By Lynnette Choo
Drops Divine
Perfect drops of dew
Falls, falls, from Heaven’s tears
A sea of silence
Fields of Gold
Petals of gold – behold
Blazing field of sunflowers
Greet the morning sun
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Believe
By Karen Cao
You and I have so much to say.
If we each wrote a poem everyday,
It’d take their breath away...
A thousand kilometres is pretty far.
But they tell us, take the buses, trains, boats, and cars.
Yet, why do our loved ones live so far away?
Our friends will laugh and sigh at us.
The problem seems so full of dust.
But they don’t know how we feel
Because they’ve never ever felt this way...
We care about what they put into the atmosphere
Because what’s below it is a gift that we all must share.
Those people in their SUVs,
Their socially constructed kinds of need
The driven lifestyles of profit-ridden greed.
‘You might think the world revolves around you,’
But no, it’s not true...
Don’t give up because of what they say.
The world is not very small today.
The problem may hold a lot of weight,
But be aware of our current state:
You’re not alone.
Believe there are others who share the same dream ...
So, here I promise you
If we can take on Hitler, and the ozone layer too
Then by the time you and I get through with
climate change,
The world will never ever be the same.
We will have the life we always knew we could,
With the dreams, love and hope we share
And it would clear us from blame.
You and I have so much to say.
If we each wrote a poem everyday,
It’d take their breath away...
A thousand kilometres is pretty far.
But they tell us, take the buses, trains, boats, and cars.
Yet, why do our loved ones live so far away?
Our friends will laugh and sigh at us.
The problem seems so full of dust.
But they don’t know how we feel
Because they’ve never ever felt this way...
We care about what they put into the atmosphere
Because what’s below it is a gift that we all must share.
Those people in their SUVs,
Their socially constructed kinds of need
The driven lifestyles of profit-ridden greed.
‘You might think the world revolves around you,’
But no, it’s not true...
Don’t give up because of what they say.
The world is not very small today.
The problem may hold a lot of weight,
But be aware of our current state:
You’re not alone.
Believe there are others who share the same dream ...
So, here I promise you
If we can take on Hitler, and the ozone layer too
Then by the time you and I get through with
climate change,
The world will never ever be the same.
We will have the life we always knew we could,
With the dreams, love and hope we share
And it would clear us from blame.
Unhappy Shopaholics and the Ecological Decline
By Melissa Joseph-Mirani
Neon spandex and fanny packs are fads that many of us wish we could deny any relation to. These fads come and go, but the cost to the environment of these unsustainable shopping practices has definitely come back to haunt us in this time of growing ecological concern.
These days, it is a rare event to find any one of the local Toronto malls completely devoid of customers. These business centres are often bustling with shoppers who are delighted to spend their hard-earned cash on a large assortment of goods and services.
Interestingly, the Canadian Office of Consumer Affairs reports that in comparison to 1980 levels; compared in constant dollars, Canadians today are spending more on goods, accumulating more debt as a result of their unchecked spending habits, and generally saving less money than in the past.
Despite the costs, shopping has become a recreational pastime for many Canadians in our contemporary society. This trend has a large positive impact on a booming economy in Canada. Unfortunately, externalities such as human health, happiness, and quality of life, as well as the environmental damage caused by producing goods, are not factored into these detected economic trends.
Recently, environmental issues have topped the list of public concern in Canada. Interestingly, many experts indicate that consumerism is contributing to climate change, the depletion of global freshwater reserves, and the exacerbation of our landfill crisis.
So why do we continue to shop so much? Of course we all need a certain number of goods to live well. But after this basic level of necessity (and a couple of "one-time purchase lasts a lifetime" hobby items) has been met, the rest is just icing on the cake.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if I was really hungry I might think:
"Icing on the cake. Mmmmm. Delicious. I’d like one serving, please.
Oh, it’s chocolate flavoured? I’ll take two!
Buy 3, get the 4th free? Done!"
Sure, icing tastes great and no one will argue how joyous those seconds of slurping it up can be. But what happens later on? If you continue to devour icing like a wild monkey you might end up in a very poor state of health. Yes, poor—as in years of paying off debt to credit card companies. Poor, as in lots of environmental devastation to pay for through taxes and health. Poor, as in our poor kids who will be born in 10-20 years into a garbage heap of a world.
When the initial happiness of a new purchase wears off, all we’re stuck with is the bill. Fast-forward a few more months and those goods are in the trash; on their way to a landfill. Does this junk really bring us our money’s worth of happiness?
Positive psychologists have indicated that shopping for things we don’t need really does not make us happier. On the contrary, the struggle to be debt-free after years of buying unnecessary junk causes much stress and unhappiness. According to these experts, spending leisure time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, and giving back to the community are key paths to happiness.
Where does that leave us students? The student life is a time when many of us take no joy in adhering to a strict spending diet.
Here’s a shift in perspective:
Student life is a great time to come to terms with cutting back on extraneous spending—and being okay with it. It is a great time to mature and realize that you don’t need all the toys to have fun, just a few great toys that will last. Plus, those of us with small budgets can be proud that at least for the time being, we are not contributing to senseless consumerism and ecological devastation. By cutting out unnecessary purchases, you are working on habits that lead to long term financial success, and you have taken a step towards being a special kind of person that this world desperately needs more of—an environmentalist.
Now, instead of waiting in lines at the mall, you can spend your time playing that guitar, honing your cartooning skills, or playing soccer in the park with friends.
Neon spandex and fanny packs are fads that many of us wish we could deny any relation to. These fads come and go, but the cost to the environment of these unsustainable shopping practices has definitely come back to haunt us in this time of growing ecological concern.
These days, it is a rare event to find any one of the local Toronto malls completely devoid of customers. These business centres are often bustling with shoppers who are delighted to spend their hard-earned cash on a large assortment of goods and services.
Interestingly, the Canadian Office of Consumer Affairs reports that in comparison to 1980 levels; compared in constant dollars, Canadians today are spending more on goods, accumulating more debt as a result of their unchecked spending habits, and generally saving less money than in the past.
Despite the costs, shopping has become a recreational pastime for many Canadians in our contemporary society. This trend has a large positive impact on a booming economy in Canada. Unfortunately, externalities such as human health, happiness, and quality of life, as well as the environmental damage caused by producing goods, are not factored into these detected economic trends.
Recently, environmental issues have topped the list of public concern in Canada. Interestingly, many experts indicate that consumerism is contributing to climate change, the depletion of global freshwater reserves, and the exacerbation of our landfill crisis.
So why do we continue to shop so much? Of course we all need a certain number of goods to live well. But after this basic level of necessity (and a couple of "one-time purchase lasts a lifetime" hobby items) has been met, the rest is just icing on the cake.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if I was really hungry I might think:
"Icing on the cake. Mmmmm. Delicious. I’d like one serving, please.
Oh, it’s chocolate flavoured? I’ll take two!
Buy 3, get the 4th free? Done!"
Sure, icing tastes great and no one will argue how joyous those seconds of slurping it up can be. But what happens later on? If you continue to devour icing like a wild monkey you might end up in a very poor state of health. Yes, poor—as in years of paying off debt to credit card companies. Poor, as in lots of environmental devastation to pay for through taxes and health. Poor, as in our poor kids who will be born in 10-20 years into a garbage heap of a world.
When the initial happiness of a new purchase wears off, all we’re stuck with is the bill. Fast-forward a few more months and those goods are in the trash; on their way to a landfill. Does this junk really bring us our money’s worth of happiness?
Positive psychologists have indicated that shopping for things we don’t need really does not make us happier. On the contrary, the struggle to be debt-free after years of buying unnecessary junk causes much stress and unhappiness. According to these experts, spending leisure time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, and giving back to the community are key paths to happiness.
