Since the University of Northern British Columbia has been opened there have been many efforts to create a sustainable facility. There are many aspects of the university that contribute to its sustainability, which include the buildings, as well as on-going projects. The students and faculty, however, do not necessarily take part in maintaining the university’s title as Canada’s Green University. UNBC’s title as Canada’s Green University may also be put into question when compared to other Canadian universities. UNBC strives towards creating a green university, but this does not necessarily result in a green and sustainable university.
An important idea to establish is the definition of being green. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the definition of being green is:
Green: relating to or being an environmentalist political movement; concerned with or supporting environmentalism; tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting).
This ultimately means that being green has two key elements; efforts must be made, and they must result in the preservation of the environment. The second element of having your actions result in the preservation of the environment ultimately means to be sustainable. The term “sustainable” is often misunderstood. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines sustainable as:
Sustainable: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged; of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.
The University of Northern British Columbia applies to these definitions. By definition, UNBC is green because the establishment is concerned wit...
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...ty Ranking. (2012). World Ranking 2012. Retrieved from: http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id/id/page/ranking-2012 on October 27, 2013.
University of Ottawa. Office of Campus Sustainability. Pen Recycling Program. Retrieved from: http://www.sustainable.uottawa.ca/index.php?module=CMS&func=view&id=60 on October 27, 2013. Last updated 2011/08/01.
Simon Fraser University. Sustainability Office. Container Exchange Program. Retrieved from: http://www.sfu.ca/sustainability/initiatives/waste/container-exchange-program.html on october 27, 2013. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green Janisse Ray. (September 2007). Can environmentalists live up to their own standards? . In Alternet. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from http://www.alternet.org/story/61872/.
The Taloires Declaration. (1990). ULSF. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from http://www.ulsf.org/programs_talloires.html
John Dallas Costa, Ethical Imperative wrote: "Not long ago the concerns of ecologists were as irrelevant to business planners as those of ethicists are today. “Green” has gone from being a disparagement to becoming a badge that no smart company would risk being without. Ethics are similarly en route to becoming a strategic imperative."
The Green Party of Canada, also known as the GPC, is a minor Canadian federal political party that is known for preaching ecological wisdom. Founded in November of 1983 in Ottawa, GPC currently holds one seat in the House of Commons. GPC was highly motivated by observing the West German Green Party, which overcome great odds to win 27 parliamentary seats.2 Over the past several years, GPC has made remarkable strides to advance its political platform and gain a voice in the House of Commons. In 2000, GPC received only 0.8% of the votes and received zero seats in the House. However, GPC heavily improved in the 2004 federal election, winning 4.3% of the votes. After this “electoral breakthrough,” GPC earned a great deal of respect and garnered attention in the mass media.2 More importantly, by receiving 4.3% of the votes, GPC qualified for federal funding. By doing so, GPC received much-needed subsidies that would eventually play a huge role in its emergence in Canadian politics. Four years later in the 2008 federal election, GPC received 6.8% of the votes to ensure that green issues would be discussed in policy agendas of Canadian government.
The essay begins with sections on “ Greenness” and “The Green Man in the Open”;
Part of being a “green” character so to speak would include multiple trait one being the enjoyment of the big picture process. Though there are many examples in the novel the most obvious or most out there would be the rekindling between Daisy and Gatsby with Nick Carraway being involved with the set up. Through the whole scene Nick had debated if the future for them was a bright one in a way given the signs like Daisy’s overwhelming facial expressions and
Retrieved October 11, 2011. www.gerrymarten.com/human-ecology/tableofcontents.html Retrieved October 12, 2011. www.equip.org/ Retrieved October 11, 2011. www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/Se. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
Freedman, B. (2010). Environmental Science: A Canadian Perspective – Fifth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Companies that carry out greenwashing commonly use the words, ‘green’, ‘energy efficient’, and ‘clean’ to expo...
We live in a beautiful world and have many valuable resources and beautiful views all around us almost everywhere we go. Our world supports not only us, but many creatures that are all interwoven and connected to each other in unique and important ways. The greatest binding point that all of us on the Earth have with one another is that world we live in sustains us in our existence. Without it, we wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be able to live. As we go through our daily lives we need to remember this as we make our choices, because if we affect our surroundings so much that their essence is changed or lost, eventually that change will come back to affect us; positively or negatively. In order to make sure that we can continue to enjoy this world, along for those that will come after us, is to work to live sustainably.
In conclusion, going green in the workplace is catchy new trend. Choosing to go verdant can be a grueling task and one that is confronted with some unique pros and cons. Although making green choices come at a slightly higher price, the rewards that are earned more than cover these costs. When a company chooses wisely going green can not only help the environment, and reduce the carbon foot-print the company makes but it can also prove to be a very smart business decision that can be financially gratifying.
STATE THESIS & MAIN POINTS: I’m going to persuade you that going green is one solution you could do to help improve the environment by first explaining the problem, then by explaining the factors responsible for pollution, and lastly by listing ways that can help solve this problem.
Kneidel, Sally, and Sadie Kneidel. Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub., 2008. Print.
Green architecture is an approach to building which has become more popular in the last 25 to 30 years. Also known as sustainable design, green architecture is a method of design that minimizes the impact of building on the environment. Once thought of as unconventional and nonstandard, both regulatory agencies and the public alike are quickly accepting green architecture as a socially responsible and logical means of construction.
... By showing the world the severity of our need for conservation, we will be able to save the earth and get the most out of our resources. We need to fix this problem before it becomes uncontrollable to the point of having no resources to meet our needs. By reducing our consumption of resources, we will be able to become closer to fixing the problem of global warming, high gasoline prices and pesticide-filled meats. The outcome of respecting our world and “going green” will better how we live our lives, our communities and the environment.
Recycling is important in the effort to preserve our environment for future generations. We are running out of locations to put landfills. Recycling is a simple and effective way to reduce the amount of waste stored in landfills, yet many people do not know how easy it can be. For example, whenever I go to Shoprite® and I b...
"Eco-Friendly State Laws and Green Mandates." Black News, Opinion, Politics and Culture - The Root. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. .