be blasted to build venues. What did your student society do about this issue?
Caitlin Meggs: For 2010, I donât know of any specific plans. Weâre in Victoria, so itâs not directly affecting Victoria as it is in the Lower Mainland.
Do you think next yearâs board will address the issue?
CM: Within the Student Society, thereâs only so much you can do directly, but thereâs a lot you can do at all levels of government. âŠThe most important thing for student leaders to work on would be talking to different levels of governments on the impacts of the Olympics.
What has been some of the unionâs activities around the environment?
CM: Weâve been raising funds for a local farm called Madrona farm, which provides us local food. âŠWe had a local market selling local goods around holiday seasons to get faculty and students to consume less around the holidays.
Yukon
Yukon College Student Union (Interviewee did not want to be identified.)
rabble.ca: Because of swift climate change, the boreal forestâs natural functions are being deterred (i.e. itâs ability to take carbon and store it). Since the forest starts in Yukon, what is your union doing to help it?
Yukon College Student Union: I would say we definitely support the protection of the forest, especially the boreal forest. As far as climate change, we havenât noticed any change in the forest as of yet. Right now, we support ecological diversity.
What were some environmental initiatives the student union took on this year?
YCSU: Weâve helped implement a recycling program at the institution. ⊠Itâs quite a big building. Weâre looking at collection sites, looking at compost, recycling paper towels in the bathroom — weâve identified that as a big waste. All of the garbage in the bathrooms now have recycling containers.
Alberta
Representative: Kristen Flath, Vice President of Student Life, University of Alberta Studentsâ Union
rabble.ca: In Alberta, oil sands are a contentious issue with environmental activists mainly because producing a barrel of oil from tar sands produces three times more greenhouse gasses than a barrel of conventional oil. Whatâs the University of Alberta Studentsâ Union stance on oil sands?
Kristen Flath: Generally, our student union focuses our student environmental initiatives on campus. We do have several student groups that have an environmental stance on the oil sands and we support our groups.
What is the unionâs environmental action plan?
KF: We brought composting into our [student union] building. Within the office itself, weâre composting. One of my initiatives was also to include more environmental actions . âŠWe have several food vendors and weâve asked them to include discounts for [students who] bring their own containers.
Northwest Territories
Representative: Stephanie Gilbert, President, Aurora College White Horse Campus Student Association
rabble.ca: What have been some environmental initiatives of the Student Association?
Stephanie Gilbert: The Student Association this year has focused mainly on trying to get back on track. In previous years, there was some difficulty with paperwork and organization. We also took a fresh approach to how we were going to receive and respond to feedback from our student body, but we had no such focus on environment.
Saskatchewan
Representative: Craig Fink, Vice President of Operations and Finance, University of Regina Student Union
rabble.ca: There have been talks about Saskatchewan starting up its nuclear energy programs at full scale. For years, many environmental activists have been against nuclear power because it can be severely damaging. Whatâs your unionâs position on nuclear energy?
Craig Fink: We havenât taken a stance on it yet since itâs only become an issue in the last couple of months. We want to do some consultations with the students before taking action. ⊠I personally donât feel nuclear power is the answer for sustainability especially because there is no long-term plan for nuclear waste.
What are some of the environmental initiatives your union took on this year?
CF: We had the consulting firm WestSource Solutions do an audit [of our building]. We found the majority of energy and water use was in the student bar, the Lazy Owl. They have now replaced their dishwasher and light fixtures to be more efficient. âŠThe University of Reginaâs enrolment has declined so now there are fewer financial resources.
Manitoba
Representative: Kelly Dawson, Vice President of Student Services, University of Winnipeg Studentsâ Association
rabble.ca: One of the main things Greenpeace is fighting against in Manitoba is hog farming. Industrial farming saps away natural resources and when there are floods, the runoff pollutes lake water. Is the association doing anything to stop this?
Kelly Dawson: No. Thatâs not something thatâs on our radar.
Do you think your association should have campaigns for provincial environmental issues?
KD: It would be good, but our focus has been local because I think itâs easier to see results when youâre working on a local level. ⊠It makes it more relevant and more tangible to students when we work on a local level. Weâre certainly not against any provincial action; itâs just not our focus.
Has the union had any successful environmental action plans?
KD: We worked in participation with the University of Winnipeg to make a bike lab — [a place to] come to work with a volunteer or staff person and use repair tools to fix their bikes. Thatâs in the works ⊠one thing we have eliminated recently is the sales of bottled water. Weâre the first university in Canada to achieve that.
Nunavut
Representative: Allysha Sateana, Vice President and Treasurer, Nunavut Arctic College Kivalliq Campus Student Council
rabble.ca: As climate change continues to damage Nunavutâs natural environment, many animals like the narwhal are starting to lose their habitats. Is taking measures to deter climate change important for the student council?
Allysha Sateana: It wasnât at the beginning, but now that weâre slowly finishing school, it is. We were planning on taking trips to go and get other students to see the belugas and things out on the land, but there was not enough funding or transportation to get there.