Where does that leave us students? The student life is a time when many of us take no joy in adhering to a strict spending diet.
Here’s a shift in perspective:
Student life is a great time to come to terms with cutting back on extraneous spending—and being okay with it. It is a great time to mature and realize that you don’t need all the toys to have fun, just a few great toys that will last. Plus, those of us with small budgets can be proud that at least for the time being, we are not contributing to senseless consumerism and ecological devastation. By cutting out unnecessary purchases, you are working on habits that lead to long term financial success, and you have taken a step towards being a special kind of person that this world desperately needs more of—an environmentalist.
Now, instead of waiting in lines at the mall, you can spend your time playing that guitar, honing your cartooning skills, or playing soccer in the park with friends.
Self-Reflection in Kenya
By Jasmeet Sidhu
When I first signed up for an international development trip to Kenya through Trinity College’s Students for International Development program, I did not know what I had gotten myself into. Besides the fact that I had agreed to the trip before informing my parents, it was a bumpy couple of months leading to departure as our group scrambled to gather funds and put last-minute preparations in place for our projects. But little did I know that the rough ride had hardly begun.
Fresh off my last exam (Chemistry, ugh), I packed my suitcase with the help of Mom—who clearly thought I was going to perish in the wild—with copious amounts of bug repellant, sun protection, and malaria pills. I naively ventured off on what I believed would be the stereotypical "life-changing" experience that all international development trips seemed to offer.
I suffered from "Africanization," what I refer to as the symptom of being exposed to too many stereotypes of Africa that unfortunately alter certain aspects of reality when you reach the continent. A confusing description, but perhaps only those who have ever experienced it would know exactly how I felt desperately searching for "acacias" or those Lion King-esque trees. I also found myself looking at children through a "help this child, call World Vision" lens, eating "oogali" and "sikuma," and proudly patting myself on the back for engaging in the full "African" experience. I confidently thought of the amazing stories I would tell family and friends upon my return, and that my time here would be the "best of my life" and a "life-changing" one for sure.
Things didn’t turn out quite as I expected. Perhaps before I venture further into my self-reflection, I should let curious readers know exactly what activities my fellow team members and I were engaged in out in the small, sleepy, sequestered village in Kenya that became my home.
Unlike other structured international development programs, we were lucky enough to be able to direct and design our own projects, as well as allocate funds that we fundraised for our own purposes. While others engaged in water-drilling projects, organized Health Days to treat ringworm and scabies, or designed enrichment courses to be taught in schools, I naturally chose something related to the environment.
My project was to educate the farmers about indigenous trees and sell saplings of such trees as sesbania and grevillea robustus. While this sounds like a simple mandate, I admit that I was helplessly lost. If it weren’t for the gracious help of Dave LeRoux, a Swiss citizen who lived in Kenya and ran similar agroforestry programs in the region, I don’t know how effective I would have been. Perhaps that was an early sign of the helplessness and the self-doubt that I would soon feel.
We were put to work right away, having meetings with the chief and reaching out to local residents to progress our projects. The "reforestation" project began to expand. I was suddenly supervising workers transforming a farm into an ideal sustainable farm, taking mattatu (taxi) rides with other residents to several other villages to view farms. and I felt hopelessly out of place at the seminar I held with my knowledgeable partner Dave LeRoux. We both had an endless passion for reforestation and listed the benefits of indigenous trees and the best ways to plant eucalyptus.
It was perhaps at one of these seminars where my great realization set in. What was I doing here? Who was I, hardly an expert myself on the subject, to be telling farmers who have toiled blood and sweat on their land for generations how to best take care of their farms? Had I traveled thousands of miles, exuding a million tonnes of carbon dioxide on a Boeing 747, dropping a couple thousand dollars on airfare and necessities to simply get a self-rewarding experience and some photos, or was I doing anything of actual significance?
Guilt and self-doubt mixed in with the feelings of physical uneasiness that hot temperatures and diarrhea brought. This was not quite the great epiphany that I was expecting when I traveled to Kenya and experienced a different perspective on life. I suddenly felt like an invader in this peaceful village. I questioned my reasons for coming and feared what I would do upon my return to Canada. Would I swear to all my friends that this was the great experience of my life, like they all expected me to say?
It’s been several weeks since I settled back into my normal routine in Canada. I’ve had a lot of time to think about my days in Kenya and what it meant in the grand scheme of things. Although I have mostly presented a torn emotional view of my time in Kenya, I feel it is necessary to mention some of the good feelings I had there. In fact, there were quite a few: seeing an unobstructed sky at night filled with thousands of stars, being warmly embraced by mothers and children, and singing in church with a congregation so feverishly devoted to their adopted religion.
But I now realize my personal truth about the trip and international development trips in general. Perhaps we could do more to help the world without leaving the country. Is it necessary to venture halfway across the world and leave a huge ecological footprint when work could be done here? I know for myself that this is true, as I’m now helping to fundraise for the "Jambo Tree Group," a coalition of farmers aiming to prevent deforestation and link an HIV/AIDS home care group with a similar organization in Canada.
In the future, there will be many others like me who will venture to Africa believing that touching an African child’s hand will solidify their desire to do something significant in their lifetime. But at least for me, I know I’ll get a greater satisfaction staying closer to home, and finding ways to make my mark here.
When I first signed up for an international development trip to Kenya through Trinity College’s Students for International Development program, I did not know what I had gotten myself into. Besides the fact that I had agreed to the trip before informing my parents, it was a bumpy couple of months leading to departure as our group scrambled to gather funds and put last-minute preparations in place for our projects. But little did I know that the rough ride had hardly begun.
Fresh off my last exam (Chemistry, ugh), I packed my suitcase with the help of Mom—who clearly thought I was going to perish in the wild—with copious amounts of bug repellant, sun protection, and malaria pills. I naively ventured off on what I believed would be the stereotypical "life-changing" experience that all international development trips seemed to offer.
I suffered from "Africanization," what I refer to as the symptom of being exposed to too many stereotypes of Africa that unfortunately alter certain aspects of reality when you reach the continent. A confusing description, but perhaps only those who have ever experienced it would know exactly how I felt desperately searching for "acacias" or those Lion King-esque trees. I also found myself looking at children through a "help this child, call World Vision" lens, eating "oogali" and "sikuma," and proudly patting myself on the back for engaging in the full "African" experience. I confidently thought of the amazing stories I would tell family and friends upon my return, and that my time here would be the "best of my life" and a "life-changing" one for sure.
Things didn’t turn out quite as I expected. Perhaps before I venture further into my self-reflection, I should let curious readers know exactly what activities my fellow team members and I were engaged in out in the small, sleepy, sequestered village in Kenya that became my home.
Unlike other structured international development programs, we were lucky enough to be able to direct and design our own projects, as well as allocate funds that we fundraised for our own purposes. While others engaged in water-drilling projects, organized Health Days to treat ringworm and scabies, or designed enrichment courses to be taught in schools, I naturally chose something related to the environment.
My project was to educate the farmers about indigenous trees and sell saplings of such trees as sesbania and grevillea robustus. While this sounds like a simple mandate, I admit that I was helplessly lost. If it weren’t for the gracious help of Dave LeRoux, a Swiss citizen who lived in Kenya and ran similar agroforestry programs in the region, I don’t know how effective I would have been. Perhaps that was an early sign of the helplessness and the self-doubt that I would soon feel.
We were put to work right away, having meetings with the chief and reaching out to local residents to progress our projects. The "reforestation" project began to expand. I was suddenly supervising workers transforming a farm into an ideal sustainable farm, taking mattatu (taxi) rides with other residents to several other villages to view farms. and I felt hopelessly out of place at the seminar I held with my knowledgeable partner Dave LeRoux. We both had an endless passion for reforestation and listed the benefits of indigenous trees and the best ways to plant eucalyptus.
