Blog Posts

Let’s incorporate sustainability into our food choices!

Monday, December 26, 2022 | By Amanda Smits

By: Sanjida Amin

Worldwide food production and consumption are related to major ecological impacts and environmental degradation that we are facing, such as severe water pollution, air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, loss of biodiversity and natural resources. Sustainable food and agriculture is one of the significant elements required to achieve certain United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several of the SDGs are directly being connected to consumption and food systems, including SDG 1- No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being, and SDG 12- Responsible production and consumption.

Since we all consume food every day multiple times each day, the foods we choose to eat may create opportunities for us to promote sustainability! Sustainable food consumption reflects our lifestyle by showing how as an individual can consume more responsibly, eat healthy, prevent food waste, encourage local buying and support community-oriented farming to help lower carbon footprint and contribute to the healthily eco-systems. Here is the list of few things that you may consider while shopping at the grocery store to consume sustainably:

Buying seasonal foods: Purchase food items that are in-season which means eating the fruits, vegetables, and seeds that are naturally grown in abundance during a particular time of every year. Check this post to learn more about how you can buy local and sustainably.

Opt for locally-produced items: Always check the Foodland Ontario guide for logos before purchasing and check out your local farmers market.

Looking for sustainable alternatives: Try to choose a plant-based protein option instead of having an animal-based food for all of your dishes you enjoy or look for options with sustainable certifications. When you can, search for products which are organic, green and eco-friendly in nature.

Reducing food waste: Take your immediate steps to reduce waste at home like having a leftover meal, shopping consciously (with a grocery list), storing food appropriately, and reminding yourself to utilize fresh produce before it spoils. Also don’t forget to compost your food scraps!

Checking for eco label: Always look for the eco-labels or packaging information to understand the ingredients in the food you are consuming and see if the and if the food criteria such as Certified Organic or Fair Trade. Check this page to see how Brock University embraces Fair trade policy and to know where to find fair trade products at Brock University.

Engage in gardening and share with your community: Nothing is fresher than picking your own garden produce. So engage yourself with harvesting and gardening. Visit here to learn more about Brock University seed library and information regarding seed availability, planting, and growing.

Finally, we understand that achieving sustainable food systems are complex problem however, there are many innovative ways you can take action in your daily life to ensure you are eating a bit more sustainability. Keep in mind that that all the small actions we’re able to take individually add up to bigger changes, as our collective efforts in these different avenues are crucial for making an impact overall.

Categories: Food, Student Contributor
Students in ADST 5P70 Participate in Sustainability Challenge

Wednesday, December 07, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
By: Kassie Burns

Students in ADST 5P70: Applied Behaviour Analysis Measurement, Research and Evaluation, have found themselves busy competing in the Blackstone Energy App Sustainability Challenge. The class has been logging sustainable actions for the last two months! Course instructor, Dr. Kendra Thomson, described the course as “a first-year course in our Masters of Applied Disability Studies (MADS) and MA in the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) specialization in our Applied Disability Studies Department. One of the main course objectives is to give students an overview of and be informed consumers of applied and clinical research, especially in ABA”.

When asked “why did you decide hosting a Sustainability Challenge was important to incorporate into your class”? She replied “I have been passionate about the environment since a child of the 80s & 90s, about a decade after the first Earth Day in 1971. I was a proud member of Kids for Saving Earth and used to pick up garbage in my small town with friends in the evening for fun. I have continuously tried to be a more environmentally conscious citizen and feel that I have a responsibility as an educator to inspire interest in this topic and encourage reflection and behaviour change in students. For the last few years, I have tried to incorporate a sustainability challenge into my classes. This stemmed from observing the large amount of waste produced in our all-day weekend model classes. In the weekend model for our part-time classes, we are in class all day, after which I noticed the garbage bins were overflowing. I challenged the students in one of my classed about 5 or so years ago to see if we could reduce the amount of waste in the bin the next class by encouraging reusable coffee mugs and lunch containers. The successful outcome was visible to all students. This grew into it becoming a self-monitoring task built into all of my courses in which students are asked to report on their sustainable behaviours between classes for bonus points. The addition of the app is a bonus!”.

While conversing with Kendra, it was amazing to see her enthusiasm towards promoting more sustainable lifestyles and was a wonderful example of it in practice. Her class has just finished the challenge and congratulations goes to all involved with the top three leaders Thomasy You, Mikhaela Fernandez, and Arwen Hunter!

