Welcome to UPSU Green Week! Read on to find out about how you as a student can be more sustainable and what is being done around the University to ensure we are being green and sustainable!
:Enviroment and Sustainability Forum Both UPSU and the University take environmental issues and sustainability really seriously, with awards being won in both organisations. However we constantly strive to be more sustainable and forward thinking when it comes to green issues, as well as making sure the University does the same. The aims of the forum are: - To develop the “Students as Partners” ethos of “With Plymouth University” - Improve engagement with students on sustainability - Support students’ own aspirations with positive steps towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious UPSU and University. See here for more details: http://www.upsu.com/student_voice/student_forums/environment_and_sustainability_forum/ For more information on what the university does for sustainability, see here: http://www1.plymouth.ac.uk/sustainability/Pages/default.aspx
:Societies • Enviro Soc • Engineers Without Borders (EWB) • Veg Soc • Zoo Soc • Surf Soc • Young Greens
We are a society for environmentally driven students that want a platform to discus, learn, and experience how to make a difference to the wider community. This is done through lectures, debates and volunteer days that are fortnightly brought together through our adventurous socials and time to meet new like minded people! Quick tips to save the planet: • Re-use and give away • Use rechargeable batteries • Change to energy saving lightbulbs • Go veggie once a week • Buy local • Find all 50 ways you can help at: www.50waystohelp.com Sign up on the 27th Nov. from 1pm, check our facebook page or email racheluddin@hotmail.com
• Student run society • Part of the EWB-UK charity • Our mission is to create massive small change by empowering thousands of new engineers to remove barriers to human development • Although this does not mean you have to be an engineer! What EWB does for sustainability: • We help developing communities develop gain access to cleaner and more sustainable technologies. Green Tips: • Drafts can waste 5% and up to 30% of your home’s energy use2. • Use a draft stopper to prevent drafts. Draft stoppers can be made from a rolled up towel fastened with tape to a tube of fabric with cotton batting, rice, or sand. • Carry your own personal water container, and refill it rather than buying plastic bottles of water. Buy a water filter, and refill from the tap. • Incandescent lightbulbs should be turned off whenever they are not needed, because they are the least efficient type of lighting. 90% of the energy they use is given off as heat, and only about 10% results in light. Turning lights off will also keep a room cooler, an extra benefit in the summer. • Changing light bulbs to CFL, LED light bulbs • Get leaking taps repaired
Case Study - Stephen Turner • Stephen is out in India currently with the Selco foundation • The Selco Foundation works on a range of projects that benefit underserved communities.
These boxes can be used in areas where there is no electricity grid for the people living there. They are charged solar panels, and at night are rented out to people with the light connected to use in and around their homes to remain productive after the sun sets The previous solution was buying kerosene fuel for lamps which give out poor quality light, are a fire hazard and in the long term cause respiratory illness.
Engineers without Borders have been working hard on a Rope Washer Pump...
• What the Rope washer pump lacks in efficiency and elegance, it more than makes up for in simplicity • Small communities rarely have the technical expertise required to repair modern equipment, let alone the money to buy replacement parts. • The result is reliance on outside help; a situation that is simply unsustainable.
How it works: • A vertical ellipse of rope rotates in such a way that its upwards movement is through a pipe. • Washers placed at intervals along the rope are pulled upwards through the pipe. This motion lifts water.
• They do not cup the water. • Attempting this would result in too much friction; the rope would never move • The idea of the rope-washer pump is that it is repairable by untrained locals, using materials that are readily available. • It is capable of lifting clean groundwater up to 10m. • The pump’s simple design also makes sealing the water supply from outside contamination a realistic possibility.
Pumpaid:
PumpAid have had great success installing such sealed pumps, which are now supplying clean water to over 1 million people in Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Veg Soc: We are friendly group of students who regularly enjoy cooking and eating together, recipe swapping, meals out and run campaigns and competitions to promote a healthy plant-based diet. We are inclusive to all who are interested in making more sustainable, healthy food choices. You don’t have to be Veggie or Vegan to join! We are here to offer support to everyone who wants to eat healthier, be more ethical and have fun. We aim to promote the benefits of a plant based diet and lifestyle in relation to the individual, animals and the environment. We assist students in accessing information and where to find these choices in Plymouth.