It was perhaps at one of these seminars where my great realization set in. What was I doing here? Who was I, hardly an expert myself on the subject, to be telling farmers who have toiled blood and sweat on their land for generations how to best take care of their farms? Had I traveled thousands of miles, exuding a million tonnes of carbon dioxide on a Boeing 747, dropping a couple thousand dollars on airfare and necessities to simply get a self-rewarding experience and some photos, or was I doing anything of actual significance?
Guilt and self-doubt mixed in with the feelings of physical uneasiness that hot temperatures and diarrhea brought. This was not quite the great epiphany that I was expecting when I traveled to Kenya and experienced a different perspective on life. I suddenly felt like an invader in this peaceful village. I questioned my reasons for coming and feared what I would do upon my return to Canada. Would I swear to all my friends that this was the great experience of my life, like they all expected me to say?
It’s been several weeks since I settled back into my normal routine in Canada. I’ve had a lot of time to think about my days in Kenya and what it meant in the grand scheme of things. Although I have mostly presented a torn emotional view of my time in Kenya, I feel it is necessary to mention some of the good feelings I had there. In fact, there were quite a few: seeing an unobstructed sky at night filled with thousands of stars, being warmly embraced by mothers and children, and singing in church with a congregation so feverishly devoted to their adopted religion.
But I now realize my personal truth about the trip and international development trips in general. Perhaps we could do more to help the world without leaving the country. Is it necessary to venture halfway across the world and leave a huge ecological footprint when work could be done here? I know for myself that this is true, as I’m now helping to fundraise for the "Jambo Tree Group," a coalition of farmers aiming to prevent deforestation and link an HIV/AIDS home care group with a similar organization in Canada.
In the future, there will be many others like me who will venture to Africa believing that touching an African child’s hand will solidify their desire to do something significant in their lifetime. But at least for me, I know I’ll get a greater satisfaction staying closer to home, and finding ways to make my mark here.
Generation Market-Liberalism
By Beth Jean Evans
Over the past few years, there has been increasing media, political and public attention paid to the emission of greenhouse gases and their effect on the earth’s climate. Former US Vice President Al Gore’s documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth"—which laid bare the facts about global warming—quickly became one of the highest grossing documentaries in history, spurring public outcry and begging legislative reform. The typical political responses ensued: lofty promises and grandiose claims poised to ride the wave of public outrage, destined to rejoin the flat sea of political meaninglessness.
Given the near-unanimous scientific consensus on the significant role of anthropogenic emissions in climate change and the unprecedented levels of public concern being expressed by voters, why is little substantive progress being made to reduce green house gas emissions? Why is it that the international community remains seemingly unable to develop a climate change abatement agreement that countries are able and willing to comply with?
The 1995 Kyoto Protocol—the international community’s best effort at an all-encompassing emissions abatement regime—has had limited success, with some of the largest greenhouse gas emitting nations professing either de facto or de jure non-participation. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), laid out in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, was hailed at its inception as the ‘key that unlocks the barrier’ (Repetto, Robert. "The Clean Development Mechanism: Institutional breakthrough of institutional nightmare?") to the ratification of Kyoto for its purported ability to end selfish squabbling between developed and developing nations. The CDM recognizes that in pursuit of a solution to climate change, the developed nations do not want to lose their economic competitiveness while developing nations refuse to sacrifice rapid development for the sake of environmental sustainability. Essentially, the CDM allows developed nations to fund ‘clean development’ projects in developing nations in lieu of reducing emissions at home. All emissions reductions achieved as a result of the projects are counted towards the investing nation’s own Kyoto requirements. In theory, developed nations get to take advantage of inexpensive abatement options in the developing world and in return, the developing world reaps the benefits of investment in its infrastructure. However, this has failed to achieve either the emission reductions or the developing world participation intended. The inadequacy of Kyoto and the CDM—which only the staunchest optimist will refute—is not a result of poor implementation or unrealistic timeframes, but rather is a result of an inherently and unavoidably flawed theoretical basis: market-liberalism.
In his article The Fate of Sustinable Development Under Neo-liberal Regimes in Developing Countries, Haque Shamsul argues that it is the vested interests of the dominant individuals, classes, and global institutions that facilitate the widespread adoption of market-liberal values, and not economic, social, or environmental rationality. In March 2007, Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist of the World Bank, stated that climate change was, "the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen" (Secretary General’s Address to the UNFCCC). If climate change is not naturally mitigated by the ‘invisible hand’ of market-liberalism, does it make sense to base a global warming abatement regime upon a conceptual model already proven to be an ineffective means of addressing the issue?
The CDM glaringly demonstrates the inadequacy of this approach. The desire for profit-maximization on the behalf of the investor nations propels project biases towards large-scale industrial gas reductions, which have few or none of the sustainable development benefits promised to the host nation. With no incentive to accept project investment, developing nations—especially those anticipating emissions caps in the next Kyoto commitment period—are becoming increasingly resistant to selling off their cheap abatement options to the gluttonous emission-moguls of the developed world.
The failures of Kyoto and the CDM are conspicuous manifestations of a broader trend in which market-liberalism is pitted against environmental sustainability in what seems increasingly to be a mutually exclusive relationship. The institutionalization and wide-spread acceptance of market-liberal economics, in which profit maximization is the fundamental aspiration, has historically been responsible for the destruction of the environment which regimes such as the CDM now purport to mitigate. This, when supported by evidence of repeated failures of such market-based endeavours, should indicate that if substantial results are to be achieved, the root of the problem, market-liberalism, cannot be used as the basis for the solution.
Over the past few years, there has been increasing media, political and public attention paid to the emission of greenhouse gases and their effect on the earth’s climate. Former US Vice President Al Gore’s documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth"—which laid bare the facts about global warming—quickly became one of the highest grossing documentaries in history, spurring public outcry and begging legislative reform. The typical political responses ensued: lofty promises and grandiose claims poised to ride the wave of public outrage, destined to rejoin the flat sea of political meaninglessness.
Given the near-unanimous scientific consensus on the significant role of anthropogenic emissions in climate change and the unprecedented levels of public concern being expressed by voters, why is little substantive progress being made to reduce green house gas emissions? Why is it that the international community remains seemingly unable to develop a climate change abatement agreement that countries are able and willing to comply with?
The 1995 Kyoto Protocol—the international community’s best effort at an all-encompassing emissions abatement regime—has had limited success, with some of the largest greenhouse gas emitting nations professing either de facto or de jure non-participation. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), laid out in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, was hailed at its inception as the ‘key that unlocks the barrier’ (Repetto, Robert. "The Clean Development Mechanism: Institutional breakthrough of institutional nightmare?") to the ratification of Kyoto for its purported ability to end selfish squabbling between developed and developing nations. The CDM recognizes that in pursuit of a solution to climate change, the developed nations do not want to lose their economic competitiveness while developing nations refuse to sacrifice rapid development for the sake of environmental sustainability. Essentially, the CDM allows developed nations to fund ‘clean development’ projects in developing nations in lieu of reducing emissions at home. All emissions reductions achieved as a result of the projects are counted towards the investing nation’s own Kyoto requirements. In theory, developed nations get to take advantage of inexpensive abatement options in the developing world and in return, the developing world reaps the benefits of investment in its infrastructure. However, this has failed to achieve either the emission reductions or the developing world participation intended. The inadequacy of Kyoto and the CDM—which only the staunchest optimist will refute—is not a result of poor implementation or unrealistic timeframes, but rather is a result of an inherently and unavoidably flawed theoretical basis: market-liberalism.
