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Greening Your Event

Greening Your Event. Gary Jones, Chair, Greenhouse and Nursery Production School of Horticulture. Getting Started Planning the Event At the event After the Event But first, WHY?. Why do we need to ‘green’ our events?. Population is growing Resources are depleting

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Greening Your Event

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  1. Greening Your Event Gary Jones, Chair, Greenhouse and Nursery Production School of Horticulture.

  2. Getting Started • Planning the Event • At the event • After the Event • But first, WHY? BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  3. Why do we need to ‘green’ our events? • Population is growing • Resources are depleting • Consumption is out of control We need action for the sake of future generations BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  4. BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  5. Resources and Consumption • New houses (in N. America) were 38% bigger in 2002 compared to 1975, despite having fewer people in each household. (Gardner, et al “The State of Consumption Today”, in Pojman and Pojman) • The 12% of the world’s population who live in N. America and Europe account for 60% of global private consumer spending. (Gardner et al.) BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  6. Human consumption • Hunter-gatherer: 2,500 calories • Human today: 31,000 calories • Average N. America: 6x this! BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  7. Getting Your Event Started: What can you do? Break-out, brainstorm. 3mins BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  8. Getting Started • Engage planning team to commit to a sustainable event – set goals, discuss criteria • Publicise your commitment to green in your materials • Meet at transit friendly sites (or teleconference) • Research event partners committed to sustainable practices • Think about your carbon footprint: BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  9. Carbon footprints • Use a climate calculator to estimate total energy use: • http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx • http://www.carbonfriendly.com/carbon-calculator/footprint/ • http://calc.zerofootprint.net/one_minute/personal/ Do the carbon footprint for attendees travel needs BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  10. Plan the Event • The Site • The Presenters • Publicity • Transport • Materials • Catering • Amenities and Signage BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  11. Education spot: Re-cycling one case (12) of alumin(i)um cans saves 1 ½ gallons gas Re-cycled aluminium uses only 5% energy as that of new cans Newsprint from re-cycled paper takes up to 60% less energy than that made from wood pulp BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  12. Annual CO2 emissions, Langley Annual amount: 820,000 tonnes 80% of transport output is for private vehicle useage Source: Langley Township, Community Energy & Emissions Planning Committee BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  13. Planning your event – what can you do? • The Site • The Presenters • Publicity • Transport • Materials • Catering • Amenities and Signage Break-out, brainstorm 7 mins BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  14. Plan the Event • The Site: Near transit? Already committed? • The Presenters: Local? Track record? Accommodation (Green Hotels Association) • Publicity: Use electronic means. On-line registration. Cards (not envelopes) for mail-outs. • Transport: public or carpool? Shuttle busses? Calculate footprints for car users and purchase off-sets? BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  15. Plan the Event • Materials: Paper?(delete duplicates) Name tags? (re-cycleable) Markers and whiteboards?(non-toxic) Presentations on-line? • Catering: Local? Vegetarian? Compost? Cutlery / plates? Napkins? Drinks containers? BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  16. Education spot: To produce one kg of beef requires 16,000 litres of water One ¼ lb hamburger uses 11,000 litres water To produce 1kg beef, requires 16kg grain, and 1kg beef produces 40kg manure To produce one cup of coffee, requires 140 litres water BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  17. Amenities and Signage: Tell your green story, e.g. signs for re-cycling containers BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  18. At the Event • Room choice Catering • Logistics Goodie bags • Decoration Education • Name tags Transit • Volunteer T-shirts Evaluate BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  19. At the event, what can you do? Break-out, brainstorm. 7 mins BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  20. At the Event • Room choice: natural lighting possible? • Logistics: Signage for re-cycling bins is clear • Decoration: live plants, re-useable materials, centre-pieces, raffle off plants to participants and donate to local school BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  21. At the Event, contd • Name tags: business cards in a badge holder (collected at end of event), consider starch bio-plastic • Volunteers’ Tee-shirts: Bio-degradable (corn) • Transit: post info on website, signage to transit • Education: inform at the event BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  22. At the Event, contd • Handouts? (double sided, post consumer re-cycled paper only, on-request, on-line, CD?) • Evaluate: Ask for feedback, post on website BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  23. At the Event, contd • Catering: local, organic. • Careful head count of attendees to avoid waste • If bar-b-que: use lots of side dishes to reduce meat consumption • Re-useable (ceramic) plates, mugs, glasses, cream/milk jugs (no creamers), re-fillable drinks containers • No bottled water. None. Zero. Nothing. Zilch. • Compost bins for organic waste • Donate excess to food bank, charity BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  24. At the Event, contd • Goodie bags: • NO PLASTIC – Reduce, reuse or recycle • No junk – pens, fridge magnets - really??? • Vouchers to local, organic food store BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  25. After the Event • Give back to the host venue – spread the commitment • Examples? Break-out, brainstorm. 3mins BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  26. After the Event • Waste: prevent if possible, but do clean up • Give back to host venue – spread the committment • Seed packets? • Tree seedlings? • Carbon offsets? • Evaluate: • Measure waste and re-cycled products • Survey participants on green aspects of event BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  27. Final Thought for the day… Still wondering why green is good? • “Providing adequate food, clean water and basic education for the world’s poorest could all be achieved for less than people spend annually on make-up, ice-cream and pet foods.” (Gardner et al.) BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  28. Web resources: • Sustainable Communities Network: • www.sustainable.org/information/susevent.html • ‘Green Tips’, Union of Concerned Scientists • www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips • Carbon footprint calculators (many!) BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  29. Thank you – questions? BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

  30. BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

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