Sustainability at NAIT

While shopping the other day I was delighted to see the new Canada Organic label. 

New organic regulations were put in place on June 30^th of this year and now the new labelling has made its way into stores!!  This means that when you see the new Canada Organic label you can be assured that the products were grown according to the Canadian Organic Standards.

The use of the logo is not mandatory, so there may be some organic products that do not have the new label, however in these cases the products still have to name a certifying body.

To find out more about the new Canadian Organic Standards check out the Canadian Organic Growers website.

Have you seen the new recycling centres that are starting to populate the NAIT campus?  If you haven’t then you should go by the Common Market, South Lobby, North Lobby or Fresh Express to check them out!  They are bright blue and made out of recycled material; recycled recycling centres!

Why are we getting recycling centres?

The intent is to increase the recycling capture rate by having more bins as well as a recognizable system.

What can I recycle?

The centres have various combinations of bins including, office paper, newspaper and beverage containers.  As of July 1st, 2009 milk cartons can now be recycled and these are accepted in the beverage container bins, along with plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans and juice boxes.

When will the new recycling centres be in my area?

Over the next few years the entire campus will become populated with these new centres. The centres are being put out in phases starting with the most populated areas.

The 2009 Global Youth Assembly (GYA) runs from July 30th – August 2nd at NAIT. 

There will be about 500 youth from around the world coming to participate in the GYA with the theme Ignite Change Now!  The purpose of the event is to increase awareness of social issues and to try and encourage youth to make the move from awareness to action.  One of the highlights of the event will be a visit from Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on Friday July 31st. 

The Governor General is going to host a youth dialogue as part of her 2009 youth dialogue series, Can We Talk.  The dialogue will take place in the NAIT gymnasium starting at 6:30pm, however attendees are asked to be checked in(this takes place in the NAIT South Lobby) and in the gymnasium by 6:00pm.  The dialogue is open to the public. To register for the dialogue email rsvpEdmonton@gg.ca.

On July 1st all of NAIT campus’ went smoke free! 

What does this mean?  There is no smoking permitted on any of NAIT’s campus’.  You can find out more about the policy, guidelines, procedures, boundaries and enforcement measures on the Smoke Free Campus website.

2009 Commuter Challenge results are in!

How did NAIT do? 

NAIT came in 5th place out of the 57 Edmonton workplaces that participated! If this news isn’t good enough, we also came out ahead of the other 2 post secondaries that participated in Edmonton!

Together NAIT staff saved 777 kg of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and 3767 km from being travelled! 

Thanks to all those who walked, cycled, took public transit, carpooled or tele-worked.  These efforts truly make a difference.

The other day I was shoe shopping.  An elderly, frail woman with a cane and a severe limp came by, to rest on the bench where I was seated trying on shoes.  We chatted.  I said it was great that she was out and about, considering the alternative, and commented that each time she got out and walked, she was getting stronger.  I told her I admired her.  She said “we have to act as though we’re in our right minds”.  Chuckles ensued, farewell’s and then I was left with my thoughts.

I wondered, what would it be to be in our WRONG minds?  In this context, I think it would be wrong to not try, not get up and get out, and to curl up at home and do nothing.  I remember two of my grandparents (not married to each other) who broke their hip at virtually the same time.  My Opa (grandfather in Dutch) had surgery, went home and never left his wheelchair.  My Oma (grandmother) did everything for him and the physio and home exercises were just too hard.  My Granny, on the other hand, was a go-getter who broke her hip because she fell from a ladder while trimming a very tall tree.  She came home from the hospital, had a few physio home visits, did her exercises and got up and out driving, playing bingo and gardening.  What’s the difference between these two people?

I believe my Granny had the right mindset.  The difference is perspective.  She never saw herself confined to a wheelchair or dependent.  My Opa believed it would hurt and be hard to rehabilitate. 

