Sustainability @ the CSU
Getting With the Times
Sustainability: a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
It's a fact: we need to try and minimize our impact on natural resources. So try to be conscious: get a reusable cloth bag for groceries, say no to plastic, get a travel mug for your coffee, and try not to eat that apple from the other side of the world - it takes a lot of fossil fuel to get it here.
For more tips on how to reduce your ecological footprint, sign up for David Suzuki's "Nature Challenge" program at www.davidsuzuki.org.
The burden is on us, as individuals and as a part of a community, to support sustainable moves and encourage implementing further steps towards a smaller eco footprint. Capilano still has a long way to go, but there are several good programs started at the College that you can support.
Sustainable Transportation - Bike lockers are planned for 2008, and other new cycling programs are in the works now that roads near the College are being upgraded. Bus service is also set to increase when the U-Pass program is implemented. Students can go to the Jack Bell Ride Share web site to register for carpooling. (http://online.ride-share.com/en/my/)
Sustainable Food Service - Cap College and Aramark, the College's current food service contractor, are taking steps towards sustainability with a commitment to biodegradable food packaging in the cafeteria. The new packaging is made from post-harvest non-genetically-modified agricultural waste fibers of sugar cane, wild reed, and cornstarch. The product consumes less energy and water in its making than Styrofoam. This packaging is compostable, or if clean, can be recycled as paper. Cap College is also a flagship project for composting waste foods from the cafeteria - a promising move, considering that roughly 25% of landfill mass is food scraps.
Recycling - The College has programs in place for recycling paper and beverage containers - please use the marked containers! Recycling boxes in all classrooms and better signage on the existing recycling bins are planned for Fall 2007.
Sustainable Building - The CSU has set the bar for sustainable construction practices on campus with its Treehouse eco-design project. The Treehouse (LB 131 in the Library building, by the free telephone) features organic flax textiles, recycled wood, strawboard, energy efficient lighting, and low-VOC paints. It was designed and built by rodney f cottrell holistic architecture and Connexion Developments Ltd. in partnership with the CSU.
The Building Levy - In 2000, Capilano students voted in favour of collecting fees to build a new Students' Union building. The fee is $1.00 per credit up to a maximum of $10.00 per semester.
There is almost enough money in the bank to get the building project underway in a serious way. The Students' Union Building Committee has been created to begin negotiations with the College and develop the plans. A building that students can call their own will foster a sense of community at Capilano.
