Environmental Challenge
Results from the Hart House Environmental Challenge for campus residences
by Christal Francis

The Challenge kicked off on January 12, 2009, with the objective of aiding students living in residence to decrease their carbon footprint. It focused on four categories: electricity use, recycling, garbage output and food waste. During the Challenge energetic student teams from Innis, 89 Chestnut, St. Michael’s, Trinity and University College promoted and coordinated activities to get their fellow residents involved in curbing wastage. Doorknob hangers distributed by Hart House were used to identify the students who were on board with the Challenge. Site visits revealed that many students at each residence were aware of or involved in the Challenge.

The environmental teams not only created and distributed promotional material but also organized games, competitions and movie nights to ignite passion in preserving the environment. At Innis, residents eagerly gathered to play a popular campfire game known as “Matrix”, which was staged in complete darkness. This not only added to the excitement but it also ensured that the point of conserving energy was well made. At St. Mike’s College administrators inspired by the efforts of environmental team leader Opani Mudalige formed a collaborative body to oversee environmental issues in the long term. A very effective campaign to reduce St. Mike’s food waste was also undertaken by placing garbage bins at the exits of the cafeteria. Students—now required to empty their own leftovers instead of having waste cleared away by staff—made a more visual connection with the volume of food being wasted, resulting in a sense of personal responsibility amongst the students involved.

At the end of the Challenge on March 13, 2009, St. Mike’s was declared the undisputed winner of the Challenge Cup: $500 towards further environmental initiatives and bragging rights of the ‘”greenest college” on campus! Hart House salutes everyone who participated in and facilitated the Challenge at their residences. All in all, students showed keen interest and desire to cultivate more environmentally friendly behaviours in order to reduce their collective carbon footprint. Hopefully, this is just a start in ensuring that this mindset will endure far beyond graduation.