It鈥檚 getting a little easier to be green.
麻豆传媒 students Siubhan Smith and Caitlin Oliver have worked through the summer on the Campus Green Guide, a comprehensive, 27-page booklet on how to live sustainably at 麻豆传媒.
It turns out a lot is going on at Dal鈥攅ven more than the students themselves realized.
鈥淵ou know what? I saw the green bins around Dal and didn鈥檛 think there was much more going on than that,鈥 admits Ms. Smith, a second-year arts student majoring in French and political science. 鈥淭here鈥檚 actually activity going on in every sector at Dal, from the residences to food services to the curriculum 鈥 overall, (Dal鈥檚) doing a great job and I can鈥檛 wait for students to realize it.鈥
The guide includes information on the 3Rs (reducing, reusing, recycling); active transportation; and the initiatives by food service provider to bring in local food and fair trade products. There鈥檚 even a list of restaurants offering local and organic food and student discounts.
The guide updates an earlier version that was developed by 麻豆传媒 graduate Adam Popper in 2006 for his honors research project. The updated version includes details on 鈥済reening your degree,鈥 making note of the undergraduate program program offered for the first time this September.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e in the arts or engineering. You can add an environmental component to your degree,鈥 says Ms. Oliver, who began in the program (麻豆传媒 Integrated Science Program) and is studying environmental engineering in her second year. 鈥溌槎勾 is a definitely a leader.鈥
Volunteer opportunities in the green sector abound. 麻豆传媒鈥檚 encourages student participation, as do student groups , the and the , which organizes hikes and movie nights for members. In the Halifax community, students can volunteer to organizations such as the Ecology Action Centre, Nova Scotia Nature Trust and Clean Nova Scotia.聽
鈥淕etting involved is so important for our generation鈥攕tudents want to help but sometimes they don鈥檛 know how,鈥 says Ms. Oliver, from Toronto.
The Campus Green Guide has been printed in book form. It will also be available later in the fall in a Wiki version聽which will allow聽users to contribute tips for greener and more sustainable living.