Tips: 1.Eat more veg! Replace your meat with more of your 5 a day. 2. Don’t waste. 2 million slices of ham are thrown away every day. 3. Treat meat as a luxury food item. Cheap meat requires a huge amount of water and energy to produce. 4. Try something new! Many cultures around the world produce delicious meat-free meals. South Indian, Thai curries, soups. 5. Cut out meat from your diet one day a week. If all Americans ate no meat for just one day a week, this would result in the same carbon savings as taking 19.2million cars off the road 6. Can’t be bothered to cook? Make the most out of Plymouth vegetarian restaurants and support local business. Samphire Brasserie, Veggie Perrins and World Peace Café being among them.
Facts: 1. Cattle require 7kg of grain to produce just 1kg of beef. 2. Pigs require 4kg of grain to produce just 1kg of pork. 3. Livestock consume ½ the UK’s wheat harvest, 60% of the UK’s barley harvest and 80% of the world’s soya harvest. 4. 30% of the Earth’s land surface (that’s 70% of agricultural land) is used for rearing animals. 5. Livestock production is responsible for 70% of the Amazon deforestation in Latin America leading to the destruction of countless plants and animals. 6. Between 13,000 and 100,000 litres of water are required to produce a kilo of beef and yet 780million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. 7. It requires only 1-2,000 litres of water to produce a kilo of wheat. 8. The land needed to produce food for following a meat- based diet could feed 2.5 vegetarians or 5 vegans! 9. 1/3 or methane generated by human activity comes from live stock. 10. Livestock cause 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Contact: Chair of UPVS – sophie.barett@students.plymouth.ac.uk UPVS Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ groups/UPVegSoc/ The National Vegetarian Society - https://www.vegsoc.org/
Zoo Soc We volunteer with local wildlife trusts and organisations where you can help conserve species and their habitats, including Devon Barn Owl trust, Looe Monkey Sanctuary, Dartmoor Zoo and more. We run many fundraising events for local and international wildlife and environmental charities. Supporting current issues e.g Save the Rhino RIFF and Lion awareness ALERT. We also offer Talks from specialists from local zoos, wildlife organisations and charities, and Regular FREE trips to local zoo’s, aquariums & wildlife trusts.
Please email upzs@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested in joining.
Surf Soc University of Plymouth Surf Club won the British University & College Sports (BUCS) 2013/14 at Newquay in October. Making UPSC the best surf team in the UK. Offering an alternative way to exercise, get the adrenaline rushing and appreciate nature all rolled into one action packed sport. UPSC provides beginner lessons to all members, taken on Firstral Bay, Newquay.
UPSC on being Green: - - - - -
Promoting a healthy lifestyle and diet geared around nature: Being the health freaks surfers are, they try (as best they can) to obtain fresh/local produce and favour supermarket produce which is sourced sustainably. UPSC & SAS charity beach cleans: Surfers are passionate about the beaches they use and aim to keep them clean, by picking up litter and informing others to keep them tidy. Car-pooling to and from the beach: Surfers are the masters of car-pooling, sharing every ride not only to the beach but nationally with friends and other people who wish to reduce travel costs and CO2 footprint. Carbon neutral club – offsetting our carbon emissions every time UPSC competes. Surfers changing to “green” surfboard technology: new technologies offer surfers to ride ‘Green’ surfboards, commonly perceived as a harmful industry - times are changing to meet the demand of surfers.
Surfers often witness the harms our oceans face, and feel a responsibility to keep our Sea’s as healthy as possible. Sewage overflows can be a nasty issue with Surfers causing a range of bacteria inflicted illnesses, surfers support strict regulations on waste treatment.
How students can behave more sustainably: - Personal awareness of environmental impacts and contribution to sustainability will all together contribute towards achieving a better world for tomorrow. - Be aware of what’s happening in the world by reading a good balance of reporting services. o Read newspapers across the spectrum (e.g. the Guardian and the Daily Mail) - A simplified way of considering sustainability is by imagining if your children will be able to live as good a life as you are currently living now based on our current economic and societal model. - Sustainability encompasses economics, society and the environment. Do you think it’s sustainable for you to be enjoying a life which is up to 100 times wealthier than the poorest people in the world, based on carbon footprint?
What Young Greens at Plymouth University are doing for sustainability: - We provide students with the opportunity to bring together their ideas and aspirations for a sustainable future, and together we act to bring about those changes, especially through democratic processes and experiences. - Young Greens at Plymouth University represent the youth wing of the Green Party of England and Wales - Manifesto document is titled “Policies for a Sustainable Society”. - The Party is “committed to providing prosperity and wellbeing for everyone, in harmony with nature”, clearly considering sustainability. o Is driven by people ambitiously campaigning for social justice, economic fairness and environmental sustainability.
