[Uvic-sustainability] New and Events for week of June 2

Details: Published on Monday, 02 June 2014 14:40; Written by editor

NEWS

Thanks to all the campus cyclists who participated in the Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week last week! UVic entered 43 teams ranging in size from 3 to over 40 members, and consisting of every possible level of ability you can imagine. We hope everyone had fun at the many campus events and won a few cool prizes. Our grand prizes will be drawn later this week once we receive all the team roasters from the leaders. Interesting that in the Commuter Challenge that kicks off the event, in 17 out of 23 different distance races, bikes demonstrated a FASTER commute to downtown than cars (but you knew that).

The results of UVic’s Waste Audit, conducted in March 2014, are in and we’re thrilled to report that our overall campus waste diversion rate (amount of waste being recycled or composted) has increased to... 68%, up 10% since our last comprehensive audit in 2011! J The less-than-thrilling news is that the amount of compostable material, including food waste, paper towels and coffee cups, that is going to the landfill, was also up. L Our Waste Reduction Unit and the Office of Campus Planning & Sustainability are working on plans to expand in-building composting facilities in the coming year which will help keep compostables out of the landfill. You’re all going to use them correctly, right?

An article co-written by UVic faculty and students working on the Divest UVic campaign appears today in The Tyee. The article sites mounting evidence that divestment from fossil fuel industries is a sound economic and environmental choice: “The intensifying economic costs of climate change, that are beginning to be systematically accounted for, will soon result in the political marginalization of the fossil fuel industry, and the risks to long-term prosperity it poses.”

Today President Obama announced his biggest and boldest plans yet to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the US. The new rules to be enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (he bypassed Congress to do this) require all power plants to reduce their emissions by 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. This is especially significant when you consider that power plants fueled by fossil fuels, mostly coal, are the largest single source of greenhouse gases in the US. Al Gore said the new rules were “the most important step taken to combat the climate crisis in our country’s history”. Others say it’s a drop in the bucket. See The Guardian and NY Times.

EVENTS

VANCOUVER ISLAND GREEN SCENE
Jun 2nd, 5 to 6:30 PM, Inspire Hair Design 1009 Blanshard St.
Monthly meet & mingle for people involved in green businesses. Please RSVP here.

WORLD OCEANS DAY FILM SCREENINGS
Jun 6th, 7:30 PM, Cinecenta, SUB
Hosted by Ocean Networks Canada for World Oceans Day - screenings of short documentary films concerning the health of the oceans and our relationships to them. See ONC website for more info.

INDIGENOMICS! CAN ANCIENT INDIGENOUS WISDOM SAVE OUR MODERN LIVES?
Jun 7th, 10 AM to 4 PM, Sunset Room, 401 Herald Street
Living the New Economy hosts workshop with Transformation International on ways to apply ancient indigenous economic practices and principles in a modern economic context. Register on Eventbrite and see Facebook for more info. All available via live webstreaming.

WORLD OCEANs DAY - June 8th
11 AM to 5 PM, Fisherman's Wharf, James Bay (Victoria)
Free celebratory, interactive, all-ages activities.

11 AM to 3 PM, Beacon Park, Sidney
The Cascadian Crusaders water superheros will be performing and reading from their illustrated book, The Great Plastic Round-up. See Shaw Ocean Discovery website for more info.

DECOLONIZATION: WHAT IT IS AND WHERE TO BEGIN
Jun 10th, 7 PM, Fernwood Hall, 1923 Fernwood Road
The Social Environmental Alliance invites you to a conversation on how to move forward together. Featuring special guest speakers. See Facebook for more info.

#BOLDACTION: A MORAL CALL FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE
Jun 10th, 7 PM (PST), live webstream
350.org hosts a live webstreamed conversation about the climate movement featuring speakers and calls to action. You can host or join a local group to participate.

Rita Fromholt

Sustainability Coordinator

Office of Campus Planning & Sustainability

University of Victoria

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., O: 250.853.3758, C: 250.884.5751

www.uvic.ca/sustainability