Sustainable U
I had my fingers crossed for a snow day today. The weather cooperated and greeted us with a beautiful blanket of white this morning. But alas, UBC didn’t get the message and instead of a day off, the stern instructions on ubc.ca read, “Students are expected to attend classes, and faculty and staff are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities as usual.” Sigh.
When you checked the site before heading out this morning, did you notice the new climate change research at UBC link? We’ve got a lot of people and organizations right here at UBC who are taking action for climate change. From green buildings, to compost heaps, to biodiversity research, our efforts are starting to be recognized. Recently, the government of BC announced that it aims to find $94.5 million in funds to create the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, a joint venture between UBC, SFU, UNBC, UVic, the private sector and government.
British Columbia universities have some of the top climate scientists and researchers in the world,” said Campbell. “This institute will bring together those academics, along with others from around the world, with business and the private sector to develop new policy alternatives, to find ways to educate and encourage greener lifestyles, and to develop new, green technologies into products that can be used by consumers around the globe.
We’ve also got students who are willing to get involved. For example, it didn’t take me long to find this UBC Student Sustainability Pledge.
So in the end, I’m happy to have made the slow commute into UBC today. It’s looks like we’ve got some momentum going here at the University. Now, we’ve got to do our bit to make sure we keep the ball rolling. What’s your plan for making sure you’re involved in the climate change solutions at UBC?
