By Chris Doyle (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: April 4, 2012
Although many universities in BC aim towards becoming a green campus, UFV included, Vancouver Community College (VCC) is taking a large step in the right direction.
VCC has decided to completely stop selling plastic water bottles on campus.
They will compensate by providing not only more water fountains, but also providing every single student with a reusable water bottle. In my opinion, this is a bandwagon that UFV should not hesitate to climb onto. As a university, we have already provided multiple reusable water bottle stations, which seem to be rarely used, and you can barely walk 10 feet before passing another water fountain.
So why don’t we just take the plunge and follow schools like VCC in their fight for a greener BC? UFV prides itself on various green initiatives, so it seems a little obvious that we as a campus would want to support this globally-conscious move, right?
As it stands now on campus, it’s not hard to see water bottles being thrown away – or left around like the trash that everyone seems to think they are. For a campus fighting to be green, we seem to have an odd way of showing it. If we’re still struggling with the basic reduce, reuse, recycle, then we might need to look into more drastic measures. If we follow VCC’s move, then we’re not only helping the issue, but actually removing the alternative completely.
Though it’s true that groups on campus such as Sodexo might have an issue with this movement based on the potential loss in sales, I believe that we as a student body could show them the light. We have power over many facets of UFV – why not Sodexo as well? If the student body can stop using water bottles and begin fully taking advantage of the green aspects of this campus, such as the reusable water bottle station, then we’ll be able to show the University that we’re serious, and that we as a collective are standing for a greener campus.
Vancouver Community College has taken the next step towards the ideal – the green campus that all BC schools are striving for. It only seems right for us to follow in their footsteps and go beyond what we have already achieved.