In his article The Fate of Sustinable Development Under Neo-liberal Regimes in Developing Countries, Haque Shamsul argues that it is the vested interests of the dominant individuals, classes, and global institutions that facilitate the widespread adoption of market-liberal values, and not economic, social, or environmental rationality. In March 2007, Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist of the World Bank, stated that climate change was, "the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen" (Secretary General’s Address to the UNFCCC). If climate change is not naturally mitigated by the ‘invisible hand’ of market-liberalism, does it make sense to base a global warming abatement regime upon a conceptual model already proven to be an ineffective means of addressing the issue?
The CDM glaringly demonstrates the inadequacy of this approach. The desire for profit-maximization on the behalf of the investor nations propels project biases towards large-scale industrial gas reductions, which have few or none of the sustainable development benefits promised to the host nation. With no incentive to accept project investment, developing nations—especially those anticipating emissions caps in the next Kyoto commitment period—are becoming increasingly resistant to selling off their cheap abatement options to the gluttonous emission-moguls of the developed world.
The failures of Kyoto and the CDM are conspicuous manifestations of a broader trend in which market-liberalism is pitted against environmental sustainability in what seems increasingly to be a mutually exclusive relationship. The institutionalization and wide-spread acceptance of market-liberal economics, in which profit maximization is the fundamental aspiration, has historically been responsible for the destruction of the environment which regimes such as the CDM now purport to mitigate. This, when supported by evidence of repeated failures of such market-based endeavours, should indicate that if substantial results are to be achieved, the root of the problem, market-liberalism, cannot be used as the basis for the solution.
Life and Art. The Environment and Tree-Logging? Robert Bateman Speaks for the Faculty of Forestry's 100-Year Anniversary
By Isa Cunanan
Canadian wildlife artist and environmentalist Robert Bateman is in favour of loggers, logging, and logging communities. He just hates the industry.
"It is my fervent hope for foresters, not accountants, to run forests," said the environmental figure in a public lecture at the University of Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre. Bateman associates industrial logging with the industrialization of farming and fishery—practices that he believes make up the three greatest dangers to the environment. A veteran member of several green organizations and last June’s $3 million-dollar contributor to Amnesty International, Toronto-born Bateman was an activist years before selling-out his first wildlife exhibit in 1975.
Bateman visited the Theatre on September 4th as a guest speaker at the Faculty of Forestry’s 100th anniversary, which aimed to focus celebrations on understanding forests beyond their commercial potential. The final speaker of a two-part lecture series that also featured Canadian author and environmentalist Margaret Atwood, Bateman has benefited conservation communities over the decades by communicating wildlife and ecological crisis through art—and donating some of his lucrative works. Today, the iconic 77-year-old continues his craft close to home in his British Columbia studio. His original paintings largely reside in western art museums and organized exhibitions, but with prints ordered by the thousands online, Bateman’s artwork has crossed constraints of institution and privilege to also become a popular fixture in households.
Bateman’s realistic paintings may have earned mass-admiration for their photographic quality, but the artist places this style in context of earlier ventures with impressionism and cubism to remind supporters that realism is just a fragment of his message.
"It’s like saying, ‘I like your sweater, it has a lot of stitches in it’," quipped the painter. In the past, Bateman has formally stated that his work holds "no real trend stylistically," claiming that "there is no other style that suits wildlife painting other than realism."
With active organizational involvement to complement a growing roster of accessible, ecological artwork, his dual-career as a conservationist shows promise.
Bateman’s early-nineties "Driftnet" painting gripped Isabel Bader Theatre in quiet observation, with a blue-hued overhead slide depicting an albatross and dolphin snared on a canvass webbed with genuine netting. The display cried foul to the drifting "walls of death" that were commonplace to commercial Pacific-fishing in the 1980’s—at their peak, driftnets snared accidental "bycatch" that totalled twenty percent of intended commercial catch. This method of non-discriminatory netting has since been abandoned by the majority of its users, but in an industry as large as fishery, even minimal use is cause for concern. Through his work, Bateman communicates exactly what he revealed to the students and professionals in Isabel Bader Theatre: "I hope to draw attention to what Canadians are losing."
Although Bateman speaks strongly for his causes, the environmentalist maintains he has come across zero political resistance, joking that "no one takes artists seriously." When encouraged to elaborate on the extent of his interest in politics, Bateman promptly tossed the idea of pursuing a future as a political figure, saying simply: "I’d hate it. I’d rather snipe."
Bateman did explain his nightmare of the future, where he predicts "a world that views nature, science, and family values as data on the screens." Pausing to settle on one portrait in his slideshow presentation—a stark painting of a sitting-ostrich with her neck stretched tall—Bateman reminded the audience of the myth that the birds bury their heads within the ground when danger arrives, and the reality that this response is most reminiscent of our own character.
"This is the greatest threat to the environment," stated Bateman. "When danger comes, we don’t want to hear about it."
Bateman has published three books that he describes as stories of life and art, ranging from pages of political discourse to wildlife picture books for children.
In appreciation of his eco-sensitive views, the Faculty of Forestry presented Robert Bateman with a gift at the end of the night: a tree, to be planted in his honour on the St. George campus.
"Oh, good," responded the naturalist.
"What species?"
Canadian wildlife artist and environmentalist Robert Bateman is in favour of loggers, logging, and logging communities. He just hates the industry.
"It is my fervent hope for foresters, not accountants, to run forests," said the environmental figure in a public lecture at the University of Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre. Bateman associates industrial logging with the industrialization of farming and fishery—practices that he believes make up the three greatest dangers to the environment. A veteran member of several green organizations and last June’s $3 million-dollar contributor to Amnesty International, Toronto-born Bateman was an activist years before selling-out his first wildlife exhibit in 1975.
Bateman visited the Theatre on September 4th as a guest speaker at the Faculty of Forestry’s 100th anniversary, which aimed to focus celebrations on understanding forests beyond their commercial potential. The final speaker of a two-part lecture series that also featured Canadian author and environmentalist Margaret Atwood, Bateman has benefited conservation communities over the decades by communicating wildlife and ecological crisis through art—and donating some of his lucrative works. Today, the iconic 77-year-old continues his craft close to home in his British Columbia studio. His original paintings largely reside in western art museums and organized exhibitions, but with prints ordered by the thousands online, Bateman’s artwork has crossed constraints of institution and privilege to also become a popular fixture in households.
Bateman’s realistic paintings may have earned mass-admiration for their photographic quality, but the artist places this style in context of earlier ventures with impressionism and cubism to remind supporters that realism is just a fragment of his message.
"It’s like saying, ‘I like your sweater, it has a lot of stitches in it’," quipped the painter. In the past, Bateman has formally stated that his work holds "no real trend stylistically," claiming that "there is no other style that suits wildlife painting other than realism."
With active organizational involvement to complement a growing roster of accessible, ecological artwork, his dual-career as a conservationist shows promise.
Bateman’s early-nineties "Driftnet" painting gripped Isabel Bader Theatre in quiet observation, with a blue-hued overhead slide depicting an albatross and dolphin snared on a canvass webbed with genuine netting. The display cried foul to the drifting "walls of death" that were commonplace to commercial Pacific-fishing in the 1980’s—at their peak, driftnets snared accidental "bycatch" that totalled twenty percent of intended commercial catch. This method of non-discriminatory netting has since been abandoned by the majority of its users, but in an industry as large as fishery, even minimal use is cause for concern. Through his work, Bateman communicates exactly what he revealed to the students and professionals in Isabel Bader Theatre: "I hope to draw attention to what Canadians are losing."
Although Bateman speaks strongly for his causes, the environmentalist maintains he has come across zero political resistance, joking that "no one takes artists seriously." When encouraged to elaborate on the extent of his interest in politics, Bateman promptly tossed the idea of pursuing a future as a political figure, saying simply: "I’d hate it. I’d rather snipe."
