HBA Sustainability Certificate
Empowering the next generation of sustainable leaders
HBA Sustainability Certificate
Empowering the next generation of sustainable leaders
Bio
As a resident of Vancouver, BC, I grew up with an affinity for nature through skiing, kayaking, and hiking. There's something about a baby otter trying to climb onto the back of your kayak that leaves you with the resolve to live as a part of the ecosystem as a whole, rather than viewing yourself and humanity as separate from it while hypocritically feeling entitled to all its resources.
At some point, the idea of social responsibility also entrenched itself into my mind. Perhaps it was through seeing less fortunate lives through volunteering at a soup kitchen, perhaps it was seeing the emotional detachment with which people viewed strangers in distant lesser-developed countries. This led to my increasing distaste with the way people are treated as statistics.
Nowadays, on top of my principles, my diverse interests range from philosophy to paintball. A game at one of many sports and an intellectually stimulating conversation are always welcome.
Additional Information
Personal Definition of Sustainability
Progress should be the goal for any conscious being, and acting sustainably is the means by which to implement this development. Sustainability starts with living in awareness of one's place in any system of which he or she is a part, be it society, or the environment as a whole. Nearsightedness impedes the development of the system of humanity, through problems such as resource depletion and waste creation due to consumerism, or apathy towards people whose lives we cannot see but affect anyway. If we remove this nearsightedness through education, people will make choices that engender development by minimizing the negative effects on people and the planet, as well as choices that empower those without the ability to develop themselves, while remembering that we share the planet with a myriad other species whose existence we threaten.
Sustainability-in-Action
My involvement in sustainability projects began in high school, when I was part of the Environment Club for six years, engaging in low-scale recycling programs. I expanded my horizons to social responsibility by volunteering at the Quest Outreach Society, for which I was one of the first volunteers. The group not only operated a soup kitchen to feed the homeless, but empowered working class citizens by compensating them with food for their work and volunteer experience, which allowed them to build otherwise brief resumes and reintegrate into the community by getting full-time jobs. I watched the organization grow over four years into a multi-million dollar operation, and would definitely involve myself in a similar project in the future, though likely in a developing nation.
More recently, I joined a group called NOW! in Vancouver soon after its inception. The group raises awareness of issues in sustainability by running a play-writing competition where the winner has their play performed by an acting troupe. Non-profit status was granted in 2009. With another HBA2, I attempted to start a London branch of the organization to encourage education among secondary school students.
At Western, I have taken part in several Envirowestern initiatives, as well as sharing Environmental Coordinator duties while I was a soph at Saugeen. With another soph, I ran the recycling program for the building after the Physical Plant Department dismantled the previous recycling program due to "fire hazard". My project for this year is to reach out to Hospitality Services on campus about replacing the plastic utensils on campus with compostable bagasse- and recycled paper-based utensils.
