Environmental Sustainability at TRU

The first Lunch and Learn session of the Environment and Sustainability Speaker Series was a huge success. Almost 40 people showed up to hear Ken Ogilvie, former Executive Director of Pollution Probe, review the history of environmental NGO’s in Canada and talk about sustainable decision making in Canada. In my introduction I mistakenly characterized Pollution Probe as the first environmental NGO in Canada but Ken quickly corrected me. Ken brought along samples of publications which Pollution Probe had produced cooperatively with other organizations including the Canadian Automobile Association illustrating the impact of cooperative decision making and education. The feedback following the presentation was positive although one astute observer noted that we had barely cracked the surface of what Ken had to offer but what can you do in an hour?
I received an exciting email from some students in Adventure Tourism. They have organized a Carbon Reduction Challenge for February. The objective is to score points by modifying your behaviour as predefined in the competition scoring system to reduce your carbon footprint. Participants are divided into four person teams and the winning team will donate a cash prize to their favourite environmental group. At last count over 80 students has registered which seems like an excellent number particularly when you realize that the competition is open only to Tourism Students.
The TRU Environmental Award will be presented for the first time this year. The award will go to a TRU student, employee or alumnus who has made a substantial contribution to environment and sustainability at TRU. A student financial award will be made in the name of the winner in addition to other recognition. Nominations and applications are being accepted now until about the middle of February so if you qualify or know someone who does then get an application from Shirley Jackson sjackson@tru.ca
Next week International Days return to TRU. You can seen the programme at http://www.truworld.ca/flipbook/internationaldaysprogram2010/ .
I have been asked to give a presentation this year on Thursday noon in the Clock Tower. My presentation is entitled “Post Recession Reality is Downhill Really Uphill” I intend to use part of the time to explore the implications of climate change. All are welcome but hecklers will be especially appreciated!

The Environment and Sustainability Speaker Series got off to a excellent start with the Copenhagen Post Mortem attended by about 80 people in the Clock Tower theatre on January 14th. James Hunt, the Czech. Ministerial Envoy stayed for an hour afterward for a stimulating one on one with several students. Tria Donaldson joined us by U Tube and you can see her full presentation at http://www.vimeo.com/8749583. It was very interesting having both the Civil Society view and the Diplomatic views presented simultaneously. ( James took Canada off the hook for “blocking” the agreement in part because it is only one of many industrialized countries hiding behind the US and his ever so diplomatic observations that “Canada is really not large or influential enough to be the sole blocker” OUCH!) However, the conclusion was the same from both Tria and James. There is a lot of work to be done if there is to be a meaningful agreement at the next meeting in Mexico.
On the 25th in BCOL 127 at 12 noon Ken Ogilvie, former Executive Director of Pollution Probe, the most influential environmental NGO in Canada and expert on sustainable decision making in Canada will make a presentation on the role of NGO’s in the Post Copenhagen era. If you bring a copy of this blog you will receive a free lunch. (ok, ok even if you don’t lunch will be provided!)
We are going to a launch a competition for a logo or symbol for the TRU Environment and Sustainability Programme. The formal announcement will appear in Omega and on CCTV. There will be good prizes for the winner and runners up. The contest will run for a about a month with the winner to be announced in March.
Speaking of winners we are also instituting an Environment and Sustainability Award. The award will be open to any TRU employee or student for a substantial contribution to the field of environment and sustainability. Others, who are not employees or students can also qualify if their contribution has made to the benefit of TRU. Nominations can be sent to Shirley Jackson sjackson@tru.ca by the end of February 2010.
As usual I want to let my faithful readers in on something no one else knows (ok hardly anyone else knows!) At the last meeting of the Environmental Advisory Committee, Jonathan Van Hamme suggested that we should invite Captain Charles Moore as part of the Speaker Series (No Captain Moore is not a BC Ferries Captain!) Captain Moore is a well known international environmentalist who has focused on plastic pollution particularly in the Pacific Ocean and has started an Institute to address the issue. Captain Moore will be here March 8th and 9th…..remember you heard it here first.
On a sadder note PK Page, first lady of Arts and Letters in Canada passed away this week. She will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew her, not the least by her son Neal Irwin and family, who I have been privileged to know for over twenty years. Environmentalists will remember her for the reading of her poem Planet Earth on the steps of the BC Legislature in 1993. Planet Earth is even more relevant today than it was back then.

