UC Sustainability Office (Engineering Services)
Kia ora everyone!
Welcome to the end of autumn!
May is another great month in our community gardens.
The quinces and apples are ending, but the feijoas are
going strong and the gardeners have just roasted a batch
of hazelnuts so that they can make Nutella!
It’s a delightful thing, a community garden. We are
constantly impressed by the happiness that seems to
rise up in people the first time they set foot in the garden
– one student recently described her first experience in
the Okeover Community Garden as being a “wonderful
bubble of joy”, and that can’t be a bad thing! Community
gardens are places where people get to feel how good a
sustainable world can be, which is a truly transformative
experience.
The garden also helps us to discover the best parts of
seasonal transitions: why lament the passing of summer
when magical, candle-lit evenings warmed with mulled
wine and mulled juice can be enjoyed?! As we pass into
the stillness of winter we can also focus in on some of
the things that truly matter, and leave behind the
frenetic nature of the hotter, busier months. So, this
Winter Equinox we will be hosting a Simplicity Network
event in the Okeover Community Garden on Friday 21
June (yes, complete with mulled wine!). Visit this link for
more details.
May is also the time to celebrate Fair Trade. We’ve had a
lower key Fair Trade Fortnight this year than in
previous years, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less
committed to the cause of UC becoming a Fair Trade
certified campus. If this is something you’re passionate
about, why not get involved with the Fair Trade Club and
really make a difference!
So, all the best autumnal greetings
from Matt, Katie, Jane and Michelle
Volume 4, No. 5, May 2013
Eco My Flat Workshop #4
This months’ Eco My Flat
workshop is going to be a
little bit different
Katie Nimmo (UC Sustainability Projects Facilitator)
will be training members from the UC Chapter of
Engineers without Borders (EWB) on how to
conduct basic home energy checks. The training will
take place in actual student dwellings. The long term
aspiration is for EWB members to assist other
students who are struggling with cold homes or high
energy bills. This project has the potential to
achieve two key outcomes – addressing the
perennial problem of students living in sub-optimal
indoor temperatures, and the all-important task of
improving the energy efficiency of rental housing
stock in Christchurch.
Katie scopes out a student flat for a home energy
check training workshop.
Contact Us
[email protected]
Phone: 03 364 3495 xtn 3495
[email protected]
Phone 03 364 2025 xtn 6025
Message in a bottle
The economics of buying bottled water or flavoured
drinks also doesn’t really stack up here in
Christchurch, given that Christchurch has some of
the finest drinking water in the world which can be
appreciated straight from the tap. It’s a wonder why
these products are necessary at all on campus.
Pollution by plastic waste in general also causes real
problems at a scale in our oceans that is hard to
imagine. The Great Pacific Garbage patch is a
floating island of marine debris in the central North
Pacific Ocean that is estimated to be between
700,000 km2 to more than 15,000,000 km2 (0.41%
to 8.1% of the size of the Pacific Ocean). A
significant proportion of this gyre is made up of
pelagic plastic.2
What on earth Katie doing? She has plunged into at
least a dozen recycling bins a day for five whole
days (!) to gather all the plastic drink bottles which
have been disposed of through the UC recycling
system. She’s too short to reach the bottom of the
bins so sometimes she has to pretty much get in
them to get plastic bottles out from the bottom of
the bin. Lucky, lucky Katie.
A key to a successful sustainability campaign is that
it offers positive alternative behaviours to the ones
which are creating the problem. Alongside the
plastic bottle installation, we will be offering
students the opportunity to purchase metal water
bottles at a heavily reduced rate. These bottles can
be kept forever and refilled as often as they need.
Students also need to know where they can refill
these bottles at no cost – and the Sustainability
Office will be also asking students to map the
location of water fountains on campus. We’ll then
use this information to update our fabulous and
famous UC Sustainability Map!
These bottles will be used by Fine Arts student,
Erinn Keith (pictured, right) to create an
installation in the Undercroft from Monday May 27
to Wednesday May 29 as part of an “Eco Us” project
to raise awareness about the incredible amount of
plastic which is consumed daily on campus. Erinn’s
practice utilises objects or materials often
underappreciated in today’s consumerist society,
some of which are regarded as waste. Her aim is to
transmute these objects, considered of little to no
value, into objects of purpose.
Plastic bottles constitute a decent portion of the
waste recycled daily on campus – and this is
reflected in our recycling fees. And whilst recycling
plastic bottles is far preferable to them ending up in
the landfill, they are then shipped to a waste
recycler based in another part of the world.
