FMD, University of Waikato
Issue No: 103 – June 2012
Sustainability Enviro Survey – (Rachael Goddard)
An Environmental Sustainability Survey, for University staff and students was carried out to find out how the University
was doing from an environmental sustainability perspective, and to gain an insight into perceptions and behaviour, and
identify barriers to sustainable behaviour.
The reports will be loaded onto iWaikato next month.
A snap shot of staff versus students:
Staff
81% thought sustainability was very important or
important.
69% thought it was very important or important for the
University to teach sustainability.
80% believed it was very important or important to
research sustainability.
Respondents were asked whether sustainability should
factor in every paper and course at the University; 26%
responded that it should.
The majority of respondents (94%) thought it was very
important or important for the University to adopt
operational practices for sustainability.
The main environmental concerns on campus were; limited
recycling, waste production, energy consumption, plastic
packaging, and travel.
Students
73% thought sustainability was very important or
important.
72% thought it was very important or important for the
University to teach sustainability.
73% thought it very important or important to research
sustainability.
Respondents were asked whether sustainability should
factor in every paper and course at the university. 46%
thought it should.
79% thought it was very important or important for the
University to adopt operational practices for sustainability.
The main environmental concerns on campus: energy
consumption, lack of recycle bins, waste, poor water
quality of the lakes, and the unsustainable use of paper
and printing.
Take a break from New Zealand's winter and play rugby in Bali. That's what Hemi did along with 37 other Golden Oldies
rugby players and supporters. A couple of observations while there  Beautiful island, great
beaches, struggling with
over population of both
locals and tourists,
struggling with
environmental impacts.
 At our hotel the grounds
staff every morning
swept or picked up
every piece of litter (very
little) and every dead leaf,
even out of the gardens.
 Of the hundreds of trucks
I saw hauling gravel, not a
single one had a tip deck.
Hemi Dean
It's been my first time back to the UK for 4 years, and I couldn't wait.
Myself and my son, Jack were looking forward to catching up with my
older son, Jason, old school friends, and family. An added bonus for
me was a "Summer real ale" festival with over 60 beers on offer, that's
the true meaning of paradise.
For 20+ hours we were gliding across the world on the new "A380
airbus", and it was as comfortable and smooth as sitting in your
favourite armchair, so luckily the hours, as they say, flew past.
The first 3 days
were spent at
the magnificent
Lakes District,
known for
walking and
fine ales. We
were blessed
with fine
weather, which
made the
scenery better
than I remembered. After the lakes district, we travelled to the
Yorkshire dales for a day and a night in a small village called Malham.
After our trip to the countryside, we headed back to our hometown in
Hatfield, South Yorkshire, unfortunately the weather took a turn for
the worst, 7oC, constant rain, and grey skies, a true reminder of an
English summer. The next
week was spent catching up
with friends and relatives,
followed by a quick trip to the
peak district with my two
boys and Jason’s fiancée. But
before we knew it, it was time
to come home.
Thanks to the traffic we
nearly missed our plane,
but once we were
buckled up it was
smooth sailing back to
sunny old Cambridge.
We're glad to be
home and are already
saving for another trip
in around 4 years time,
I'll let you know how
that goes!!!
Gary Dancocks
We get some unusual requests and comments in
FMD but we can’t beat these!
Only in Britain - Complaints to Councils - Extracts
from letters written by council tenants:
• It's the dog’s mess that I find hard to swallow.
• I want some repairs done to my cooker as it
has backfired and burnt my knob off.
• I wish to complain that my father twisted his
ankle very badly when he put his foot in the
hole in his back passage.
• Their 18 year old son is continually banging his
balls against my fence.
• I wish to report that tiles are missing from the
outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the
other day that blew them off.
• My lavatory seat is cracked, where do I stand?
• I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is
coming away from the wall.
• Will you please send someone to mend the
garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it
yesterday and now she is pregnant.
• I request permission to remove my drawers in
the kitchen.
• 50% of the walls are damp, 50% have
crumbling plaster, and 50% are just plain
filthy.
• The next door neighbour has got this huge
tool that vibrates the whole house and I just
can't take it anymore.
• The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the
children until it is cleared.
• Will you please send a man to look at my
water; it is a funny colour and not fit to drink.
• Our lavatory seat is broken in half and now is
in three pieces.
• I want to complain about the farmer across
the road. Every morning at 6am his cock
wakes me up and it's now getting too much
for me.
• The man next door has a large erection in the
back garden, which is unsightly and
dangerous.
• Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two
children and would like a third, so please send
someone round to do something about it.
• I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat
and would you please do something about the
noise made by the man on top of me every
night.
• Please send a man with the right tool to finish
the job and satisfy my wife.
• I have had the clerk of works down on the
floor six times but I still have no satisfaction.
• This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is
broke and we can't get BBC2.
• My bush is really overgrown round the front
and my back passage has fungus growing in it.
Submitted by Robin Dunmall
Facilitation will be produced monthly. This publication is available online (where the pictures are a lot clearer) at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/fmd/
For communications relating to the FMD newsletter please contact Judy Swetman, ext 4980, email [email protected].