(Wolfville, N.S.) -- Acadia University and Dalhousie University are challenging each other to be greener. Both Universities are participants in the CBC Campaign One Million Acts of Green launched in October. CBC and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos created the project to mobilize Canadians to do One Million Acts of Green. In partnership with Cisco, the idea behind the campaign is that one small act can make a big difference.
The Universities have issued a joint challenge to perform the same number of acts of green as the number of students enrolled at each institution. “The challenge is to ourselves as much as to each other” said Jodie Noiles, Sustainability Projects Coordinator with the Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment at Acadia University. “By using our enrollment as the target number of acts of green we set a feasible goal for each institution but also encourage each other through a friendly competition.”
“Sometimes we need a kick in the pants to make change for the environment and often our health and pocket book,” adds Rochelle Owen, Director of the Office of Sustainability at Dalhousie. “This challenge is a great kick to do some things you were planning to do or get informed to take more action. Multiple small actions create a rolling force. We need a snowball of change to reverse our current course. One Million Acts of Green is a simple way for each of us and our communities to start shifting direction.”
Acts of green can be big or small such as doing laundry in cold water, using a refillable coffee mug, walking to school, writing a politician, recycling electronics, buying a hybrid vehicle or installing a solar panel. All activities count toward each institutions’ target number acts of green in the competition and are tracked on the onemillionactsofgreen.com website.
The challenge begins on January 15th, 2009 and runs to April 15th, 2009. Dalhousie’s goal is 16,000 acts of green and Acadia’s goal is 3000 acts of green. The first school to perform and register their target number of acts of green will be declared the winner. The real winner of course is the environment as both schools work to raise awareness among students, staff and faculty about the importance of protecting and preserving the environment and their role in efforts to become greener and lower their institution’s impact.
The Dalhousie campaign is being coordinated by the Office of Sustainability. The Academy for the Environment, the Acadia Environmental Society (AES) and the ASU Sustainability Office are working together to coordinate the campaign at Acadia. |