Reflecting on the experience Arwen Hunter, Masters of Applied Disability Studies (M.ADS) student, comments “using the Blackstone app was an excellent way to digitize the drive toward sustainability. Not only did it make it easier to record our sustainability actions, it also highlighted how many ways there are to make change in your day to day life. I was excited to see how many my family had already incorporated behavioural changes and was able to adjust with relative ease. The bonus marks were a great motivator to drive change”.

Emily Houston, Masters of Applied Disability Studies (M.ADS) student, shared “I have really enjoyed using the app to not only keep me on the right track towards sustainability, but I found it very helpful to see all the different ways to live sustainably that I wasn’t aware of. It has definitely made me more aware of my behaviour and has encouraged me to do better for our planet”.

Overall, the challenge showed great success and promoted sustainable lifestyles for students and family. Some of the most common actions the students logged can be seen listed below!

Sustainability Challenge actions included:
- Using a reusable shopping bag
- Air-dried laundry
- Washing with cold water
- Turning off the lights
- Using a reusable mug
- Turning the tap off while brushing teeth
- Ensuring full dishwasher loads, prior to running
- Eating local produce
- Using a reusable lunchbox
- Recycling/composting
- Shuting off computer monitors
- Skipping meat
- Dressing for the season
- Taking public transit
- Eating leftovers
Categories: Challenge/Contest, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock
‘Tis the Season to be Sustainable

Sunday, November 20, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
By: Kassie Burns

As snow starts to fall and holidays quickly approach, we thought it would be a perfect time to share 5 tips to create a more sustainable holiday season! Although holidays often bring friends and family together, it can generate incredible amounts of waste through food and décor. Luckily, there are some tips that can allow you to enjoy your company and give back to our environment!

1. Cook for your guests and not the neighbourhood!

If you associate turkey, lavish meals, and stuffed stomachs with winter holidays you are not alone, but it is important to consider the amount of food you make to avoid waste!
- Try to plan ahead to know how many guests to cook for and if they plan to bring food.
- Avoid buying in bulk and know the ingredients you have at home.
- Think of people’s favourites so they want to eat it all and change up foods that were not a hit!
- Tell your meal ideas to someone else to see if you might want to cut back on anything.
2. Turn leftovers into new delicious meals!

Sometimes leftovers are inevitable, but they do not have to be a chore to eat!
- Have fun being creative to come up with ways to use your leftovers! For some inspiration head over to Insanely Good Recopies to turn holiday leftovers into meals you will definitely want again!
- Try to utilize all parts of food, turkey and other meat bones are great for making delicious broths!
- If there is food waste, make sure to compost it!
3. Purchase ingredients locally and/or grow your own!
- Buying local is an excellent way to help support your community!
- Look for ethically sourced ingredients!
- Go wild and choose plant-based ingredients only or reduce the amount of meat in your meal!
- Visit Brock’s Seed Library to start growing your own ingredients at no cost! Things like herbs can be grown in doors anytime of the year!
4. Leave plastic behind and decorate with organic material!
- Why spend money on decorations this year when you can utilize beautiful pinecones, natural wreaths, assorted branch display and other greenery! After the holidays, these items can be saved or composted.
- Save and reuse the decorations you already have!
- Avoid using inflatable decorations to save energy (Nettos, 2020).
- Consider alternative means of wrapping presents with cloths, tins, jars, reusable material found at home or paper!
5. Enjoy the weather outside!
- Skip time on screens and electronic devices and instead spend time outside this year on the amazing trails of Niagara! Click here for a list in your area.
- Brock itself is situated on a UNESCO Biosphere and has several beautiful trails including the Bruce Trail. Learn more on trails that surround Brock here.
- Have fun making snow angels, forts, and snow people!
Share your sustainable winter holidays online with us @BUsustaibale on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to be highlighted on our story!

