Green Journal
TM.
Green Building And Planning
Kristina Hunter
ENVR 3750
Green Building Event
University of Manitoba Sustainability Night
Event Timeline
Thursday, March 7, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
6 p.m: Doors open
6:30 – 7:30 p.m: Presentations
7:45 – 8:30 p.m: Panel discussion
8:30 p.m: Sustainability Award Presented
8:30 – 9 p.m: Networking wine and cheese
First, Chantal Delaquis, a student from the faculty of Arts, opened the stage by presenting her A Campus Pilot Project titles Organic Waste Diversion. In her presentation, she talked about the impact of composting, how to practice composting and why composting is very important. She also touched a little on Aerobic and Anaerobic, the two methods of composting. She concluded by highlighting the future of the future of composting.
Second, Professor Dietmar Straub from the faculty of Architecture with his Lost Nature presentation.
Third, Sean Scammell, a student of biosystem engineering, presented his team's Wintergreen Consulting.
Fourth, a presentation about Alternative Energy and Food Sovereignty in Northern Communities by Curt Hull from Boke Consulting.
Fifth, Ted Chastko presented on Regenerative Agriculture and its Impacts on Communities. To conclude the presentation series, Michael Link, a member of staff from the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) talked about the positive impact of reducing meat and dairy from our diet in a presentation titled Vegans and Wankers. After the presentations, awards were presented to Chantel, Sean and his biosystem engineering team, and other members of the event.
The University of Manitoba was recently selected as the United Nations Academic Impact Hub for the Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. The University was selected because of its effort in implementing some key SDGs in its curriculum, most noticeable the SDG 6. So during the Sustainability Night event, a group of panellists consisting of Kristy Anderson a Master's candidate from the department of soil science, Stewart Hill a PhD candidate from the National Resource Institute, David Lobb a professor at the University of Manitoba soil science department, and Stephane McLachlan who is also a professor in the department of environment and geography discussed their research, projects and ideas, thoughts regarding clean water and sanitation in Manitoba and how their projects or research tackle the SDG 6 initiative. The panellist concluded the discussion with a Q&A session. Finally, the evening came to an end with an informal meet and greet during the networking wine-and-cheese session.
The theme of this year's Sustainability Night was the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and sustainable future for all (UN, 2019). The SDGs address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, y, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. They are also the basis on which the University's renewed Sustainable Strategy is built. Furthermore, these Goals are very much interconnected and to not leave anyone behind, we must achieve each Goal and target by 2030. The event consists of six (6) PechaKucha 20x20 format presentations with more inequality.
The professional development learning event I attended was the University of Manitoba Sustainability Night. Sustainability Night is an annual event night that is planned and hosted by the University of Manitoba office of Sustainability the purpose of the event is to bring together students, alumni, faculty members, and other professionals and connect with other sustainability-focused people to share ideas and stories around sustainability. If these types of conversations will lead to opportunities for creating positive impacts on the environment and at the same time be beneficial to the planet and ourselves. The event took place on March 7 on a Thursday at the Robert B. Schultz Theatre, St. John’s College, and the University of Manitoba.
Green Building
and Planning Podcasts
An earthen floor is a modern approach to an ancient practice in which the manual flooring option. Earthen floors can give our sustainable homes a great earthy touch. They are more sustainable than concrete or tile, they are more comfortable and easier on your feet. Earthen floors can be durable and last a long time, even though they are more sustainable, they might not be the best material for all spaces in our homes. They usually break down faster when there is a lot of moisture on them and break easily when under pressure, that is when heavy items are dropped on them. Earthen floors work great for bedrooms and living rooms rather than places like the kitchen and bathroom
How 2 Build Green
Greywater System
By: Adam Fries and Laura Allan
Grey water is a system that contributes to water conservation. The system teaches and empowers people to collect sustainable water for themselves. It does so by educating people on how to collect rainwater or reuse rainwater through a very local water supply. Also, it teaches people how to reuse Grey water, which is the water we use once. E.g., water from washing machines can reuse the water by using it to irrigate our landscape. The podcast also talked about how to use waterless toilets using a composting method. This podcast relates to green building and planning because it talked about the importance of conserving water and how we can sustainably save water.
Z-Home is a ten-unit town home building development that uses smart design and cutting-edge technologies to radically reduce its environmental impacts. Z-Home proves that homes that use zero net energy and 70% less water, emit net-zero carbon emissions, have clean indoor air and use only low-toxicity materials are possible and scalable to mainstream home production. Z-homes have been around for quite a while, especially in recent years. This podcast dissuaded the first zero-net energy and carbon-neutral multifamily development in the United States. The project aimed to achieve zero net energy, including other environmental benefits. The Z-home idea process initially started as an education building because one of the ten units was being used as a long-term education centre, which knows converted into an affordable housing unit.
Z-Home
Lessons Learned
By: Brad Liljequist
This podcast talks about the act of planning cities and what it takes to plan a city in an urban area. The podcast talked a great deal on how we understand our cities, and how do we know if our cities are getting better. Jennifer and Euan Mills explain the idea that when planning a city, often a financial model is used instead of a planning model. That is, planning cities based on the criteria of what will save or generate more income rather than what will benefit the environment and the future of a city. Also, the moderators also touched on the importance of technology in city planning by talking about how they should be a collaborative or mutual relationship between technology and Architects, and city planners. They further discussed automotive vehicles and whether automotive vehicles replacing our current transport systems will be a good thing or not. Technology can only help create a vision or help and make our planning visions into reality.
INVISIBLE CITY EP 015
Can Computers Plan Our Cities? The Art and Science of Planning
By: Jennifer Keesmaat
Green Philosophy Statement
“If our expectation is for the creative class of the next generation to drive the new green economy, then we must take on the responsibility of providing that generation with the necessary tools to do so.”
-Andrew Davies
Community
Imagining our Sustainable Community is a revolutionary program that is engaging and energizing young individuals like never before as seen for example, in Canadian public education. It delivers an experiential lesson on how communities work and inspire as well as empowering us to create solutions that will improve life in their communities for years to come
Teaching youths about sustainable communities equips them with the skills to enter and succeed in a green economy
Kids can grasp complex ideas, if we provide them with the proper canvas, they can learn and create amazing things hands-on
Experiential
Energizing
Engaging
Art, design, music, architecture and coming together to celebrate are all key elements in a culture of sustainability.
&
Teaching practical skills to youths while empowering them to think outside the box. To lead innovative changes.
Create Solutions
Community engagement, transportation systems, housing, sustainability, infrastructure, reconciliation affect every aspect of our lives. If today’s generation can be able to see the role of urban planning and design play in our daily lives, then, and only, we can begin to imagine our own sustainable communities.