Combine these recycling costs with the
environmental costs of manufacturing and
transporting them in the first place, and the overall
impact of grabbing that bottle out of the café chiller
is mind-boggling. 1
Erinn Keith, Fine Arts Student and
Eco Us Project Champion
2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch)
1
http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/
Tom and his SScooter
Tom Marr, a UC geology student has built his very
own beer-crated electric sustainable scooter. This
scooter is a shining example of the innovative
thinking and skills required for making our world a
more sustainable place. Tom has repurposed a
bunch of bits from all over the place and made a
clean, cheap to run, comfortable and practical form
of transportation that does not consume fossil fuels.
Tom says “I was inspired to build this as a personal
challenge to fill a niche of personal transportation I
believe is out there. I enjoy talking with people
about renewable energy production, and more
efficient ways to use that energy in our society.”
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Due to the low speed and power requirements,
the scooter comes under the law of a power
assisted bicycle and therefore does not require
licensing and can be ridden in the cycle lane.
Compact enough to bring inside the flat, and can
also fit in an elevator.
Some key features of the SScooter (Sustainable
Scooter)
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Moves along at 33kph, with a range of 35km,
and costs ~ $0.80 per 100km in electricity to
charge.
Powered by a Lithium Ion battery (effectively a
big laptop battery). High upfront cost, however
benefits far outweigh these costs in the long run
when compared to other battery types.
The motor was acquired from a wrecked
electric scooter on Trade Me.
The rest of frame was constructed out of scrap
steel and alloy.
The scooter has a regenerative braking function,
where the motor acts as a generator and slows
you down, whilst in turn recharging the battery.
The electric motor is built into the rear wheel so
there is no chain, messy chain oil, or grease.
The front end is from an old 1980’s nifty 50
scooter.
LED head and tail light.
Congratulations Tom! What a great achievement!
PS we LOVE the chic black and silver look – so very
urbane.
Rising Star – Lisa Geary
This column profiles students who have had close
contact with the UC Sustainability Office and have
graduated from UC, or will graduate very soon.
Whilst we miss our students very much, we love to
hear about their plans for the future and what they
are currently doing. This month’s ‘Rising Star’ is Lisa
Geary.
What did you qualify in? I graduated in 2010 with a
BSc in Geography and Biological Sciences.
What are you doing in your job?/What are you
most excited about? I currently supervise a
Chemistry Laboratory in a co-operative Dairy
Factory. My daily tasks change due to the seasonal
and dynamic nature of the job –every day is different
and there’s always something new to learn. The dairy
industry is growing and changing, innovation is
encouraged here and I’m excited about having the
opportunity to put forward ideas and make changes
along the way.
How has your degree prepared you to think about
sustainability issues? It introduced me to many
global issues and largely sparked my interest in
sustainability - however I think the things I did
outside my degree but while still at uni prepared me
more on a practical, day to day level. Knowledge
began in the classroom, but the things I did outside it
really stuck. Sustainability is now a big part of my life
and almost comes naturally to think about it while
doing everything else.
How has the UC Sustainability Office contributed
to your experience of the UC Campus? Many go to
Uni for the ‘student life’– I took a couple of years out
before going, so Uni was a pretty serious time for me
(partying came with my part-time hospo job
instead!). The sust’ office provided a way to connect
socially with others, but in a really meaningful way.
The workshops put on during Eco My Flat,
sustainability related events and the great people I
met while connected with the sust’ office provided so
many opportunities to learn, of which are all things
now I reflect back on and use in my daily life. The
time bank scholarship project gave me a lot of
practical experience and skills too.
What was your favourite ‘sustainability moment’
on campus? Finding out I’d been chosen for the
summer scholarship in 2010 – and the moment of
realization that I was going to spend the summer
researching an awesome project about something I
was really interested and passionate about…while
getting paid to do it! Also, helping out at
sustainability events and getting others on board –
it’s rewarding seeing others get involved in
something your passionate about.
If you could wave a wand, what would a
sustainable University of Canterbury campus
look like? Central, edible gardens and orchards
where people can meet, contribute and share the
produce! Green spaces that are utilized more – grass
is nice but boring, why not outdoor lecture space,
landscaped sitting areas, private study spaces and
big community areas because being outdoors
connects people to nature. Sustainable
infrastructure and eco-buildings – show us the solar
panels and passive heating designs. Plus a campus
swap/free-cycle shop.