:NGOs • Recyclenow (WRAP) • Friends of the Earth • Soil Association • Energy Savings Trust • Surfers Against Sewage
Four easy steps to start recycling: -
Recycle on your doorstep
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Find out what you can recycle
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Sort your rubbish
- Check the date and put out your recycling
Tops tips to decrease your waste: - Reduce the amount of unwanted mail through your letter box by registering with the Mailing Preference Service , stopping unaddressed, unsolicited marketing mail and being aware when giving your name and address. - Contact your local Furniture Re-use Network- they distribute unwanted furniture and household goods to those in need. Or advertise your old furniture in your local paper or on websites like Freecycle or Freegle. - Avoid food waste: Every year in the UK we throw away ÂŁ12.5 billion worth of good food, costing the average family ÂŁ60 a month. To find out useful tips on the storage of food, tantalising recipes and advice on portioning, visitwww.lovefoodhatewaste.com. For more information about Recycle Now, visit: http://www.recyclenow.com/
Green up your life: What you buy, how you live - you can reduce your environmental impact in every part of your life. Here are some simple facts and tips: Computer monitors use 60% of the energy needed for the whole computer. So don’t just switch off the computer when you’re finished. Turn off the monitor even if you only leave it for 5 minutes. Did you know that each time we overfill the kettle we waste enough energy to run a TV for over 24 hours? Check the water level in the kettle and only use as much as you need. Open the curtains - natural light is free. Otherwise, low-energy bulbs only use 20% of the energy of ordinary ones and can last 12 times as long. Saving energy and the electricity bill.
We stand for: A beautiful world; we depend on the planet, so let’s keep it in good shape. A good life; a healthy planet is one that works for people too. A positive relationship with the environment; acting together for the planet and everyone who lives on it. Our current campaigns include The Bee Cause, Make IT Better, Clean British Energy and International Climate, and our work involves climate change, environmental justice, green economy and natural resources. For more information, go here: http://www.foe.co.uk/learning/youth/green_up_your_life
The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health. Our work is divided into three areas: Facing the Future, Good Food for All, and Enabling Change. Through our not-for-profit business Soil Association Certification, we inspect and award organic certification to farms and businesses that meet our organic standards. The Food for Life Catering Mark can help you to find good food. It’s our unique award which guarantees that what’s on the menu is freshly prepared, free from undesirable additives and better for animal welfare. Meals which have been awarded the Catering Mark are all free from controversial e-numbers such as aspartame, tartrazine and MSG. They do not contain artificial trans-fats or GM ingredients.
Our definition of organic farming recognises the direct connection between our health and how the food we eat is produced. Artificial fertilisers are banned and farmers develop fertile soil by rotating crops and using compost, manure and clover. Organic farming methods offer the best, currently available, practical model for addressing climate-friendly food production. This is because it is less dependent on oil-based fertilisers and pesticides and confers resilience in the face of climatic extremes. It also stores higher levels of carbon in the soil, and as a result if organic farming was common practice in the UK, we could offset at least 23% of agriculture’s current greenhouse emissions. Go here for more information: http://www.soilassociation.org/
Formed in 1992, Energy Saving Trust is a social enterprise with a charitable Foundation. Through our partnerships we offer impartial advice to communities and households on how to reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably and save money on energy bills. We work with governments, local authorities, third sector organisations and businesses. Our activities include: • delivering or managing government programmes • testing low-carbon technology • certification and assurance for businesses and consumer goods • developing models and tools
Easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint: • • • • •
insulating your home buying energy-efficient appliances switching off electronics at the wall walking, cycling or using public transport holidaying closer to home.