References:

Nettos, M. (2020, October 29). Five Tips On How to Have a Sustainable At-Home Halloween. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://brocku.ca/sustainability/2020/10/29/five-tips-on-how-to-have-a-sustainable-at-home-halloween/

https://brocku.sharepoint.com/sites/ESRC2018/FM/Shared%20Documents/Communications/Photos/Campus%20-%20Outdoors/Seasonal%20Photos/Tree%20Branch%20with%20Berries%20Covered%20in%20Snow.JPG
Categories: Student Contributor, Sustainability
Taking Climate Action

Friday, November 04, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
By: Kassie Burns

Day by day more horror stories continue to be released about the world being on fire or underwater and it is time we heard the earth’s plea. The International Day of Climate Action took place on October 24^th, where we were all challenged to participate in taking climate change actions. We list several ways you can make a difference down below, but first we thought it is important to celebrate the climate action achievements that have been undertaken over the past year. This year alone several major accomplishments have been made and we would like to recognize the hard work and dedication given through some of the many stories that exist across campus.

Celebrating Climate Action Achievements 2022

The first ever Niagara Climate Change Summit was held late June that brought together partners of Brock University, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, and hosted by the Niagara Region. The event was streamed online for all community members to view morning discussions that was followed by offline conversations of stakeholders to understand the local impact of climate change.

International Development Week, was hosted by Brock that provided a week-long series held virtually that brought awareness to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Brock University continues to foster education in sustainability after the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre launched their PhD in Sustainability Science, the first of its kind in Canada. The inaugural candidates in the program started their studies this fall 2022!

Additionally, a new program in Earth and Planetary Science Communication will be added for Fall 2023 that allows students to explore space and climate change while promoting global communication through storytelling.

Brock University Master of Public Health student, Shannon Bird, has been developing an educational lesson plan to help engage youth in sustainability through artwork. The program allows youth to have their voice heard in conversations. She recently won the National Collaborating Centres for Public Helath Knowledge Translation Graduate Student Award for her work!

On Earth Day, Brock University students in the course Climate Crisis raised funds to plant a Ginkgo biloba tree outside of Mackenzie Chown to help elevate some of the emissions caused from time spent on laptops.

Baharak Razaghirad, research assistant, and Marilyne Jollineau, lead of Brock’s Lincoln Living Lab, created an urban tree canopy assessment for the Town of Lincoln in the summer. Together they communicated the socio-environmental benefits of trees, mapped current tree locations, identified priority locations in need of planting, and more to help the community adapt to climate change.

New ground was covered in The Purdhommes Project as a workshop was held in June to develop a tool to assess multifunctional landscapes in the Town of Lincoln. It will specifically help the Town acquire criteria to establish these landscapes in hope to promote resilience and sustainable community development.

Brock took great pride in announcing Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) was credited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building! The certification is recognized globally that looks for efficient energy in carbon and green buildings, which is especially difficult to achieve with older structures.

We hosted two sustainability challenges this year to encourage Brock students to participate in sustainable actions by everyday lifestyle choices. The challenge gave students the opportunity to track actions that also brought awareness to the impact individual actions. Together the last challenge alone saved approximately 15,000 kg of CO₂, diverted 1,100 kg of waste from landfills and saved 128,000 L of water!

Two Brock University Master of Sustainability candidates received a grant from the World Wildlife Fund – Canada (WWF) to form a seed library. The seeds are available at James A. Gibson Library on campus free of charge! Students are kindly asked to plant the seeds and then return harvested seeds from the plants they have grown to continue the cycle. The library helps collect and distribute rare and native seeds to promote genetic diversity in the region!

This year the winners of the Sustainability Poetry Contest was announced at a virtual event that created an inspirational discussion on sustainability and promotes the power of language in art.

A webinar series to discuss the climate emergency and sports through a partnership with Brock University’s Centre for Sport Capacity and University of British Columbia’s Centre for Sport and Sustainability took place in February. The conversation took a critical lens at how sports will be impacted by the climate crisis and how to offset changes.

Initiatives to Take Climate Action

Everyone can act on climate change; see how you can participate today with some easy initiatives from the United Nations!
1. Eat more vegetables
2. Walk bike or take public transit
3. Throw away less food
4. Consider an electric vehicle
5. Try repairing items instead of replacing them
6. Reduce the amount you travel by airplane
7. Use less water (be mindful of shower times, turn the tap off while brushing teeth, and use appropriate laundry load sizes)
8. Be aware of eco-conscious products/services
9. Save energy at home (unplug electronics, dress appropriately to lower heating/cooling, use LED light bulbs, wash clothes with cold water and hang them to dry)
10. Let your voice be heard (seek out climate strikes, join clubs, vote for people who support the environment)
Whether it is joining climate rallies or using less water, we all have the power to make a difference each and every day! Tag us at BUsustainable to shows how you are taking action and making a difference in your community.