Happy New Year
I wish you all a healthy, happy and sustainable new year! I am deliberately starting with this greeting recognizing that in most cultures, including our own there is a very short window of time in which this greeting is used. That means I will have to replace it with another blog soon. Is that my way of saying that I have made a new year’s resolution to blog more often….could be.
2010 is going to be an exciting one for sustainability at TRU. A new campus sustainability action plan, the start of car pooling, kick off of the sustainability speaker series, the introduction of mixed recycling…..the list is never ending. Am I dreaming..no!
The Campus Sustainability Action Plan Committee made up of representatives of all campus wide organizations will finalize the initial TRU Campus Sustainability Action Plan. It is based upon the TRU Strategic Plan and will form a framework for priority sustainability activities under three groupings, the built, natural and social/cultural environments. The full plan will be posted on this website following review and acceptance by the Environmental Advisory Committee.
Car pooling is now in place at TRU. As of January 1st 10 spots in coveted parking lots have been set aside for car pools. If you qualify go to the Parking website and sign up for your car pool permit which is half the price of a regular permit.
The Environment and Sustainability Speaker Series will kick of at 7 pm, January 14th in the Clock Tower Theatre with a Copenhagen Post Mortem. James Hunt, Czech Ministerial Representative to the process and Tria Donaldson, student environmental activist and Canadian Youth Delegate to the Conference will make presentations and participate in an audience led discussion. On January 25th there will be a “Lunch and Learn” session with Ken Ogilvie, former Executive Director of Pollution Probe the preeminent environmental NGO will address the role of NGO’s in the post Copenhagen environment. Ken is also a leading Canadian expert on sustainable organizations in Canada, having been a member of the National Round Table on Environment and the Economy and the provincial roundtables in Manitoba and Ontario. Later in the series we will feature a video conference presentation from Professor Peter Victor author of Managing Without Growth who has analyzed how the Canadian economy would fare under a more sustainable approach. Also Ted Manning, international expert on sustainable tourism who has advised such diverse audiences as the OECD and the Communist Party Central Committee of China will come to the campus in the second week of March. There will be others…stay tuned to this website for more information.
Finally, I want to let you into a little secret (it is ok to share because I suspect that there are not many of you reading this!) We are moving toward a comprehensive mixed recycling system on campus. In January it will start with paper and gradually expand to all recyclable materials over the next two to three months. Why gradually? The Facilities Department is working with the City to put the new system in place properly and that will take a bit of time. Kudos to both the City and the Facilities staff on this one!
Speaking of the facilities staff…I owe them one. I had to make a hasty and unplanned move just before Christmas (no it was not because I didn’t pay my bills!!). Jim,Mark, Norm, Per, Rick and Warren pitched in and moved me to Tobiano, and of course they are now giving me the gears for my carbon footprint. I have tried to explain to them that I have geothermal heating but being the purists that they are they are not buying it.
More soon!!!

I did an interview with Arjun Singh recently which may be of interest. http://media.libsyn.com/media/yourkamloops/tom_owen.mp3

I have just got home from a very satisfying day working on the Guerin Creek Cleanup. The day did not start all that well. You know the time when you cracked your bare toes so hard against the bed leg that they went black and blue. Well that happened to me but ever the optimist I did not check at the time but confirmed it when I got home. Good job too…if I had seen them in the morning I would have probably wimped out!

I borrowed a flat bed truck to anchor the ropes for the Adventure Tourism volunteers who had top repel into the deeper parts of the Guerin Creek Ravine. I left the keys with a responsible person and went off to do other things. The good news is that the truck is still there. The bad news I have no idea ( well maybe a small idea) where the keys to the truck are. The truck needs to be back at its home at 7am tomorrow so I am hoping the fine young man who has the keys will get them back to me before then (has has about 12 hours left as I am writing! this!).

The Friends of Guerin Creek, which organized the clean up is comprised of the Kamloops West Rotary, local residents led by environmental activist James Gordon. TRU participants including the Adventure Tourism Department, TRU ECO and Kappa Sigma. The West Rotary Club provided 8 seasoned volunteers to act as team leaders, Adventure Tourism included 8 people experienced in getting people and goods out of tricky mountainous terrain (I am happy to say we didn’t need the people part which means that none of the other volunteers fell into the ravine!) and Environment and Sustainability Office signed up 20 student volunteers at orientation week and James Gordon brought three or four families from Beattie School. Kappa Sigma brought their pledges. TRU ECO got a grant from TRUSU to have Conscientious Catering provide food for the assembled multitudes. Donovan, who runs Conscientious Catering, uses only range fed beef and sources all his food within 100 miles. He has a map that shows you exactly where each of the ingredients came from…great stuff. One of the neighbours allowed Donovan to tap into his electricity after Bonnie Klohn promised him and his roommates a free lunch. Speaking of neighbours the response from people living along the Guerin Creek Ravine was phenomenal. Several came over to compliment the effort, and fill in the questionnaire. One of the people from my building brought us cookies! Oops there goes my phone (this is a real time blog….want to listen in? “ Yes, this is Tom. You have the keys…great. Do you have transportation? You can be here in 2 minutes…Perfect I’ll meet you at the truck.) Another embarrassing situation averted!! But I digress. In the end there was over one hundred garbage bags filled from refuse in the ravine, about 15 shopping carts, a microwave, sewer main cover and other assorted odds and ends. The Friends of Guerin Creek will now work with the City of Kamloops into an urban park.

What else am I doing? Well I have an idea of how to get the kitchen waste at TRU out of the landfill….but you will have to wait to the next blog for that one!