Canada´s Green University

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Since the University of Northern British Columbia has been opened there have been many efforts to create a sustainable facility. There are many aspects of the university that contribute to its sustainability, which include the buildings, as well as on-going projects. The students and faculty, however, do not necessarily take part in maintaining the university’s title as Canada’s Green University. UNBC’s title as Canada’s Green University may also be put into question when compared to other Canadian universities. UNBC strives towards creating a green university, but this does not necessarily result in a green and sustainable university.
An important idea to establish is the definition of being green. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the definition of being green is:
Green: relating to or being an environmentalist political movement; concerned with or supporting environmentalism; tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting).

This ultimately means that being green has two key elements; efforts must be made, and they must result in the preservation of the environment. The second element of having your actions result in the preservation of the environment ultimately means to be sustainable. The term “sustainable” is often misunderstood. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines sustainable as:
Sustainable: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged; of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.

The University of Northern British Columbia applies to these definitions. By definition, UNBC is green because the establishment is concerned wit...

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