Bateman did explain his nightmare of the future, where he predicts "a world that views nature, science, and family values as data on the screens." Pausing to settle on one portrait in his slideshow presentation—a stark painting of a sitting-ostrich with her neck stretched tall—Bateman reminded the audience of the myth that the birds bury their heads within the ground when danger arrives, and the reality that this response is most reminiscent of our own character.
"This is the greatest threat to the environment," stated Bateman. "When danger comes, we don’t want to hear about it."
Bateman has published three books that he describes as stories of life and art, ranging from pages of political discourse to wildlife picture books for children.
In appreciation of his eco-sensitive views, the Faculty of Forestry presented Robert Bateman with a gift at the end of the night: a tree, to be planted in his honour on the St. George campus.
"Oh, good," responded the naturalist.
"What species?"
Freedom From Apathy for the Apathetic Scholar
By Leanne De Souza and Darlene De Souza
A late afternoon walk toward a crowded communal sitting area on campus brings you to a cluster of tables buzzing with students; some organizing notes for class, some typing away on laptops, a coffee close at hand, and others taking a break to enjoy a meal over some much needed non-academic discussion. Finding a seat is an adventure in this busy little ecosystem—two people across the room set their sights on the same vacant seat. Rushing, but trying not to look desperate, only one will claim victory in this small battle. The loser waits, frustrated, anticipating the next available vacancy. But the invaluable vacancy brings bitter-sweet spoils: the remnants of discarded notes, a half empty coffee cup, abandoned scraps of sandwich paper and puddles of spilled pop. Yet the trouble extends beyond this one seat. Many places on campus are cluttered with such forsaken waste. When did it become socially acceptable to neglect the space we occupy? A person lacking hygiene is looked on with disdain, yet the disrespectful act of littering
doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. And when someone finally does notice the misconduct, the idea of saying something is beyond their convenient comfort level. The student body does not seem to feel obliged to hold their peers and themselves to a higher standard. In an institution of scholars, it is quite remarkable that such apathy exists.
Any crisis, environmental or otherwise, can be traced back to a source and a catalyst. Simple observations, like those described above, reveal an emerging crisis: litter on campus. The source: the evolving student body; the catalyst: student apathy. One could argue that the situation has not quite reached the point of crisis, but there is no denying an eminent threat. Surely, at a university full of young, intelligent, ‘Great Minds’, the consequences of neglect and the benefits of resolution are obvious.
Students are challenged and are motivated to succeed and become professionals. Some will likely go on to solve greater problems than litter on campus. This ambitious agenda for success is compounded by the necessity for volunteer work. Students must demonstrate altruism and well-roundedness to both the university and future employers in order to stand out from the crowd of thousands of other ambitious students. After devoting time to find a suitable volunteer opportunity, most will monotonously fulfill their duties if only to be able to assert their ‘selfless’ contribution. Meanwhile, the growing litter issue on campus is being overlooked and devalued. Litter duty does not seem to qualify in the minds of students as a credible demonstration of commitment and altruism as per the many activities listed on professional school applications. In the search for answers to student apathy one wonders whether the magnitude of the problem dictates the need for participation, which may only enlist more attention than prevention, in turn lacking the benefits of consequence, suspense and relief.
Perhaps commitment is determined by the impressive reaction it may or may not elicit from an admissions committee. Is there an incentive to commit to an issue that may not be glamorous enough to describe in an application, highlight in a cover letter, or boast about to others? The student who consistently abandons their garbage is quite possibly the same loud inconsiderate person in the library; the same person who lacks the ability to be self-critical and is unable to reflect upon his/her own thoughts, actions and behaviour. This person is the apathetic scholar. Almost certainly, this is also the student who claims to have demonstrated altruism on their post-graduate applications and claims to be committed to a life of serving others. Is this the student worthy of admission into a community of professionals, who, it is assumed, are a body of cognizant individuals aware of the proper methods of garbage disposal and the respectful treatment of their space?
Ever-changing social, demographic, economic and political beliefs that we justify as universal truths create challenges for groups that work to motivate others and promote change. Moreover, our awareness of the possible litter crisis on campus calls for appropriate effort to address the circumstance in which we currently find ourselves.
Leaders who do not exhibit a basic conscience and civilized conduct through their own behaviours demonstrate their inability to make informed decisions. Although it is not the purpose of a university education to influence behaviour per se , it is expected that our leaders’ university educations would enable them to apply and integrate their acquired knowledge to solve a problem. There is something to be said then for a graduate who shows little regard for his/her surroundings and the consequences of his/her neglect, be they scientific, financial, social or political. When there are classes to attend, exams to write and grade point averages to save, it might seem secondary to properly dispose of trash or worry about those who choose not to engage themselves in environmental matters. But, would the student body’s reaction be different if these duties were listed as requirements for medical school? If they were, what options would students have and how would they meet these stewardship requirements?
There are many groups on campus working toward constructive solutions for change. One need only search the list of university student organizations to find a group to work with and a cause to adopt. The diversity of student-run initiatives allows people with different interests to facilitate change in unique and individual ways. An example of an environmentally focused group is the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI): Roots and Shoots group. The JGI recently moved their head office to U of T and the authors started the Roots and Shoots (R&S) U of T Chapter after attending a talk by Dr. Jane Goodall at the Convocation Hall. Interestingly, in her description of Roots and Shoots, Dr. Goodall described the meaning of the name: ‘roots provide a strong foundation and shoots are tiny and seemingly inconsequential but to reach the light, they can break through brick walls’. The shoots are symbolic of youth who seem helpless, but collectively have the power to create change. Their small acts, which alone may seem insignificant and unworthy of recognition by admissions committees, can, collectively, transform a generation.
Apathy is an attitude not easily rebuffed by awareness; it requires consciousness in order to be abolished. Ideas and images must be created in order to initiate a paradigm shift that can significantly transform individuals. R&S has produced a poster campaign that will be displayed in the library at UTM. The images have been created to target different types of students. Hopefully they will serve as a catalyst for change. It will likely take several such projects to create visible change, however.
Environmental work, though moderately popular, attracts a select group of people who are perhaps raised with such values, or are pursuing related studies. Yet the issue transcends upbringing and interests because it affects us all in the same way. It may seem easy to resist an event to lower tuition fees, but cleaning the space we occupy should not be as easy to refuse—regardless of whether we are guilty of the mess or not. Living by a higher standard compels others to do the same and redefines the norms for acceptable behaviour.
Apathy is contagious. The young minds of students are impressionable. Therefore, to lead by example is a feasible, effective and necessary strategy. Everyone needs a reminder. It is not the occasional mistake that creates the problem, but the consistent disregard and neglect that become unmanaged byproducts of our every day activities. In the struggle to inspire the apathetic scholar, it is imperative to make the implication and consequence of stagnancy readily identifiable. And perhaps in preparation for professional school, students should ask themselves the question: what have I done to demonstrate environmental stewardship, self respect, altruism and a progressive attitude? A simple answer like ‘I threw away the trash’ just might be the unique answer that pushes your application forward.
A late afternoon walk toward a crowded communal sitting area on campus brings you to a cluster of tables buzzing with students; some organizing notes for class, some typing away on laptops, a coffee close at hand, and others taking a break to enjoy a meal over some much needed non-academic discussion. Finding a seat is an adventure in this busy little ecosystem—two people across the room set their sights on the same vacant seat. Rushing, but trying not to look desperate, only one will claim victory in this small battle. The loser waits, frustrated, anticipating the next available vacancy. But the invaluable vacancy brings bitter-sweet spoils: the remnants of discarded notes, a half empty coffee cup, abandoned scraps of sandwich paper and puddles of spilled pop. Yet the trouble extends beyond this one seat. Many places on campus are cluttered with such forsaken waste. When did it become socially acceptable to neglect the space we occupy? A person lacking hygiene is looked on with disdain, yet the disrespectful act of littering
doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. And when someone finally does notice the misconduct, the idea of saying something is beyond their convenient comfort level. The student body does not seem to feel obliged to hold their peers and themselves to a higher standard. In an institution of scholars, it is quite remarkable that such apathy exists.