References

United Nations. (N/A). Start with these ten actions. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/actnow/ten-actions
Categories: Activism, Climate Change, Student Contributor
Brock Students embraced Welcome Back Sustainability Challenge

Monday, October 17, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
By: Sanjida Amin

Every day we make choices in our lives that affect the environment around us whether it be the food we intake or how we choose to get to work or school. Leading a sustainable lifestyle and showing how we are environmentally responsible is a significant step towards taking climate action.

The university hosted another Welcome Back Sustainability Challenge on the week of September 12^th – 16^th, 2022 wherein Brock students choose to take part in a sustainability challenge and steps in their daily lives to make small, sustainable changes. Brock University partnered with Blackstone energy services to engage the students in contributing to a sustainable campus and to easily integrate sustainable solutions into everyday life through an innovative and interactive app. To participate in the competition, students were motivated to track their daily sustainable habits over a period of five days through using the unique Blackstone Energy EcoBoss app.

The actions were simple and daily life hacks included using reusable water bottles, turning off lifes, turning off water while brushing, recycling, using public transportation, etc. The rules of the competition to participate were straight forward: Students were required to join challenge and log all sustainable actions made throughout the day on the Blackstone Energy app to accumulate points and to compete for prizes. Prizes were given to the students who placed in the top 10 by accumulating the most points included an Apple iPad, an Apple Watch, AirPods, $75 campus store gift cards and five $20 Campus Store gift cards for those who placed 6^th to 10^th, which were donated by the Campus Store. Those in the top five were placed in a draw for the three apple prizes and our winners are highlighted below. Students from a variety of disciplines and programs, ranging from business and education to science and the arts, participated in the competition and actively engaged throughout the event.

Through all of the actions logged into the app, total impact, which were estimated by the EcoBoss app, including the following:
- 6 thousand kg. in CO2 savings
- 1,073 kg. in waste diverted
- 1 thousand litres in water savings
The prime objective of the Welcome Back Sustainability challenge was to demonstrate and make students realize that how easy it is to contribute to the environment through impactful sustainable choices on a regular basis. Moving forward, there are plans to host more sustainability challenges competitions periodically to motivate the students to continue their eco-friendly actions to minimize the usage of natural resources, reduce carbon footprint and contribute to healthy eco-systems.
Categories: Challenge/Contest, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock
Niagara Climate Change Summit: Collaborating for a Sustainable Future

Friday, July 15, 2022 | By acotrufo

Blog Contributor: Alexandra Cotrufo

On June 28th, 2022, the Niagara Climate Change Summit took place in Pond Inlet. The Summit was hosted by the Niagara Region in partnership with Brock University and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

The Summit came after a motion was passed in September 2021 by the Regional Council to declare a climate change emergency. Niagara’s annual average air temperature has risen by 1.4°C since 1910, and it is expected that this number will reach 1.8°C by the year 2050, according to Brock research. More than ever before, transformational change is needed to combat and mitigate the severe impacts of climate change.

The Summit brought together representatives from 12 local municipalities, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector to make a commitment to actively do more to address climate change in Niagara.

The day started with a traditional Indigenous opening by Dylan Ritchie (Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre) from the Saugeen First Nation, followed by a keynote presentation by Karen Farbridge (Karen Farbridge & Associates). Karen’s presentation focused on the importance of pushing for climate action at the local level, with the theme revolving around “Think global, act local.” She encouraged the Summit attendees to take bold action and collaborate with one another to build a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable Niagara.

Following the keynote presentation, The Regional Chair’s Youth Advisory Panel, represented by Salony Sharma (Chair) and Keegan Hedley (Vice-Chair), spoke to attendees about the effects climate change has on Niagara’s youth and the importance of climate action for future generations. Salony and Keegan urged everyone in the room to act on climate change, engage Niagara youth in discussions, and make a true commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Their presentation closed with a powerful video highlighting how youth in Niagara feel about climate change.

Two panel discussions were later held, which focused on topics of leading environmental and climate change action in communities, and climate change action and the economy.

Summit attendees participated in facilitated discussions which will help inform a more cohesive climate change action plan for the Region.