In five/ten years’ time, what would you like to be
doing with respect to sustainability? While I love
my current job, I want to get into some kind of
environmental management or improvement field –
resource management interests me and so does
working for a regulatory body, particularly local
government. That or I’ve always seen myself doing
some kind of eco-auditing and perhaps helping
others/businesses become more sustainable. In my
personal life I want to travel to see the wonderful
world we live in before I settle down in my lush ecohome set in NZ native bush paradise!
If you graduated from UC and are now working in a
job (paid or unpaid) which addresses any
sustainability issue and would like to be profiled in
this column, The UC Sustainability Office would love to
hear from you. It doesn’t matter how long ago you
studied at UC. Email [email protected]
Eco My Flat Workshop: How to
cook meat-free meals
Our last Eco My Flat Workshop was hosted by UC’s
very own Richard Till who provided the crowd with
humorous cooking tips on how to make meat-free
dishes. Held at the Undercroft, there was a record
turnout and many attendees even got to take home
their own veggie pattie.
Integrating more plant-based meals into your diet is
a significant shift towards adopting a more
sustainable lifestyle for lots of reasons, including
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Plant-based crops provide far more calorific
value per hectare of land used compared to the
amount of land required to raise meat
Lots of different kinds of vege food can be
purchased in bulk or come in their own
packaging which in turn can be composted.
Farmed animals in NZ are a significant
contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Cooking seasonal produce grown locally in NZ
helps to reduce the carbon emissions associated
with the transport of food.
A very special thanks to:
Richard Till for donating his precious time to show
us how to cook up a yum feed.
Our sponsors,
1) Piko WholeFoods Cooperative
(http://www.pikowholefoods.co.nz/)
2) UC Community gardens
3) Christchurch Vegetarian Centre for some great
information for students to take away.
http://www.vegetarianchristchurch.org.nz/
Vege Patties- courtesy of Richard
Till
Brown lentils – 1x 420g can
Onion x1
Celery
Carrot
Eggs
Bread crumbs
Finely chop onion, celery and carrots evenly
into a pot. Heat & simmer lentils, for
approximately 30mins leave to cool. Place in
food processor with bread crumbs. Pulse
until it resembles a sticky paste, add 2 eggs to
help bind together, roll into balls and press
firmly. Make the surfaces as flat as possible to
allow the sides to cook evenly. Serve in a
burger bun, with your choice of salads and
enjoy 
Tips- Cut every ingredient the same size- the
smaller the better.
DigSoc Affiliated
DigSoc, a student gardening club dedicated to
‘digging into food and digging into dirt’ was
formally recognised by the UCSA this month.
CONGRATULATIONS DigSoc!
Here’s their new logo – isn’t it gorgeous?
Do you have a Sustainable Business?
The Sustainable 60 gives New Zealand
companies and organisations an opportunity to
showcase their sustainability journey and
business practices
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The First NZ Tertiary Community
Engagement Summit: 29-30 August 2013
While tertiary community engagement has been
encourages growth and sustainable business
practice amongst all New Zealand public and
private sector entities
celebrates and rewards stories of leadership
that exemplify sustainable business practice in
the five categories
showcases innovation that supports sustainable
business practice in New Zealand
Entry into the Sustainable 60 Awards also provides
a unique opportunity for businesses to measure
their performance and connect with others who are
doing the same.
Go to http://sustainable60.co.nz/ for more
information and inspiration.
a field of research and practice in North America
for 40 years, its emergence in Australasia is
rather recent. The Christchurch earthquakes of
2010 and 2011 provided the University of
Canterbury and other tertiary institutions in New
Zealand with an opportunity to reflect on the
important role their students and staff can play in
their local and national communities.
This will be the first opportunity in New Zealand
for tertiary institution academics, students, and
community organisations to come together to
share research, practices, and experiences in
order to establish the New Zealand context for
community engagement. In addition to the
presentations and roundtable discussions, the
setting of Christchurch will be utilised with
several opportunities for participants to
experience community engagement first hand.
Call for Proposals
If you are a tertiary student or staff member or
belong to a community organisation, please
consider attending or submitting a proposal to
contribute to this important, timely, and
unprecedented event.
Proposal Guidelines
Please submit an abstract (350 words maximum)
including name, affiliation, presenter category,
and contact details by 1 July to the Summit
Organiser, Dr Billy O’Steen. Submitters will be
notified of the review process outcome by 15 July.
Questions & Registration Details
Please contact Dr O’Steen with any questions
about the Summit at
[email protected], or 03-364-2851.
Online registration will commence on 1 July.