Any crisis, environmental or otherwise, can be traced back to a source and a catalyst. Simple observations, like those described above, reveal an emerging crisis: litter on campus. The source: the evolving student body; the catalyst: student apathy. One could argue that the situation has not quite reached the point of crisis, but there is no denying an eminent threat. Surely, at a university full of young, intelligent, ‘Great Minds’, the consequences of neglect and the benefits of resolution are obvious.
Students are challenged and are motivated to succeed and become professionals. Some will likely go on to solve greater problems than litter on campus. This ambitious agenda for success is compounded by the necessity for volunteer work. Students must demonstrate altruism and well-roundedness to both the university and future employers in order to stand out from the crowd of thousands of other ambitious students. After devoting time to find a suitable volunteer opportunity, most will monotonously fulfill their duties if only to be able to assert their ‘selfless’ contribution. Meanwhile, the growing litter issue on campus is being overlooked and devalued. Litter duty does not seem to qualify in the minds of students as a credible demonstration of commitment and altruism as per the many activities listed on professional school applications. In the search for answers to student apathy one wonders whether the magnitude of the problem dictates the need for participation, which may only enlist more attention than prevention, in turn lacking the benefits of consequence, suspense and relief.
Perhaps commitment is determined by the impressive reaction it may or may not elicit from an admissions committee. Is there an incentive to commit to an issue that may not be glamorous enough to describe in an application, highlight in a cover letter, or boast about to others? The student who consistently abandons their garbage is quite possibly the same loud inconsiderate person in the library; the same person who lacks the ability to be self-critical and is unable to reflect upon his/her own thoughts, actions and behaviour. This person is the apathetic scholar. Almost certainly, this is also the student who claims to have demonstrated altruism on their post-graduate applications and claims to be committed to a life of serving others. Is this the student worthy of admission into a community of professionals, who, it is assumed, are a body of cognizant individuals aware of the proper methods of garbage disposal and the respectful treatment of their space?
Ever-changing social, demographic, economic and political beliefs that we justify as universal truths create challenges for groups that work to motivate others and promote change. Moreover, our awareness of the possible litter crisis on campus calls for appropriate effort to address the circumstance in which we currently find ourselves.
Leaders who do not exhibit a basic conscience and civilized conduct through their own behaviours demonstrate their inability to make informed decisions. Although it is not the purpose of a university education to influence behaviour per se , it is expected that our leaders’ university educations would enable them to apply and integrate their acquired knowledge to solve a problem. There is something to be said then for a graduate who shows little regard for his/her surroundings and the consequences of his/her neglect, be they scientific, financial, social or political. When there are classes to attend, exams to write and grade point averages to save, it might seem secondary to properly dispose of trash or worry about those who choose not to engage themselves in environmental matters. But, would the student body’s reaction be different if these duties were listed as requirements for medical school? If they were, what options would students have and how would they meet these stewardship requirements?
There are many groups on campus working toward constructive solutions for change. One need only search the list of university student organizations to find a group to work with and a cause to adopt. The diversity of student-run initiatives allows people with different interests to facilitate change in unique and individual ways. An example of an environmentally focused group is the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI): Roots and Shoots group. The JGI recently moved their head office to U of T and the authors started the Roots and Shoots (R&S) U of T Chapter after attending a talk by Dr. Jane Goodall at the Convocation Hall. Interestingly, in her description of Roots and Shoots, Dr. Goodall described the meaning of the name: ‘roots provide a strong foundation and shoots are tiny and seemingly inconsequential but to reach the light, they can break through brick walls’. The shoots are symbolic of youth who seem helpless, but collectively have the power to create change. Their small acts, which alone may seem insignificant and unworthy of recognition by admissions committees, can, collectively, transform a generation.
Apathy is an attitude not easily rebuffed by awareness; it requires consciousness in order to be abolished. Ideas and images must be created in order to initiate a paradigm shift that can significantly transform individuals. R&S has produced a poster campaign that will be displayed in the library at UTM. The images have been created to target different types of students. Hopefully they will serve as a catalyst for change. It will likely take several such projects to create visible change, however.
Environmental work, though moderately popular, attracts a select group of people who are perhaps raised with such values, or are pursuing related studies. Yet the issue transcends upbringing and interests because it affects us all in the same way. It may seem easy to resist an event to lower tuition fees, but cleaning the space we occupy should not be as easy to refuse—regardless of whether we are guilty of the mess or not. Living by a higher standard compels others to do the same and redefines the norms for acceptable behaviour.
Apathy is contagious. The young minds of students are impressionable. Therefore, to lead by example is a feasible, effective and necessary strategy. Everyone needs a reminder. It is not the occasional mistake that creates the problem, but the consistent disregard and neglect that become unmanaged byproducts of our every day activities. In the struggle to inspire the apathetic scholar, it is imperative to make the implication and consequence of stagnancy readily identifiable. And perhaps in preparation for professional school, students should ask themselves the question: what have I done to demonstrate environmental stewardship, self respect, altruism and a progressive attitude? A simple answer like ‘I threw away the trash’ just might be the unique answer that pushes your application forward.
Six Green Projects On- and Off-Campus
Compiled by Lynnette Choo and Isa Cunanan
*Editor’s Note: These initiatives are not reflective of all local opportunities. Green Perspective does not endorse a specific group.
Grassroots Environmental Products
Grassroots is a community-based retailer that offers environmentally-friendly products which allow people to make positive choices for themselves, their communities, and the planet.
Future endeavors: Feel Good Fridays (Grassroots donates 10 percent of net sales to local or national environmental organizations) and the Trailer Rental Program (for $2/hour customers can rent a lightweight suitcase for items too large to carry home).
More info: http://www.grassrootsstore.com/
Greenpeace Canada
Part of an international network of volunteers, campaigners, and activists, Greenpeace Canada researches green solutions and campaigns against environmentally-degrading practices.
Future endeavors: In Canada, Greenpeace campaigns to ban genetically modified products in Canadian supermarkets, save the ancient-growth British Columbian Great Bear rainforest, and save the boreal forest, which is known as Canada’s largest ecosystem.
More info: www.greenpeace.org/canada
The Green Team
This UTM-based initiative gathers volunteers and/or employees of the UTM Sustainability Co-ordinator to organize local environmental opportunities and events.
Future endeavors: Campus Sustainability Projects, Transportation Projects, and continued involvement and communication with the Centre for Emerging Energy Technologies.
More info: www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3green/
The Hot Yam!
A volunteer group of food lovers dedicated to offering affordable vegan and organic lunches, Hot Yam! cooks nutritious meals from scratch, based around seasonal offerings and a conscious diet. Hot Yam!’s buying practices support local businesses that prioritize fresh, local, and organic ingredients.
Future endeavors: More lunch extravaganzas and more collaborations with other U of T organizations.
More info: Email hottestyam@gmail.com or visit the International Student Centre and ask around.
Rewire
Rewire is a project of the U of T sustainability office. A recent student social marketing study sparked a campaign designed to decrease energy consumption at seven St. George campus residences, two university offices, and the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.
Future endeavors: Expansion of a current project that targets offices, classrooms, common areas, laboratories, and hotel and apartment style residences.
More info: http://rewire.utoronto.ca/
University of Toronto Environmental Resource Network (UTERN)
UTERN encourages, aids, and funds environmental initiatives within all U of T campuses.
Future endeavors: UTERN considers funding for any project aiming to improve the environment or mitigate the University’s environmental impact on any of the U of T campuses; or educate, inform, or mobilize students, faculty, and/or the public around environmental issues.