The afternoon consisted of several facilitated roundtable discussions, which focused on topics such as biodiversity, agriculture, local food and wine, sustainable transportation, home and building efficiency, and more. The roundtable session aimed to identify opportunities and barriers to advancing climate action in Niagara within various key sectors.

These discussions are an important first step for developing a network for collaboration, and the ideas and feedback collected will be utilized to develop a more cohesive climate change action plan for the Region.

Over 100 individuals, representing dozens of local organizations, signed the call to action.

Following the roundtable discussions, Summit attendees were invited to sign a call to action as a pledge to continue engaging in important discussions surrounding climate change and sustainable development.

This acted as a demonstration of commitment to form partnerships, share knowledge, and accelerate action on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions in Niagara. Over 100 individuals, representing dozens of local organizations, signed the pledge.

The Summit acted as a foundational first step for Niagara organizations, institutions, and municipalities to commit to working together to invest in the critical change that is needed to mitigate environmental challenges and prevent further negative impact.

If you would like to view the presentations and panel discussions, you can find the recording on the Region’s YouTube channel or at the Niagara Climate Change Summit website.

Photos courtesy of Flashbox Photography.

Categories: Climate Change, Niagara, Student Contributor, Sustainability
Brock Students Celebrated Earth Hour with Sustainability Challenge

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
By: Madison Lepp

On the week of March 21 to 25, Brock hosted its second Sustainability Challenge to encourage engagement in Earth Hour. Earth Hour engages millions of people in switching off their lights to show support for our planet. The day has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact – driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of collective action. This year, 2022, was branded as The Year That Counts. Later this year, world leaders will be coming together to attend a critical United Nations conference on nature & biodiversity. Happening shortly before the CBD COP 15, Earth Hour is a crucial opportunity to put the spotlight on this conference and build the global momentum needed to pressure world leaders into action later in the year.

The challenge, which was hosted in partnership with Blackstone Energy Services, encouraged students to log their sustainable actions over a one-week period on the Blackstone Energy app. The goal of the challenge was to engage the student community in contributing to Sustainability at Brock and highlight ways to easily integrate sustainable solutions into everyday life. Actions included turning the tap off when brushing your teeth, composting, air drying dishes, buying local, and so much more.

“We are thrilled with the level of student participation we’ve seen in throughout the sustainability challenges we’ve held this year and are hopeful these challenges are allowing students to see how small changes they can make in their own lives can have large scale impacts. ” said Amanda Smits, Centre Administrator at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre.

The rules were simple: log all sustainable actions you made throughout the day on the app to accumulate points. The three students who accumulated the most points by the end of the competition won a Grouphug window solar charger, a Cyboris solar-powered Bluetooth speaker, and a Hydro Flask from the Campus Store plus two Stasher reusable silicone bags.

Winners of the challenge were happy to share the impact this initiative had on their day-to-day lives. First-place finisher Sydney Macintyre, noted how she has brought the actions taken during the challenge into her everyday life:

“My most logged action was walk there,” she said. “I am finding myself walking to close locations everyday versus driving. This challenge has brought to light many ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into your daily itinerary!”

Second-place finisher noted how the challenge made her really think about the bigger picture

“This challenge made me appreciate how significant Earth Hour is,” said KC Vega. “It was a way to contribute something good and positive to help save our Earth. I would highly encourage others to take part in this challenge; as I would definitely participate again in the next one!”

Through the app, we were able to estimate CO₂ savings, waste diversion, and water savings from students logging their sustainable actions. With over 1,000 actions logged, an estimated total of 1,390 kilograms of CO₂(about half the weight of an elephant) and 12,660 litres of water (about half the volume of a large U-Haul truck) were saved. Additionally, 75 kilograms of waste (about the weight of a washing machine) was diverted. The top actions included using a reusable water bottle, turning off the water when brushing your teeth, recycling, using a reusable mug, and turning off the lights when leaving a room.

“I liked the challenge because it was a fun way to connect with other students off-campus in a challenging way!” Said third-place finisher, Victoria Stinson. “It was genuinely so much fun competing while completing sustainable actions!”

