OctToBeER
      25,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Help
      Make
      UPEI
      Green
     
     
      William
      Cooper
     
     
      Contributor
     
     
      The
      other
      week
      I
      attended
      the
      for
      paper.
      Paper
      is
      an
      easy
      thing
     
     
      Energy
      Awareness
      Fair
      at
      our
      university,
      to
      recycle,
      and
      something
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      where
      I
      was
      encouraged
      to
      meet
      many
     
     
      people
      devoted
      to
      helping
      the
     
     
      environment.
      I
      was
      happy
      to
      learn
      that
     
     
      last
      year,
      with
      the
      aid
      of
      a
      government
     
     
      grant,
      UPEI
      replaced
      most
      of
      its
      lighting
     
     
      with
      the
      new
      ultra-efficient
      T-8
     
     
      fluorescent
      bulbs.
      This
      is
      one
      simple
      and
     
     
      significant
      step
      we
      all
      can
      take
      to
     
     
      conserve
      energy,
      money,
      and
      the
     
     
      environment.
      I
      was
      also
      pleased
      to
      find
     
     
      the
      University’s
      Environmental
      Society
     
     
      there,
      represented
      by
      member
      Soon
     
     
      Cherng,
      showing
      students
      how
      they
      can
     
     
      help
      the
      environment
      by
      reducing
      water
     
     
      consumption.
     
    

    
     
      The
      resounding
      message
      I
      took
     
     
      with
      me
      from
      the
      fair
      is
      this:
      Education
     
     
      is
      key
      in
      changing
      the
      way
      we
      live
     
     
      and
      preventing
      the
      further
     
     
      destruction
      of
      our
      _
      planet.
     
     
      Governments
      are
      not
      likely
      to
      pass
      laws
     
     
      obliging
      people
      to
      reduce,
      reuse,
      and
     
     
      recycle.
      Therefore,
      it
      is
      up
      to
      those
      who
     
     
      understand
      the
      importance
      of
      doing
      so
     
     
      to
      teach
      others
      and
      set
      the
      example.
      In
     
     
      this
      regard,
      I
      feel
      there
      is
      more
      our
     
     
      university
      could
      be
      doing
      to
      help:
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sadly,
      this
      university
      does
      not
     
     
      recycle
      or
      compost
      the
      bulk
      of
     
     
      of
      its
      reusable
      and
     
     
      biodegradable
      waste.
      The
      vast
     
     
      majority
      of
      garbage
      bins
      around
     
     
      campus
      are
      multi-receptacles,
     
     
      with
      no
      separate
      bins
      for
     
     
      recyclables
      and
      biodegradable
     
     
      materials.
      (And
      no,
      janitors
      do
     
     
      not
      sort
      through
      these
      bins
      and
     
     
      pick
      out
      the
      recyclables.)
      As
      a
     
     
      result,
      huge
      quantities
      of
     
     
      recyclable
      material
      is
      wasted
      by
     
     
      UPEI
      every
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      e
      UPELis
      also
      shamefully
      short
      of
     
     
      separate
      recycling
      receptacles
     
    
   
   
    
     
      universities
      go
      through
      large
     
     
      amounts
      of
      every
      day.
      What
     
     
      gives?
      Even
      at
      my
      crummy
      old
     
     
      high
      school
      there
      were
      recycling
     
     
      receptacles
      for
      paper
      in
      the
     
     
      corner
      of
      every
      classroom!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Recycling
      stations
      should
      be
     
     
      clearly
      marked
      (with
     
     
      illustrations),
      so
      that
      students
     
     
      without
      time
      to
      stop
      and
      think
     
     
      about
      whether
      a
      Tim
      Horton’s
     
     
      coffee
      cup
      is
      recycling,
      compost
     
     
      or
      waste
      have
      a
      clear
      idea
      of
     
     
      what
      goes
      where.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      major
      issue,
      and
      one
      I
     
     
      understand
      the
      Environmental
     
     
      Society
      has
      been
      trying
      to
      do
     
     
      something
      about,
      is
      the
      use
      of
     
     
      non-recyclable,
      non-
     
     
      biodegradable
      containers
      in
      the
     
     
      University
      cafeteria.
      What
     
     
      bothers
      me
      most
      about
      this
      is
     
     
      that
      there
      are
      now
      inexpensive
     
     
      alternatives
      available.
      A
      bowl
     
     
      made
      from
      cornstarch,
      for
     
     
      example,
      costs
      only
      a
      few
     
     
      pennies
      more
      than
      one
      made
     
     
      from
      styrofoam.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      the
      University
      should
      do,
     
