Welcome to
Wales! Where the words are made up and the weather doesn’t matter!
Part One of Two
After
arriving in Wales last night, we woke up this morning with the sea air in our
lungs and the anticipation of a new day clinging to our minds. Today is the day
we would finally get a look at sustainability from the perspective of a
university that seemed far different from our own. What we learned, however,
was that although we may seem worlds apart, there are many similarities between
UNI and Swansea University, and there are many things
that we can take from
them to improve our own campus.
On our way
to Swansea University, we had the privilege to walk through Singleton Park,
where the flora surrounded us and captured my attention wherever I looked. This
park, full of plants, animals, insects, and a world of hidden life was the
perfect prequel to day of thinking and learning about the subjects of
sustainability and biodiversity.
Once we
arrived on campus, we met our gracious and helpful hosts for the day: Heidi,
Anna, and Ambreen.
Anna started
the workshop by asking us and a few Swansea students about what we thought
sustainability meant, and then provided us with a couple of definitions that
she had found online. One of these defined sustainability as “development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”. From there, we began to discuss the
differences between our two universities in terms of issues concerning
sustainability. This is what the group of us came up with:
UNI
|
Both
|
Swansea
University
|
Students prefer to take the easy way
out and there is a lack of awareness/interest
|
Laziness – e.g. students tend to drive
even when they are only traveling a short distance
|
There is not much public recycling
|
Lack of publicity
|
Lack of information – e.g. what can be
recycled vs. what can’t
|
Many buildings in Swansea are
grade-listed and therefore cannot be insulated. This increases the amount of
energy needed to heat the buildings.
|
Little alternative energy usage
|
Labs use a lot of electricity and
water
|
However, we
were also able to compare and contrast some of the things that the campuses did
well with respect
to living and functioning sustainably.
UNI
|
Both
|
Swansea
University
|
Textbook sales within the student body
|
Collecting unwanted items during the
time of student move-out to give to those who need it
|
Students are not allowed to park on
campus which is a good incentive to walk, bike, or take the bus
|
Solar-powered cars
|
Sustainability week/month
|
Student audit training
|
Recycling bins provided in each dorm
room
|
Switches on outlets to reduce
unnecessary energy consumption
|
|
The Panther Plot student garden
|
||
Energy audits for dorms
|
||
Steam tunnels underground
|
After we
were locked into the subject and focused on sustainable efforts, we were able
to get a better look into Swansea University and the country of Wales. The
sustainability team at the university was set up approximately two years and
has grown considerably since it started. The basis of their work lies within
the Swansea University Sustainability Strategy. This strategy is quite complex,
but to simplify it for us, they broke it apart. There are 5 main principles
that make it up: Knowledge and Skills, Low Carbon, Green Corridor, Sustainable
Decision Making, and Well Being. From there, emerged three key themes: 1)
Estates and Operations 2) Learning, Teaching, and Research and 3) Leadership,
Empowerment, and Partnerships. It was further broken down into the areas of an
Environmental Management System, dedicated to researching the issues and
focusing on the most important one, a Carbon Management Plan, where possible
projects are discussed, and a Biodiversity Action Plan. Furthermore, Anna made
it clear that the number one building block to a sustainable university is
staff and student engagement. That is where we were given a chance to
brainstorm issues and engagement concerning our two institutions.
The first
group, given the topic of increasing recycling, came up with a unique and
exciting way to motivate the campus population to recycle their waste.
The second
group worked with the topic of reducing energy consumption and expanded upon
the idea of Sustainability competitions across campus.
My group
received the issue of transportation and were able to come up with three
different options based on the structure of the university and the nature of
the situation.
Finally, the
last group presented their response to the overconsumption of water.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part Two of our Swansea University and Caswell Bay adventure!
Elizabeth