The goal of the Sustainability Challenge was to highlight Earth Hour and how easy it is to make small, yet impactful, sustainable choices every day. Students are encouraged to continue taking eco-friendly actions to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the health of the environment!
Categories: Challenge/Contest, Climate Change, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock
Decreasing Single-use Plastics through the Living Planet Leader Certification

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | By Amanda Smits

Blog Contributor: Chyna-Rose Bennett

Brock has partnered with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada for the Living Planet at Campus project. Students will be able to participate in conservation activities on campus, in their communities, and even globally because of this cooperation. The partnership gives students a certification showing their involvement in the community and academia through ways of volunteering, a personal application, academics, leadership, as well as teamwork. The idea behind the certification is that the actions each of us take towards sustainability is important and influences combating climate change (Brock University).

The Personal Application

One aspect of the certification is the personal application. This is used to show how an individual has contributed to sustainability by completing a self-guided checklist of solution-based actions. A brief reflection on the positive personal and environmental impact is included with each checklist item (Brock University).

Decreasing Single-use Plastics

A topic covered in a few of the actions in the checklist is conservation through the reusing of resources. These include bringing your own mug/coffee cup, using reusable containers for food, bringing reusable bags for grocery shopping, as well as refusing the use of plastic straws and cutlery when eating out. All these actions require an individual to bring these items with them, thus reducing the amount of waste they generate. These actions are important because it limits the amount of single-use plastic generated and thrown into landfills. It is a simple sustainable action that can be done at an individual level, but results in a large overall change. Every year, up to 15 billion plastic bags are used in Canada, and about 57 million straws are used every day (Environment Canada, 2021).

So, remember if you are going grocery shopping, bring a reusable bag; if you are going to a coffee shop, bring a reusable cup/mug; and if you are eating out, bring a reusable straw and cutlery and remember to refuse any plastic items. These simple steps could have a large impact if everyone made this change.

The change starts with you!

References:

Brock University. WWF-Canada Living Planet @ Campus partnership. Brock University. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://brocku.ca/sustainability/wwf-canada-living-planet-campus-partnership/

Environment and Climate Change Canada (2021, July 12). Canada one-step closer to zero plastic waste by 2030. Canada.ca. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2020/10/canada-one-step-closer-to-zero-plastic-waste-by-2030.html

Categories: Community, Student Contributor
Buying Gently Used for a More Sustainable Lifestyle

Monday, March 28, 2022 | By Amanda Smits

Blog Contributor: Allegra Caballero

Brock is a Living Planet @ Campus partner with WWF-Canada, giving students the opportunity to become a Living Planet Leader. This nationally recognized self-guided certification can be earned through conservative and sustainable initiatives made during students’ post-secondary careers. To earn the certification, students must complete 4 category requirements:

Leadership & Teamwork: this category requires students to get involved in leadership and teamwork—like by joining a club or participating in an event—that has delivery of environmental or sustainable awareness or action.

Application of Sustainability in Academics: this category requires students to take a sustainability or conservation course or apply sustainability to an aspect of existing courses.

Campus, Community or Global Volunteerism: this category requires students to complete 40 volunteer hours in an area related to environment, sustainability or conservation.

Personal Application of Sustainability: this category requires students to demonstrate personal contributions to sustainability by completing 40 actions from a personal checklist.

Living sustainably involves thinking about what goes into making your belongings and what will happen to them after you no longer need them. If you’re looking to make changes to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, consider buying gently used items instead of new. On the personal application checklist, this is #7 (donating gently used items for reuse) and #24 (buying gently used instead of new!)

Why Gently Used?
Buying items gently used has a positive environmental and social impact. Not only does it reduce carbon emissions and lower your carbon-footprint, it also saves a lot of resources such as energy and water. Gently used items usually cost you less money, too. Most importantly, by buying something used you’re preventing it from being thrown away and keeping it out of landfills. This keeps the item’s lifecycle going.

Before You Buy.
It’s important to know where your things come from and how they’re made. When you’re thinking about buying something, do some quick research to find out how and where the item was made (Locally made? Sustainable materials and packaging?) and where it will end up when you’re done using it.

Of course, it’s not always possible to buy everything used, but try your best to make sure you only buy something new when you absolutely need to do so.

What Do I Do When I Don’t Need it Anymore?
If you find that you no longer use or want an item anymore and can’t repurpose and use it for something else, try seeing if a friend or a family member can use it. If they can’t, then donating gently used items (clothing, household, etc.) to charities, donation centres and thrift shops for reuse is the way to go.