In what contexts are you in your right mind?  And in what contexts are you in your wrong mind?  If you want a daily dose of perspective, register for Notes from the Universe at www.tut.com

Guest Post by Jackie Krossa

During In-service I took a group of Green NAITer’s on guided tour of Planet Organic Market grocery for a little insight as to what this little gem has to offer locally. Experts in the Deli, grocery, produce and natural living sections of the store highlighted the “within” Alberta products that were available. They also gave an excellent overview of all the delicious natural and organic products  the entire store has to offer (I pointed out a few of my favorite things). All of the participants were given a reusable cloth shopping bag and enough time to browse the aisles and purchase items to take home to enjoy. We were all given treats to taste along the way and take home goodies to try. This market grocery store carries items that cater to the gourmet foodie, vegan,vegetarian, gluten free, as well as the everyday shoppers needs. Knowing that we can shop for items that have been grown, produced or fabricated in our own Province and in our own country gave us all a deeper sense of how this can impact our future and our future generations. Knowing that we can support such a great local grocery makes it that much sweeter. J

It is that time of year again when outdoor farmers markets are starting up for the summer.  This means that almost every day of the week you can go visit an outdoor farmers markets somewhere. 

What are the benefits of buying at a Farmers Market vs your neighbourhood store?

- The food and products at farmers markets are locally produced, which supports the local economy.

- The food is very fresh as it has not traveled thousands of miles to get here.  This also means that the fresh fruits and vegetables contain more essential nutrients (nutrients in fruits and vegetables degrade over time, so the longer they take to get here the less nutritious they are).

- You can meet with the people who produce the goods!  That means that you can ask questions about their farming practices, or how they made a certain item.

- You may discover some great things!  We discovered a great vendor who makes fresh pasta and fresh sauces, delicious!!

I encourage everyone to go and check out the farmers markets in their area.  It is a great way to spend some time and discover something new.  Not included on the list is a new farmers markets that opened close to NAIT.  It is the Alberta Avenue Farmers Market and you can find out more info at http://albertaave.org/market.

What have you discovered at your favorite farmers market?

Canadian Environment Week 2009 runs from May 31st – June 6th!

What is NAIT doing to celebrate Environment Week?

- NAIT is participating in the commuter challenge which runs during environment week.  Do you walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or take public transit to work?  If so you should sign up for the commuter challenge. Check out this link to learn more about commuter challenge at NAIT.  

- One Simple Act will have their commitment booth in the South Lobby on June 2nd from 10:30 – 3:00pm.  Go check it out and see what you can do to help the environment.

- Green Cleaning lunch and learn session on June 4th from 12 – 1pm with Alberta Environment.  In this session you will get a chance to make your own cleaning products and learn the benefits of using green cleaning products. Email Katie Kohlenberg at KatieL@nait.ca to sign up for the session.  There are only 20 spots available, so it is first come first serve.

- Eco-friendly commuter breakfast on June 5th from 8 – 9:30am in the South Lobby.  If you walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or take public transit to work the you are eligible to come to the breakfast which is sponsored by ecoNAIT.  Learn more about this event here.

What else are you doing to help celebrate environment week?

NAIT has signed up for commuter challenge 2009!   All staff can now register. 

How do I register for the Commuter Challenge?

Go to the commuter challenge website and click on the “register here” button then you will be taken to a different page, click on the Individual and Employee registration.  Once you are there search for NAIT as your workplace.  After that all you have to do is fill in all your information, then wait until the competition starts.

When is Commuter Challenge?

Commuter challenge runs from May 31st – June 6th this year.

What is Commuter Challenge?

Commuter challenge is a yearly competition that encourages people to walk, cycle, carpool, tele-work or take public transit instead of driving alone to work. We can see how we stack up against other workplaces in Canada for sustainable transportation use.

How do I submit my results?

Once the competition starts (May 31) you can log in and submit your results.  You will have to submit what mode of transportation you used and how many kilometers that you travelled using that mode. 

Sign up and encourage others to sign up, together we can help NAIT rise above and show how committed our employees are to sustainability.

How do you usually get to work?