Climate fears high, program intake low

First-year enrolment for enviromental studies declining

 By JESSICA A. FROUD

Despite resounding student involvement in global protests over the past year, enrollment in first-year climatology courses at Langara has declined, according to one program instructor.

Andrew Egan, coordinator of Langara’s environmental studies program said there are various reasons for this, but a message from the federal government is a principal deterrent. He said its message has been clear: you can either care about jobs or you can care about the environment.

“The government hasn’t incentivized that we should have an understanding of the environment and students wonder if there is a job in the end,” said Egan, adding there are a variety of Langara courses considered to be climate-based.

break out within the college.

“I’d like to know what would happen if someone within the college caught it, would classes be shut down? Would there be a certain section of the building shut down?” said Rahnumah.

Rahnumah admits she doesn’t check the college website as often as she should, but wishes there were more regular social media updates.

Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist and UBC professor, said if the virus were to spread more in B.C. and become more serious, initiatives called “social distancing” would likely be implemented.

“School closures are effective in curtailing the spread of infection … so that’s a possibility if things got really bad,” Taylor said.

Social distancing protocols have not been mentioned on the Langara website or social media platforms.

The COVID-19 virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of publication time, the virus has since spread to 24 countries with over 45,000 confirmed cases and 2068 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. But news outlets are saying more than 14,000 new cases were reported by Hubei Province on Wednesday.

“While there is an uptick in enrolment in third year courses, we’re seeing a decrease in enrollment in first year classes."

However, some students say that climate change worries are enough to motivate them. Environmental studies student Max Keller said his fear of climate change pushed him into the program.

“ I can’t lie. It has put in me an existential terror,” Keller said, adding he sometimes feels overwhelmed at the enormity of what needs to be done.

“We want to think that we can make change but it’s actually reordering society,”.

Frank Williams, chair of interdisciplinary studies and coordinator for the Canadian studies department at Langara, said he has seen the emotional impact of climate change on students who have chosen to enroll.

“People don’t feel powerful enough to do anything and that’s a recipe for depression,” Williams said.

Williams also said concerns that they can’t make a difference may be a reason why students aren’t rushing to take environmental studies.

“You see a disaster but you can’t do anything about it. That’s where students are. That’s certainly where a lot of climate scientists are.”

Burnaby shelters test free tampons

City's pilot project could make more dispensers available to low-income residents

LIAM HILL-ALLAN

Burnaby residents in poverty could see widespread access to free menstrual products, pending the success of a recently approved pilot project for the city.

At a city council meeting on Jan. 27, Burnaby city council approved the Period Promise Pilot Project, a plan to “expand access to menstrual products in city facilities.” The pilot project will install free menstrual product dispensers at six city-run facilities around Burnaby aimed at fighting “period poverty.”

According to a staff report to city council, “period poverty, which affects girls, women, and transgender individuals, refers to having a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints.”

Burnaby city Coun. Sav Dhaliwal said low-income Burnaby residents could have access to free menstrual products at “all facilities all over the city” if the pilot project is successful.

The staff report identified 168 washrooms at 38 “potentially viable locations” across Burnaby capable of housing dispensers.

“[Menstrual products] are not always available to everyone,” Dhaliwal said. “Considering we have a very diverse population.”

According to a 2016 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Burnaby has the fourth highest rate of poverty in Metro Vancouver.

Beresford Warming Centre located at 5970 Beresford Street in South Burnaby is one of the six locations approved to receive a dispenser for the pilot project. The centre is one of a number of warming spaces made available to homeless Burnaby residents over the winter months. If the project is successful, dispensers could be made available to lowincome Burnaby residents at other similar spaces around the city.

According to Dhaliwal, the project was inspired by United Way’s Period Promise Campaign.

Natalie Hill, in charge of media relations at United Way, said that the campaign is dedicated to providing “greater free access of menstrual products.”

Hill added that Burnaby will be joining other B.C. cities like New Westminster and Victoria in the wide adoption of menstrual product dispensers.

“[There’s a] domino effect of municipalities,” Hill said. “We are seeing this plan ripple across the Lower Mainland.”