More info: http://utern.sa.utoronto.ca/
*Editor’s Note: These initiatives are not reflective of all local opportunities. Green Perspective does not endorse a specific group.
Grassroots Environmental Products
Grassroots is a community-based retailer that offers environmentally-friendly products which allow people to make positive choices for themselves, their communities, and the planet.
Future endeavors: Feel Good Fridays (Grassroots donates 10 percent of net sales to local or national environmental organizations) and the Trailer Rental Program (for $2/hour customers can rent a lightweight suitcase for items too large to carry home).
More info: http://www.grassrootsstore.com/
Greenpeace Canada
Part of an international network of volunteers, campaigners, and activists, Greenpeace Canada researches green solutions and campaigns against environmentally-degrading practices.
Future endeavors: In Canada, Greenpeace campaigns to ban genetically modified products in Canadian supermarkets, save the ancient-growth British Columbian Great Bear rainforest, and save the boreal forest, which is known as Canada’s largest ecosystem.
More info: www.greenpeace.org/canada
The Green Team
This UTM-based initiative gathers volunteers and/or employees of the UTM Sustainability Co-ordinator to organize local environmental opportunities and events.
Future endeavors: Campus Sustainability Projects, Transportation Projects, and continued involvement and communication with the Centre for Emerging Energy Technologies.
More info: www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3green/
The Hot Yam!
A volunteer group of food lovers dedicated to offering affordable vegan and organic lunches, Hot Yam! cooks nutritious meals from scratch, based around seasonal offerings and a conscious diet. Hot Yam!’s buying practices support local businesses that prioritize fresh, local, and organic ingredients.
Future endeavors: More lunch extravaganzas and more collaborations with other U of T organizations.
More info: Email hottestyam@gmail.com or visit the International Student Centre and ask around.
Rewire
Rewire is a project of the U of T sustainability office. A recent student social marketing study sparked a campaign designed to decrease energy consumption at seven St. George campus residences, two university offices, and the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.
Future endeavors: Expansion of a current project that targets offices, classrooms, common areas, laboratories, and hotel and apartment style residences.
More info: http://rewire.utoronto.ca/
University of Toronto Environmental Resource Network (UTERN)
UTERN encourages, aids, and funds environmental initiatives within all U of T campuses.
Future endeavors: UTERN considers funding for any project aiming to improve the environment or mitigate the University’s environmental impact on any of the U of T campuses; or educate, inform, or mobilize students, faculty, and/or the public around environmental issues.
More info: http://utern.sa.utoronto.ca/
Rooting for Change at UofT
By Isa Cunanan
Jane Goodall’s 2006 "Reason for Hope" public lecture at Convocation Hall inspired a movement by University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) students looking to make a positive change, beginning with their community.
One year later, co-founders Leanne and Darlene De Souza share their plans for the next term of Roots and Shoots, U of T’s only Goodall-affiliated campus club.
Green Perspective: What is Roots and Shoots, and how did it get its start at the Mississauga Campus? Roots and Shoots (R & S) is part of the Jane Goodall Institute. Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, R & S is a global network of over 8,000 youth groups of all ages, working to create change, address crises, and raise awareness through service learning projects that promote concern for animals, the environment, and the human community. Every R & S group works to motivate young people to learn about current issues affecting local and global communities. The uniqueness of the club comes from the leadership it encourages and facilitates through the learning process: youth actually design, lead, and implement their own rojects. Since the club is made up of diverse age groups, the learning experience is tailored to the demographic of the group.
The R & S group at UTM started after Darlene and I attended Dr. Jane Goodall’s "Reason for Hope" talk at Convocation Hall where she inspired us to take part in this unique, education-based program through examples of accomplishments of R & S youth groups. We felt that R & S had the very unique dimension of education-based project development. This organization would allow us to encourage project development and management, which is important for most university students, while also encouraging leadership and the flexibility to choose any pertinent humanitarian or environmental issue we felt passionate about.
GP: Roots and Shoots organizations across the globe cover various streams of action. What stream will define Roots and Shoots at UTM, and why?
R & S UTM will mainly focus on humanitarian issues affecting groups on campus, in the community or globally. There will, however, be occasional environmental-based events. We selected this stream since there are several groups on campus addressing environmental issues, but humanitarian issues are usually addressed based on a current crises or homogenous groups/organizations on campus [which is appropriate since most clubs are in themselves very specific]. R & S UTM will focus on a range of issues so as to be very inclusive. We feel that the humanitarian focus will give students the chance to apply skills they have from work experience and courses while also creating the best opportunity to network and develop socially.
GP: In the future, does the club hope to involve the University’s colleges at Scarborough and St. George? Are there any collaborations at present?
This year we will have University of Toronto, St. George campus club recognition; in this way, we will address all campuses. Our main location will be at UTM since this is where we started, where Darlene and I both attended for our undergraduate education and where we feel the
community and the university are well integrated to facilitate projects in diverse and active ways. We will however, ensure that students from all three campuses have the opportunity and the convenience to participate in events.
GP: What does Roots and Shoots have in store for the new term?
Currently R & S is working on a project with Community on Campus, which involves planting trees and gardening at UTM. This event is aimed at integrating members of this group with other students in a social setting that also involves an environmental effort. This is an opportunity for students who don’t have time to volunteer regularly with this group, but would really like to. It is also an opportunity to foster community, networking and working together for change. Other events will include an awareness campaign for WarChild and the second annual Baskets for Charity, to name a few.
Visit www.utrands.org for more information.
Jane Goodall’s 2006 "Reason for Hope" public lecture at Convocation Hall inspired a movement by University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) students looking to make a positive change, beginning with their community.
One year later, co-founders Leanne and Darlene De Souza share their plans for the next term of Roots and Shoots, U of T’s only Goodall-affiliated campus club.
Green Perspective: What is Roots and Shoots, and how did it get its start at the Mississauga Campus? Roots and Shoots (R & S) is part of the Jane Goodall Institute. Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, R & S is a global network of over 8,000 youth groups of all ages, working to create change, address crises, and raise awareness through service learning projects that promote concern for animals, the environment, and the human community. Every R & S group works to motivate young people to learn about current issues affecting local and global communities. The uniqueness of the club comes from the leadership it encourages and facilitates through the learning process: youth actually design, lead, and implement their own rojects. Since the club is made up of diverse age groups, the learning experience is tailored to the demographic of the group.
The R & S group at UTM started after Darlene and I attended Dr. Jane Goodall’s "Reason for Hope" talk at Convocation Hall where she inspired us to take part in this unique, education-based program through examples of accomplishments of R & S youth groups. We felt that R & S had the very unique dimension of education-based project development. This organization would allow us to encourage project development and management, which is important for most university students, while also encouraging leadership and the flexibility to choose any pertinent humanitarian or environmental issue we felt passionate about.
GP: Roots and Shoots organizations across the globe cover various streams of action. What stream will define Roots and Shoots at UTM, and why?
R & S UTM will mainly focus on humanitarian issues affecting groups on campus, in the community or globally. There will, however, be occasional environmental-based events. We selected this stream since there are several groups on campus addressing environmental issues, but humanitarian issues are usually addressed based on a current crises or homogenous groups/organizations on campus [which is appropriate since most clubs are in themselves very specific]. R & S UTM will focus on a range of issues so as to be very inclusive. We feel that the humanitarian focus will give students the chance to apply skills they have from work experience and courses while also creating the best opportunity to network and develop socially.
GP: In the future, does the club hope to involve the University’s colleges at Scarborough and St. George? Are there any collaborations at present?
This year we will have University of Toronto, St. George campus club recognition; in this way, we will address all campuses. Our main location will be at UTM since this is where we started, where Darlene and I both attended for our undergraduate education and where we feel the
community and the university are well integrated to facilitate projects in diverse and active ways. We will however, ensure that students from all three campuses have the opportunity and the convenience to participate in events.