If you have something that can’t be donated, disassemble and recycle what you can. If you have an item you aren’t sure how to recycle or dispose of properly, search for it using this tool by the Niagara Region and it will tell you how. Aren’t local to Niagara? Check out your city’s website and see what helpful information they offer on recycling and waste disposal in your area.

To learn more about the Living Planet @ Campus Program at Brock University, click here.

Categories: Purchasing, Student Contributor
A snapshot into the recent IPCC impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability projections

Thursday, March 17, 2022 | By Amanda Smits
Blog Contributor: Alexandra Cotrufo

Photo: DisobeyArt / Getty Images

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), The Working Group II, recently contributed to the Sixth Assessment Report which “assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change”. This contribution is critical in helping us understand the current state of the environment and what urgent work is needed to prevent devastating impacts on people and the planet.

In addition to a summary for policymakers, the IPCC created fact sheets which provide snapshots of key findings for the seven regions across the globe. Here is an overview of the fact sheets which showcase how the climate crisis affects different parts of the world in different ways. This blog post will only cover information in the fact sheets that focus on ecosystems, food, and water, but we encourage you to read the full fact sheets as well as the summary for policymakers to gain a thorough understanding of how climate change impacts various countries and the barriers that exist for adaptation, specifically for our most vulnerable communities.