Does your student council have any environmental initiatives?
AS: Not at the moment. There is a funding issue. We have to raise our own money on our own time, but thereâs nobody willing to fund us.
Ontario
Representative: Gilary Massa, Vice President Equity, York Federation of Students
rabble.ca: Smog and air quality have constantly been a hot environmental issue in Ontario. Has the union addressed this issue on campus?
GM: Not so much. The smog issue is seen in the realm of big factories. We donât see it as something that is linked to us as students. However, we shouldnât be isolating ourselves in the four walls of our community.
What have been some of YFSâs initiatives around the environment?
GM: In March 2008, we held a sit-in for one week at the presidentâs office pressuring them to embrace sustainable purchasing on campus. Now, all of our university swag sold at the shop is sweatshop-free and made of organic material.
Quebec
Representative: Devin Alfaro, Vice President External Affairs, Studentsâ Society of McGill University
rabble.ca: The logging industry continues to cut down Quebecâs boreal forests. The provincial government has taken an initiative to protect some of the land. Has the union taken any action against the industry?
Devin Alfaro: Not to my knowledge. We havenât been proactive in doing environmental issues outside of the campus. For most students, itâs not a concrete, tangible environmental issue. I find that student unions are most effective if they donât spread themselves too thin, but that doesnât mean we canât play a role.
Has the union taken any action on environmental issues on campus?
DA: We have a student group called Organic Campus that partners with local farms so that we can order more organic foods in the SSMU cafeteria. At student events, instead of plastic cups, we use reusable mugs and during orientation week, we used organic cotton shirts.
New Brunswick
Representative: Melissa Wah, Vice-President Education, St. Thomas University Studentsâ Union
rabble.ca: Environmental groups have been calling on the New Brunswick government to enforce an all-out ban on mining and exploration because of its radiation hazards. Has the union addressed this issue?
Melissa Wah: Not particularly. Our union is mainly concerned with environmental issues on campus. Uranium mining is an issue that students cannot fully grasp and understand in order to do any advocacy work on it.
What have been some of the unionâs initiatives around the environment?
MW: Every year, our sustainability coordinator organizes a Boost Your Eco Festival. Itâs an environmentally friendly festival that focuses on promoting environmentalism. The festival is a way to educate students on ways to reduce their environmental footprint.
Nova Scotia
Representative: Mark Coffin, Vice-President Education, Dalhousie Studentsâ Union
rabble.ca: A recent report found that littering in Nova Scotia has increased by 21 per cent in the past four years. What has the student union done to prevent this number from increasing?
Mark Coffin: We havenât been experiencing that on campus. We have a very green, horticultural campus. Weâre not too involved in these provincial issues, but weâre doing everything we can.
What have been some of the unionâs activities concerning sustainability and the environment?
MC: Two years ago, students agreed to increase their tuition by $1 to start a sustainability office at the union. Itâs a cooperative with the university where weâre working to make the universityâs operations and actions more sustainable.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Representative: Cameron Campbell, Director of External Relations, Communications and Research, Memorial University of Newfoundland Studentsâ Union
rabble.ca: The annual Atlantic seal hunt recently kicked off. Itâs one of the most important industries for the province, but many argue that itâs an unsustainable activity. Is the union doing anything to stop the seal hunt?
Cameron Campbell: No, weâre not working against the issue. I feel that itâs a misunderstood issue; the population of seals has grown rapidly throughout the years and quotas for hunting is set, so the industry is sustainable.
What have been some of the unionâs activities to raise awareness on environmental issues?
CC: We just recently concluded our annual Sustainability Week where Maude Barlow was invited as a keynote speaker. We worked with Oxfam and the Canadian Federation of Students to call on the university to ensure that there will be public, accessible water on campus, as well as bottle water refilling stations.
Prince Edward Island
Representative: Justin Douglas, President, University of Prince Edward Island Student Union
rabble.ca: The use of pesticides on the potato fields has been known to stream off into rivers destroying aquatic life. The P.E.I. government plans to ban the sale of cosmetic pesticides this coming year. What has the union done to address this issue on campus?
Justin Douglas: Our union has a distinct policy to pertain only to campus issues and stay out of policy matters. We try to keep a neutral stance because a lot of students come from farming backgrounds.
Has the union had any successful environmental action plans?
JD: We passed a universal bus pass in October 2008 that will encourage more use of public transit by students. The bus pass is currently in its trial state, but there have generally been positive attitudes on protecting the environment on campus.
Mai Nguyen is a journalism student at Ryerson University. She loves writing profiles on interesting people and enjoys prying in on their lives without shame. She contributes to some publications on campus, including feminist magazine McClung’s.
Ronak Ghorbani is a rabble news intern. She’s an editorial assistant for the Ryerson Free Press, a progressive alternative paper on campus, and a managing editor for McClung’s, a feminist magazine.