GP: What does Roots and Shoots have in store for the new term?
Currently R & S is working on a project with Community on Campus, which involves planting trees and gardening at UTM. This event is aimed at integrating members of this group with other students in a social setting that also involves an environmental effort. This is an opportunity for students who don’t have time to volunteer regularly with this group, but would really like to. It is also an opportunity to foster community, networking and working together for change. Other events will include an awareness campaign for WarChild and the second annual Baskets for Charity, to name a few.
Visit www.utrands.org for more information.
A Sweet Basil Philosophy
By Nora Saks
We have established that there are multiple ways in which we can approach the idea of time. We have known it to be cyclical. We have heard it can be linear. But maybe, just maybe, we decided, it is more uniform and simple than that. There might be no moment but the present. There never was a past or a future. All you can truly know is what you are doing right now. The rest might as well be memories and dreams, figments and portents, sparks and embers. What is eternity?
We sat precariously on our overturned five gallon buckets, curled over each plant, hunchbacks of St. Mary’s County in the making. In our eighth hour in the summer sun, the sweat on our forehead accumulated from the long day, slid off our skins and plopped on the black plastic below. It was already 3 pm, and we had a lot more basil to pick.
Have you ever done one specific action for so long that you are not sure your life has ever consisted of anything else? As I stared down into the rows of perky bright green plants, two feet high but definitely fathoms deep, the layers of foliage started to meld together, each cluster losing its identity as parts of a whole. As the stems, leaves, and flowers of Genoa basil collapsed into themselves, my eyes, hands, and brains mastered the same stunt. I plucked tip after tip of basil flags from their confident, patriotic positions in the air, looking, seeing, and acting in a constant flow. This was not the auto-pilot I have known before. I was not removed from the movement; we were the very same thing.
This is the volcano from which our talk of time erupted. You see, Maurie and I are working on an organic farm in southern Maryland. We thought we had lived parts of our lives before that basil filled day. I recalled having a family living farther north in the state and friends from Canada. He had told tales of hitchhiking around Europe and protesting at the G8 summit. It had all seemed real until now. We had spoken of our desires to explore unseen coasts, to find a teacher, to practice magic. We wanted these things to happen, but began to doubt they ever would. All we really knew was that it was 3 pm, and we still had basil to pick. As soon as I removed a stem and put it in my trusty white pail, a new bunch popped back into place.
We both agreed that this was eternity: intentional, regenerative, and everlasting. As soon as I understood this truth, I became suddenly comforted. I would not have to wonder anymore about what I would be doing next year after graduation because the answer was clear: I would still be picking sweet basil. Well, so it goes, I thought, and I got to work.
Does this sound crazy? You will probably be tempted to mention that at some point, Farmer Brett was satisfied with the amount we had gathered and we were able to go home, bathe, sleep, and even start a new day.
I must caution, though, that Time can be mighty slippery and how you fill it can be unpredictable. It sure does seem to have a lot of tricks up a very cavernous sleeve. Who knows what circumstances may envelop you, and what actions you might be called upon or inspired to do? Will you plow through this minute, your surroundings, these tasks, this planet? Or might you instead look around and see a gorgeous field of basil, ripe and ready for picking, and enjoy what is now and will come next?
We have established that there are multiple ways in which we can approach the idea of time. We have known it to be cyclical. We have heard it can be linear. But maybe, just maybe, we decided, it is more uniform and simple than that. There might be no moment but the present. There never was a past or a future. All you can truly know is what you are doing right now. The rest might as well be memories and dreams, figments and portents, sparks and embers. What is eternity?
We sat precariously on our overturned five gallon buckets, curled over each plant, hunchbacks of St. Mary’s County in the making. In our eighth hour in the summer sun, the sweat on our forehead accumulated from the long day, slid off our skins and plopped on the black plastic below. It was already 3 pm, and we had a lot more basil to pick.
Have you ever done one specific action for so long that you are not sure your life has ever consisted of anything else? As I stared down into the rows of perky bright green plants, two feet high but definitely fathoms deep, the layers of foliage started to meld together, each cluster losing its identity as parts of a whole. As the stems, leaves, and flowers of Genoa basil collapsed into themselves, my eyes, hands, and brains mastered the same stunt. I plucked tip after tip of basil flags from their confident, patriotic positions in the air, looking, seeing, and acting in a constant flow. This was not the auto-pilot I have known before. I was not removed from the movement; we were the very same thing.
This is the volcano from which our talk of time erupted. You see, Maurie and I are working on an organic farm in southern Maryland. We thought we had lived parts of our lives before that basil filled day. I recalled having a family living farther north in the state and friends from Canada. He had told tales of hitchhiking around Europe and protesting at the G8 summit. It had all seemed real until now. We had spoken of our desires to explore unseen coasts, to find a teacher, to practice magic. We wanted these things to happen, but began to doubt they ever would. All we really knew was that it was 3 pm, and we still had basil to pick. As soon as I removed a stem and put it in my trusty white pail, a new bunch popped back into place.
We both agreed that this was eternity: intentional, regenerative, and everlasting. As soon as I understood this truth, I became suddenly comforted. I would not have to wonder anymore about what I would be doing next year after graduation because the answer was clear: I would still be picking sweet basil. Well, so it goes, I thought, and I got to work.
Does this sound crazy? You will probably be tempted to mention that at some point, Farmer Brett was satisfied with the amount we had gathered and we were able to go home, bathe, sleep, and even start a new day.
I must caution, though, that Time can be mighty slippery and how you fill it can be unpredictable. It sure does seem to have a lot of tricks up a very cavernous sleeve. Who knows what circumstances may envelop you, and what actions you might be called upon or inspired to do? Will you plow through this minute, your surroundings, these tasks, this planet? Or might you instead look around and see a gorgeous field of basil, ripe and ready for picking, and enjoy what is now and will come next?
These choices, based on mindful observation, appreciation, and positive interactions, may have more consequences than we know or care to admit. After all, eternity can be just around the corner.
What is yours made of?
Letter From the Editors
The "Fresh Start" issue:
As we launch into the new year, we’re reminded that it brings a fresh start, a new beginning. We want to take advantage of that excitement and pumped energy to get involved in the betterment of our environment, and be part of that change.
From a local and global scale the environment has become a forefront issue, and a priority in the public eye. As a result, the urgency of our eco-crisis has challenged us all to be creative in our resolutions – from technological innovation to grassroots initiatives to a fundamental change in the way we interact with the earth.
This issue of Green Perspective highlights some of the "green" initiatives people are spearheading, whether it’s offering eco-conscious food on campus, or actively preserving Toronto’s natural wetlands. Keep in mind we’re providing only a glimpse into the many "green" initiatives out there.
We hope this issue will inspire you to make the most out of this new year.
Sincerely,
The Green Perspective team
Green Perspective Magazine: About
The purpose of Green Perspective Magazine is:
- To bring environmentalism to the forefront of campus debate by providing a medium for members of the U of T community to share their knowledge and ideas on environmental issues.
- To encourage a wide spectrum of environmental (or green) perspectives.
- To popularize the idea that everyone is an environmentalist. An environmentalist is anyone that has an environmental conscience, that is concerned about the state of the environment, and is willing to contribute to a healthier community, in whatever way, and to whatever degree, they feel necessary.
Membership:
- Individual membership is open to all students, staff, faculty, and alumni of the University of Toronto
- There is no membership fee
- No discrimination on the basis of ascribed race, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation will be tolerated within Green Perspective
*We would like to thank the University of Toronto Environmental Resource Network (UTERN) for their funding and support. Visit UTERN at http://utern.sa.utoronto.ca/.
Email: greenperspective@gmail.com
Website: http://greenperspective.sa.utoronto.ca/
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