Africa
- African biodiversity loss is projected to be widespread and escalating with every 0.5°C increase above present-day global warming
- Above 1.5°C, half of assessed species are projected to lose over 30% of their population or area of suitable habitat. At 2°C, 7–18% of species assessed are at risk of extinction, and over 90% of East African coral reefs are projected to be severely degraded by bleaching.
- In Africa, agricultural productivity growth has been reduced by 34% since 1961 due to climate change, more than any other region. Future warming will negatively affect food systems in Africa by shortening growing seasons and increasing water stress
- Global warming above 2°C will result in yield reductions for staple crops across most of Africa compared to 2005 yields.
- Climate change poses a significant threat to African marine and freshwater fisheries. Under 1.7°C global warming, reduced fish harvests could leave 1.2–70 million people in Africa vulnerable to iron deficiencies, up to 188 million for vitamin A deficiencies, and 285 million for vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids by mid-century.
- Recent extreme variability in rainfall and river discharge across Africa have had largely negative and multi-sector impacts across water-dependent sectors.
- Projected changes present heightened cross-cutting risks to water-dependent sectors and require planning under deep uncertainty for the wide range of extremes expected in future.
Asia
- Observed biodiversity loss of animals and plants was linked to climate change in some parts of Asia.
- Future climate change would cause biodiversity and habitat loss in many parts of Asia and would reduce suitable habitat of protected plants.
- The risk of irreversible loss of coral reefs, tidal marshes, seagrass meadows, plankton community and other marine and coastal ecosystems increases with global warming, especially at 2°C temperature rise or more.
- Increased floods and droughts, together with heat stress, will have adverse impact on food availability and prices of food resulting in increased undernourishment in South and Southeast Asia.
- By mid-21st Century, the international transboundary river basins of Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges could face severe water scarcity challenges due to climatic variability and changes acting as stress multipliers.
- Due to global warming, Asian countries could experience increase of drought conditions (5-20%) by the end of this century.
Australasia
- Climate trends and extreme events have combined with exposure and vulnerabilities to cause major impacts for many natural systems, with some experiencing or at risk of irreversible change in Australia and in New Zealand.
- The Bramble Cay melomys, an endemic mammal species, became extinct due to loss of habitat associated with sea level rise and storm surges in the Torres Strait.
- Extensive coral bleaching events and loss of temperate kelp forests have occurred, due to ocean warming and marine heatwaves.
- Climate trends and extreme events have combined with exposure and vulnerabilities to cause major impacts for some human systems.
- Extreme heat has led to excess deaths and increased rates of many illnesses.
- Droughts have caused financial and emotional stress in farm households and rural communities.
- Nuisance and extreme coastal flooding have increased due to sea-level rise superimposed upon high tides and storm surges.
Central and South America
- Ocean and coastal ecosystems in the region such as coral reefs, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves and sandy beaches are highly sensitive and negatively impacted by climate change and derivedhazards.
- Coral reefs are projected to lose their habitat, change their distribution range and suffer more bleaching events driven by ocean warming.
- Up to 85% of natural systems (plant and animal species, habitats and communities) evaluated in the literature for biodiversity-rich spots in the region are projected to be negatively impacted by climate change.
- The Amazon Forest, one of the world’s largest biodiversity and carbon repositories, is highly vulnerable to drought and was highly impacted by the unprecedented droughts and higher temperatures observed in 1998, 2005, 2010 and 2015/2016, attributed partly to climate change.
- The combined effect of anthropogenic land use change and climate change increases the vulnerabilities of terrestrial ecosystems to extreme climate events and fires.
- Glacier retreat, temperature increase and precipitation variability, together with land-use change, have affected ecosystems, water resources, and livelihoods through landslides and flood disasters.
- Increasing water scarcity and competition over water are projected.
- Disruption in water flows will significantly degrade ecosystems such as high-elevation wetlands and affect farming communities, public health and energy production.
- Extremely long dry spells have become more frequent affecting the economies of large cities in southeast Brazil.
- Impacts on rural livelihoods and food security, particularly for small and medium-sized farmers and Indigenous Peoples in the mountains, are projected to worsen, including the overall reduction of agricultural production, suitable farming area and water availability.
Europe
- Our current 1.1°C warmer world is already affecting natural and human systems in Europe.
- Impacts of compound heatwaves and droughts have become more frequent and largely negative impacts are projected for southern regions.
- Substantive agricultural production losses are projected for most European areas over the 21st century, which will not be offset by gains in Northern Europe.
- While irrigation is an effective adaptation option for agriculture, the ability to adapt using irrigation will be increasingly limited by water availability, especially in response to warming above 3°C.
- In Southern Europe, more than a third of the population will be exposed to water scarcity at 2°C warming and significant economic losses in water and energy dependent sectors may arise.
- Coastal flood damage is projected to increase at least 10-fold by the end of the 21st century, and even more or earlier with current adaptation and mitigation.
- Sea level rise represents an existential threat for coastal communities and their cultural heritage, particularly beyond.
North America
- Rising air, water, ocean, and ground temperatures have restructured ecosystems and contributed to documented redistribution and mortality of plant, fish, bird, mammal and other faunal species.
- Escalating climate change impacts on marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems will alter ecological processes and amplify other anthropogenic threats to protected and iconic species and habitats.
- Climate-induced redistribution and declines in North American food production are a risk to food and nutritional security.
- Climate change will continue to shift North American agricultural and fishery suitability ranges and intensify production losses of key crops, livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture products.
- Heavy exploitation of limited water supplies, especially in the western US and northern Mexico, and deteriorating freshwater management infrastructure, have heightened water security impacts and risks.
- Intensified droughts and earlier runoff from diminished snowpack will increase water scarcity during the summer peak water demand period especially in regions with extensive irrigated agriculture, leading to economic losses and increased pressures on limited groundwater as a substitute for diminished surface water supplies.
Small Islands
- The continued degradation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of small islands due to negative human impacts will amplify the vulnerability of island peoples to climate change impacts.
- New studies highlight large population reductions with an extinction risk of 100% for endemic species within insular biodiversity hotspots including within the Caribbean, Pacific and Sundaland regions by 2100 for less than 3°C warming.
- Ecosystem degradation is likely to decrease the provision of resources to the millions of people inhabiting small islands, resulting in impacts upon settlements and infrastructure, food and water security, health, economies, culture, and migration.
- It is estimated that with a warming of 1.5°C or less, freshwater stress on small islands would be 25% less as compared to 2.0°C.
- Drought risk projections for Caribbean Small Island Development States (SIDS) indicate that a 1°C increase in temperature could result in a 60% increase in the number of people projected to experience severe water resources stress from 2043–2071.
- On small islands, coastal land loss attributable to higher sea level, increased extreme precipitation and wave impacts, and increased aridity have contributed to food and water insecurities that are likely to become more acute in many places.
It is evident that globally, climate change has severe impacts on the health of our ecosystems and the natural resources needed to sustain all life. Policymakers, organizations, government bodies, and every individual must take urgent action to adapt, mitigate risks, and reduce the rate that climate change is occurring.

We know this information may be overwhelming, but it is necessary to fully understand the current state of the environment so we can work toward finding sustainable solutions. If you’re struggling to deal with the reality of climate change, read our blog post about eco-anxiety and how to manage it here.
Categories: Climate Change, Student Contributor