     
      before
      renewing
      its
      contract
      with
     
     
      Chartwells
      (our
      current
      food
     
     
      service
      provider),
      is
      require
      the
     
     
      company
      to
      come
      up
      with
      a
      plan
     
     
      for
      how
      to
      reduce
      its
      impact
      on
     
     
      the
      environment.
      Some
      great
     
     
      ideas
      to
      suggest
      might
      be:
      the
      use
     
     
      of
      biodegradable
      takeaway
     
     
      containers;
      the
      replacement
      of
     
     
      old
      kitchen
      appliances
      with
     
     
      energy-star
      appliances;
      the
      use
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      19
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      ©
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lethargically
      at
      Large
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Blake
      Maclsaac
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Have
      you
      noticed
      how
      our
     
     
      culture
      has
      become
      vandalized
      with
     
     
      advertisements?
      Cities
      are
      plastered
     
     
      with
      posters;
      magazines
      are
      consumed
     
     
      with
      ads,
      television
      with
      commercials,
     
     
      even
      our
      streets
      with
      signs
      and
     
     
      billboards.
      I
      can’t
      even
      check
      my
      e-
     
     
      mail
      anymore
      without
      being
      harassed
     
     
      by
      pop-up
      ads
      and
      junk
      mail.
      Of
      course
     
     
      we
      are
      all
      used
      to
      it
      by
      now,
      we
      have
     
     
      been
      exposed
      to
      it
      our
      whole
      lives,
      but
     
     
      now
      that
      you
      have
      thought
      about
      it
     
     
      doesn’t
      it
      make
      you
      kind
      of
      sick?
     
    

    
     
      Large
      companies
      are
      spending
     
     
      millions
      upon
      millions
      of
      dollars
      on
     
     
      advertisement
      campaigns
      while
      at
      the
     
     
      same
      time
      exploiting
      poorer
      nations
      for
     
     
      their
      natural
      resources
      and
      cheap
      labor.
     
     
      It
      would
      seem
      natural
      to
      assume
      that
     
     
      all
      of
      this
      money
      spent
      on
     
     
      advertisements
      could
      go
      toward
      more
     
     
      ethical
      use,
      like
      paying
      workers
      fair
     
     
      wages
      for
      one
      thing.
     
    

    
     
      In
      today’s
      society
      it
      would
     
     
      seem
      that
      it
      is
      our
      own
      pursuit
      of
     
     
      material
      gain
      that
      is
      fueling
      these
     
     
      advertisements.
      I
      know
      that
      wearing
     
     
      those
      new
      $120.00
      Nikes
      while
     
     
      washing
      down
      your
      Big
      Mac
      with
      a
     
     
      Coca-Cola
      makes
      one
      feel
      good,
      but
     
     
      that
      is
      exactly
      what
      the
      advertisements
     
     
      we
      are
      exposed
      to
      on
      a
      daily
      basis
      want
     
     
      us
      to
      feel.
      We
      support
      these
      corrupt
     
     
      companies
      by
      repeatedly
      giving
      into
     
     
      their
      bombardment
      of
      advertisements.
     
    

    
     
      The
      facts
      about
      these
      corrupt
     
     
      methods
      employed
      by
      many
      large
     
     
      companies
      are
      out
      there.
      They
      are
     
     
      available
      to
      us,
      but
      we
      choose
      to
     
     
      disregard
      them.
      This
      “IfI
      can’t
      see
      it,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it’s
      not
      there”
      syndrome
      is
      becoming
      |_
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      of
      the
      chronic
      issues
      in
      our
      society.
     
     
      We
      know
      better
      than
      this
      and
      should
     
     
      not
      sit
      idle
      while
      this
      goes
      on
      right
      in
     
     
      front
      of
      us,
      let
      alone
      contribute
      our
     
     
      support
      of
      the
      products.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      do
      have
      a
      choice.
      We
      do
     
     
      have
      the
      power
      to
      decide
      where
      our
     
     
      money
      gets
      spent.
      Investing
      our
      money
     
     
      in
      fairly
      traded
      goods
      and
      supporting
     
     
      ethical
      responsible
      companies
      that
      do
     
     
      not
      engage
      in
      shady
      operations
      is
      one
     
     
      place
      to
      start.
      The
      biggest
      obstacle
      for
     
     
      most
      of
      us
      to
      get
      over:
      our
      own
      laziness.
     
     
      Sitting
      around
      giving
      into
      everything
      that
     
     
      is
      put
      in
      front
      of
      us
      will
      only
      dig
      us
     
     
      deeper
      into
      the
      hole
      we
      are
      already
      in.
     
     
      We
      must
      be
      pro-active
      with
      the
      choices
     
     
      we
      make.
      As
      the
      saying
      goes,
      ““We
      must
     
     
      live
      simply,
      so
      that
      all
      may
      simply
      live.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      How
      do
      you
      like
      your
      Cadre?
     
     
      Did
      something
      piss
      you
      off?
     
     
      Want
      to
      see
      more
      of
      ...?
     
     
      Bored
      out
      of
      your
      mind?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Then
      email
      us!
     
     
      upeicadre@gmail.com