The UK aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. To help make that happen, we should all aim to achieve a low carbon footprint. For more information, go here: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Take-action
Active Campaigns: -
Protect Our Waves (POW)
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Marine and Litter Beach Cleans
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Sewage and Combined Sewage Overflows (SCOs)
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Break the Bag Habit
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Return to Offender
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Think Before You Flush
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Unidentified Floating Objects (UFOs)
Surfers Against Sewage on Campus Be mindful of what you flush down the loo - sanitary towels, condoms and earbuds are often washed ashore and can be harmful to local ecology. Break the Plastic Bag habit! Plastic bags can be used more than the one time, reuse them. Even better, purchase a bag for life. Many plastic bags wash up on our shores, Marine mammals often mistake plastic bags as jellyfish and eat them. New legislation is enforcing a 5p charge on single use carrier bags from supermarkets in 2015. Recycle the plastic we use! There are plenty of recycling points located on campus, be mindful to use the right bins ensuring that our plastic waste won’t reach our oceans. Working with UPSC to do a charity Beach Clean in the near future, watch this space! Become a SAS member, your contribution allows SAS to continue the hard battle against marine pollution and saving Britain’s waves. For more information, see here: www.sas.org.uk
:Firms • Plymouth City Council • Lush • EDF • South West Water
Plymouth City Council strives to achieve sustainability through a number of means: including nature conservation, as much of the ‘blue resource’ of the Rivers Tamar and Plymouth are designated as a European Marine Site making it the most highly protected area in the city. Many of Plymouth’s designated conservation areas are managed in collaboration between the Council’s Street Scene Services and volunteer organisations such as TCV. The Environmental Protection Team deal with a wide range of pollution issues that relate to land, air and water. The council offers extensive information and guidance on recycling matters within the city, and aims to be a sustainable city – “living today with tomorrow in mind”.
Plymouth Energy Community Limited is a non-profit, community engagement project with a purpose of alleviating fuel poverty, making renewable energy accessible and developing investment into renewables in Plymouth, and Plymouth Climate Commission is also something that runs under Plymouth City Council.
For more information, see here: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/environmentandplanning.htm
At Lush caring about the environment is one of our top priorities. We have a dedicated team who work hard to reduce our waste, carbon, energy and water consumption, as well as people throughout the factory and shops working hard to implement this. There is no such thing as waste. In nature every output is something else’s input, so why can’t we be the same. At the factory we are constantly refining our output streams, looking for ways they can be reused, or switching to a different material. We have lots of different ways of keeping our shops green. From ensuring we recycle to installing cradle to cradle tiles, green walls, and solar hot water. Most shops have a green helper, and we have a green retail support member who helps them along the way. For more information, go here: https://www.lush.co.uk/
EDF uses a mix of energy sources, including nuclear, renewable and thermal. We review our environmental policy annually, or more frequently where necessary, and as a sustainable business, we take our responsibilities to the land we use and must necessarily disturb very seriously. We have a programme at all our power stations to reclaim waste land and land used for storage of pre- and post-production material, and our sites include nature reserves and other education centres for the use of local schools and other interested groups. Since the Green Fund was launched in 2001, EDF Energy has awarded more than £5 million to 305 renewable energy projects in the UK. More than £2 million has been given to 129 educational projects – including those in schools, nurseries and colleges.
Energy Saving tips:
- Run your heating for just one our less every day
- Taking a shower instead of a bath
- Close the curtains to keep in the heat
-Turn off your lights and TV -Run your washing machine on full loads and low energy settings Go here to find out how green your student house is! http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-yourhome/energy-saving-advice/how-green-is-your-home. shtml (See http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/foryour-home/energy-saving-advice/ for reference)
South West Water has made substantial investment in environmental improvements in recent years. These have brought the region’s drinking water, sewerage systems and bathing waters into line with stringent UK and European Union standards. This extensive programme of environmental improvement now means the South West has some of the finest bathing waters in Europe and clean rivers with stunning wildlife. Our current business plan highlights our drive to lead on sustainability by specifically addressing the issue of climate change with investment in championing low energy, low carbon solutions, water conservation and innovative ways of responding to climate change. We measure and publicly report our carbon emissions, set targets and take action to reduce emissions, in both supply chain management and waste management. Upstream Thinking is South West Water’s flagship programme of environmental improvements aimed at i mproving water quality in river catchments in order to reduce water treatment costs. Go here for more information: http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=132
Thank you for taking the time to look through all the amazing ways these Societies and Firms help the world. On Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November, Come onto campus to find out how you can make your life more green, find out about our green societies and hear from our green partners. All week, look out for the electronic waste bin outside the hive, and our information presentation showing throughout the SU! Vegetarian Society cafe in Portland Sq cafe Thursday evening! Engineers Without Borders demonstrate their use of recycled materials on Friday 3-5pm in the SU! And look out for the re-launch of UPSU’s One Green Bottle! Brought to you by the Environment and Sustainability Forum https://www.facebook.com/groups/281265431998441/ On Friday head on down to the SU where we are holding a Recycle Ball. Come in your best recycle fancy dress and join the fun!