A guide to getting greener

Siubhan Smith and Caitlin Oliver updated the Campus Green Guide. (Danny Abriel Photo)

It’s getting a little easier to be green.

Dalhousie 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 Dalhousie.

It turns out a lot is going on at Dal—even more than the students themselves realized.

“You know what? I saw the green bins around Dal and didn’t think there was much more going on than that,” admits Ms. Smith, a second-year arts student majoring in French and political science. “There’s actually activity going on in every sector at Dal, from the residences to food services to the curriculum … overall, (Dal’s) doing a great job and I can’t wait for students to realize it.”

The guide includes information on the 3Rs (reducing, reusing, recycling); active transportation; and the initiatives by food service provider Aramark to bring in local food and fair trade products. There’s even a list of restaurants offering local and organic food and student discounts.

The guide updates an earlier version that was developed by Dalhousie graduate Adam Popper in 2006 for his honors research project. The updated version includes details on “greening your degree,” making note of the undergraduate program Environment, Sustainability and Society program offered for the first time this September.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in the arts or engineering. You can add an environmental component to your degree,” says Ms. Oliver, who began in the DISP program (Dalhousie Integrated Science Program) and is studying environmental engineering in her second year. “Dalhousie is a definitely a leader.”

Volunteer opportunities in the green sector abound. Dalhousie’s Office of Sustainability encourages student participation, as do student groups SustainDal, the Environmental Law Society and the Environmental Programs Students Society, 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. 

“Getting involved is so important for our generation—students want to help but sometimes they don’t know how,” 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 which will allow users to contribute tips for greener and more sustainable living.