Earth Day @ NAIT
April 28th, 2009
EcoNAIT helped the NAIT community celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd! If you came by the South Lobby between 11 and 3 you may have noticed a few things going on. There was:
- A big cage that was being used to collect scrap paper;
- EcoNAIT members who were giving out information on recycling, re-using and energy efficiency; and
- The bike (lent to ecoNAIT by the physics department)which you could hop on to see if you could power the 3 lights, the fan and the lighter. Did you try it out?
If you missed the Earth Day events at NAIT don’t fret because you still have a chance to celebrate the Earth! Edmonton’s Earth Day celebrations which were supposed to happen on April 26th were postponed due to weather. Check out the Edmonton SAGE Network website for updated information on when Edmonton’s Earth day celebrations will be happening.
What did you do for Earth Day 2009?
Earth Day
April 17th, 2009
April 22nd will mark the 39th Anniversary of Earth Day!
Earth Day ‘is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.’ (Earth Day, Wikipedia). There will be a few activities underway here at NAIT to help celebrate.
EcoNAIT will be in the NAIT South Lobby from 11am
Ask and you shall receive!
April 9th, 2009Guest post by Sheryl Hansen, NAIT Wellness Consultant
Wouldn’t it be great if there were bikes strategically placed around campus, for staff to jump on to travel to, say, Distribution Centre orKingsway Professional Centre? This came up recently in our Recreation department meeting, and poof, a bike landed in my office the next week. Free. Donated to the Athletics and Recreation department for staff to use forjust this purpose. Thank you to Dave at St. Albert Source for Sports, for seeing this as a perfect opportunity to support our department. What he doesn’t know is just how this will impact us: a green alternative to driving to other buildings; a fantastic respite from sitting at the desk or from the drive-search-for-parking-drive phenomenon when travelling to other sites; an opportunity for active living; a quick alternative to driving. Yeah for us!
Green Yard Clean Up
April 7th, 2009With Spring apparently already here, and the snow melting I am sure that many people have been thinking about the upcoming yard work. Consider the environment when doing your clean up and try out these tips.
1) Compost all your yard waste!
2) Plant Native Plants – They are low maintenance because they are meant to grow in the climate you are in andthey are less water intensive which will not only save water, but save money.
3) Practice Grass Cycling – Don’t bag your grass when you cut it, leave it on your lawn. This will let the nutrients return to your lawn andhelp maintain a beautiful yard.
4) Don’t use any chemicals. Chemicals that you put on your lawn do not all stay on your lawn, some of them get washed away into sewers and get into waterways.
5) Practice sensible watering – Do not water when the sun is at it’s hottest, you will be wasting water and money! Early morning watering is the best! You can even pick up a rain barrel to save some potable water!
Do you have any tips? Please share them in the comments section!
An Earth Friendly Hour
March 27th, 2009Tomorrow I will be celebrating Earth Hour TM, will you be?
Some Earth Hour Ideas
- Go down to City Hall and participate in the City of Edmonton’s Earth Hour activities
- Host a candle light dinner
- Play hide and seek in the dark – the seeker can use a wind up flashlight!
- Go for a walk/run
- Go out for dinner to an establishment who is participating in Earth Hour
- Play some games – win, lose or draw with glow in the dark markers, board games, etc.
- Have a Fondue party
How Can I Make Earth Hour Festivities More Earth Friendly?
-Have only locally produced food and drinks
-Have organic food and drinks
-Try to make some food that requires no cooking
-Use re-usable plates and cutlery
- Walk, bike, take public transit or carpool
-Unplug ALL appliances
What will you be doing for Earth Hour? Do you have any ideas on other ways to have a more earth friendly Earth Hour? If you do, please comment!
Lights Out
March 19th, 2009
Need a reason to gather all your friends and family together to celebrate? How about having an Earth HourTM party.
What is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is a global initiative which encourages all individuals, households and 
businesses to turn off their lights for just one hour.
When is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is being held at 8:30pm on Saturday March 28th.
What do I have to do to participate?
All that is required is that you turn your lights off from 8:30 – 9:30 pm on Saturday March 28th. You can officially sign up online, which will enter you to win a trip.
How does shutting off my lights for one hour help?
Shutting off your lights for one hour demonstrates that you support taking action on climate change. Last year Edmonton’s electricity consumption was reduced by 1.5% (as reported by Epcor) during Earth Hour, with more people participating hopefully we can come closer to Toronto’s 2008 reduction of 8.7% (Toronto Hydro control centre).
Encourage your family and friends to join you in celebrating Earth Hour.
How do you plan to celebrate Earth Hour?
Chin up!
March 13th, 2009
Guest post by Sheryl Hansen
This week I have noticed a lotof “crankiness” – not just in the office but in the gym, the grocery store and at home. Could it be the weather or the transition to Daylight Savings Time? Whatever the cause, it is important to remember that as individuals, we choose both our perceptions and our reactions. What can youdo to improve your mood? Get some sleep, do activities you enjoy, PLAY, or read something inspiring like this excerpt from “The Station” by Robert J. Hastings:
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long train trip spanning the continent. Through the windows we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways; of children waving at us from a crossing; of cattle grazing on a hillside; of smoke pouring from a power plant; of row upon row of corn and wheat; of mountains and valleys; of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is our destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will play; flags will wave. Wonderful dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the loitering minutes
One Million Acts of Green
March 6th, 2009
Commiting to living a greener lifestyle does not mean that you have to change everything at once.Try to commit to one green act a month (or more if you are so inclined). It generally takes 30 days to create a habit, so try to stick to your committment for at least 30 days. Before you know it you will have reduced your carbon footprint and maybe even saved some money!
Check out One Million Acts of Green to get some ideas of what you can do. If you are a NAIT staff, student or alumni then join the NAIT group and let’s see how many acts of green we can get together!
Hmmmmmm….
February 27th, 2009Today, a staff member dropped into my office to say hi, or rather, whisper hi. She is sick. Very, very sick with laryngitis but is working today. Why not go home, rest, recover and come back to work after a few days healthier, happier and more productive? Hmmmm.
A few weeks ago, I was walking back to my office after an after-work social event. It was approximately 7 pm, and I was alongsidea staff member from another department. She was going back to work for several more hours of work, after a brief hiatus at the social. Why, I asked? Because no one else will do my work, she replied. Hmmmm.
So, what is that makes staff members come in early, work through their lunch hour, work late, return to their emails at home in the evening? Many like to blame “culture”, lamenting that it is an acceptable and at times, expected, behavior. But don’t we each make our own decision, in the moment, to NOT go home when we are sick, or return to or stay at our desk until late in the evening? What is the thought process that goes along with that? Is it:
- martyrdom? “I work so hard and so much and no one notices…”
- to seek attention? “People will notice that I’m sick and will feel sorry for me…”
- trust? “If I call in sick, my co-workers don’t believe that I am really sick…”
- paranoia?”if I call in sick on a Friday or Monday, people think that I am creating a long weekend for myself…”
But really, does it matter what others think?Is it realistic to think that we are that important that work left undone wreaks havoc on the institute, or that everyone else has time enough to evaluate and judge our daily behavior? Or, what is it that we get from being the martyr?
I am going to go out on a limb and say that if a person is away and their work doesn’t get done by someone else, then the work itself is not all that critical. And, if thereare low levels of trust or paranoia in the work unit, somehow we contribute to that with our attitudes and behaviors. Lastly, if being a martyr or seeking attention is the issue, I believe practicing self care will contribute to a healthier look and outlook, which brings much more positive attention rather than pity.
I’m just saying…
Sheryl