Energy Minister Barry Barnet kicked off the first Saint Mary’s University Sustainability Week by announcing the university’s switch to natural gas.
“Natural gas is a cleaner, healthier, made in Nova Scotia energy solution,” Barnet said yesterday.
The change from heavy oil to natural gas cost $1.3 million and the province’s Gas Market Development Fund contributed $993,000. The university will lower its emissions by 2,000 tonnes per year, about the same as pulling 400 cars off the road.
The Sustainability Task Force organized this week’s event. They practised what they preach by offering a litter free snack of apples, and providing water glasses and ceramic coffee mugs for beverages.
Displays illustrating green practices at St. Mary’s lined the walls. One such display shows the 80,000 pieces of paper saved when the university committed to closely monitor its paper use last year.
A giant mobile of reusable shopping bags, batteries, and drink packages hung from the ceiling. The custodial staff built it to illustrate the four Rs: Recycle, reduce, reuse and rethink.
But not all of the displays were motivational.
A pile of clear bags filled with unsorted trash illustrated the need for education. The bags were collected from four-stream refuse cans on campus, which divide paper, plastics, cans and organics.
“We have the four bins with the educational posters above them, all over campus,” said Catherine McCarthy a university spokeswoman.
“But this is the reality,” she said pointing at the waist-high pile of bags.
The Fair continues until Friday with workshops and presentations.
