Sustainable Summer 101

By Amanda Ajeneza Bana

Science & Environment Editor

Farah Hamami

Contributor

Via Dawson College. Celebration of 1,000 Species at Dawson photo collage by Doug Smyth, 2024.

Sustainable summer? You’ve heard of sustainable energy practices and electric cars, but what do you know about a summer that’s harmless to your entourage? In the heart of Westmount, Dawson fosters over 890 species on its grounds, soon to be a thousand as Dawson College has joined the 1,000 species in 1,000 days initiative started by the Campus Biodiversity Network. From eagles to beetles, many organisms coexist just in the Peace Garden at Dawson College. Take a look for yourself this summer! When the gloomy clouds of finals and winter finally disappear, the Peace Garden is your best bet for a calming break between classes.

As college students and the leaders of tomorrow, we should all practise sustainability even when we are outside of a school that promotes it. With summer approaching, it is especially important to practise sustainability to help combat climate change. Knowing that we should act is great, but it is even better to know how, where and when to make a difference. With that said, let’s take it one step at a time and explore sustainable practices together. 

    One must first know what sustainability is. Sustainability is generally seen as the ability to support and maintain a process, activity or project over time. When talking of climate sustainability, however, the definition is much more complex. Being sustainable would mean changing our energy consumption so as not to contribute to the changing climate. The goal is to not only reduce our greenhouse emissions but to adopt new habits that promote eco-friendliness. If the 1.4 million Canadian undergrads all decided to start biking, walking or commuting in an eco-friendly manner to school, the impact would be astronomical. Imagine the influence these newly adopted habits would have on not only future generations but older generations too. Humans are intrinsically followers, so setting a good image for our neighbour might just be enough to get a domino effect going for years on end.

We interviewed sustainability specialist, Chris J. Adam, for advice on how to be sustainable this summer. He has been head of the Sustainability/Living Campus Office here at Dawson College since 2008. Mr Adam is an inspirational and involved member of the faculty with awards such as the “Teaching Excellence Award” from Dawson College (2004),” Governor General of Canada Meritorious Service Award” (2022) just to name a few. Through Chris’ concept of Living Campus, not only has Dawson College taken the initiative to be carbon-neutral forever, but it has also become a model of sustainability and well-being according to The Governor General of Canada’s website.

He helped us better understand how the importance of sustainable living is crucial to combating climate change. Emphasising the personal responsibility that we all have in taking initiatives, as small as they can be, Mr. Adam affirmed the need for mindful decision-making when choosing transportation methods, energy usage, consumption habits and waste management. He also encouraged educating ourselves on what practices we could do in groups, like cooking old family recipes. In an interview, he also shared some scoops with us. Chris revealed that the college had successfully reached its goal of officially being scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon neutral. He assured us that the school had met the UN climate crisis action goals of 2030, given in 2021-2022! He said that it was only achieved thanks to the student's and staff's involvement through the management of every single item that was bought and used on campus. 

In another interview, this time with CBC Radio Canada, he said:  “We’re trying to show that nature is a catalyst to stimulate reading, writing, and memory development because it reduces stress.” His brilliance had been called upon in April to demonstrate the progress attained by some of the sustainable programs and projects of the school.

So, what can Chris tell us about sustainability, tips, and practices for the summer? 

Here is a list of practices you can incorporate into your life for a more sustainable summer:

1. Be mindful of your travel choices during the summer. Opt for eco-friendly transportation methods like biking, walking or public transport. Stay-cations are also an option. For instance, you could take a road trip to St. John’s and go snorkelling with the whales. It could be a memorable experience to share with your closest friends.

2. Save energy by adjusting your thermostat, and turning off the lights and electronics when you are not using them. Lowering your energy consumption only reduces your gas emission level.

3. Avoid single-use plastic containers and unnecessary packaging. Use the Tupperware, the utensils and the water bottle that you already own. When shopping, choose products with minimal packaging, like the whole melon and share it if you can, rather than the small pre-cut boxed options.

4. Buy from local businesses, like farmer's markets, restaurants and shops to lessen the carbon footprint of transportation and support the local economy.  Also, look for products labelled as locally sourced or produced.

5. There are also many sustainable activities to be part of during summer. Like community gardens, volunteering at the local second-hand store or sustainability projects in your area. These activities could help you get a sense of community and connection that is slowly declining among Millenials and Gen Z.
   

Via Dawson College. Celebration of 1,000 Species at Dawson photo collage by Doug Smyth, 2024.

As an educator for over 40 years, Chris acknowledges students’ persisting desire to give back to the community and emphasizes the obstacles that could arise like the lack of time or a lack of guiding resources. This is why the Sustainability Office at Dawson has launched journaling programs like that of “Sustainable Happiness”, a workshop that aims to bridge the gap between our living practices and connectedness to our surroundings through mindfulness and community-building initiatives. Sustainable Happiness is “happiness that contributes to individual, community or global well-being and does not exploit other people, the environment, or future generations,” an all-encompassing definition of the aspects of sustainable happiness coined by Dr. Catherine O’Brien.

In addition to that, there are Living Campus tours offered where you can witness firsthand, the hardworking bees on our college’s rooftop that produce flavourful honey, the monarch butterfly nursery project where we grow habitats for, raise, name, and release endangered monarch butterflies on our grounds, view the insect resort, the forest floor and even the decomposition area on campus!. You can also discover Dawson’s fruits and vegetable gardens where you can pick and freshen up your mouth with some peppermint and while you’re at it help feed the compost bins throughout the college. Living Campus tours, led by Jennifer De Vera, are highly stimulating and engage all one’s senses. Get involved with only 20 hours and you too can add a Sustainable Happiness certificate to your college portfolio. Or grab your personal Sustainable Happiness journal at 4B.3 and use prompts as well as informative descriptions to dive into your personal world of mindfulness and connectedness!

Another influential member of the Sustainability Office is Jenn De Vera, an administrative officer with a BA in Community Studies and a Masters in Sustainability, Creativity, and Innovation. She overviews student volunteers and envisions, and plans engaging and sustainable events for students. Leading by example, Jenn is very vocal about her sustainable commuting choices in hopes of inspiring those around her by biking to the college or taking the train in areas inaccessible by bike. You’ll either find Jenn in her office situated at 4B.3A-3 sifting and sorting through new native seeds to plant or with her hands deep in Kanien’kehá:ka’s rich soil taking care of one of Dawson’s many fruitful gardens.

Now, we’ll leave you with the first prompt from the Sustainable Happiness journal to reflect on, what is your personal definition of happiness?