What are your experiences of sustainability at Greenwich?
Welcome to our blog; stories from our students and staff; your friends or lecturers around what sustainability means to them and what experiences they had whilst at the university. From today, going back years, each and every story is important to tell. Use the categories to navigate to your interest. What to contribute? Whether it’s a poem, visual content, a day in the life of, or something different, if you want to add your story to our sustainable blog let us know sustainability@gre.ac.uk.
The Sustainability Team & SU2018 Primary Education StudentsFem Soc promoting mooncupsharvesting is always the favourite job!
London, a city bustling with energy and innovation, is once again at the forefront of a movement towards a more sustainable future. As the global climate crisis looms ever larger, the need for action has never been more urgent. In the heart of this vibrant metropolis, students from universities across the capital gather for the London Student Sustainability Conference 2024, a beacon of hope and catalyst for change.
This year students from the University of Greenwich attended, presented and volunteered at the conference. Look below for a few blogs to give you the inside scoop of what the conference was like!
Sustainable Tourism: Unveiling Challenges and Opportunities in The Gambia
By Ousman Jawneh Jawara
Introduction: My name is Ousman Jawneh Jawara, a third-year student pursuing a BA in Tourism Management. I was thrilled to be selected to present my project, “Tourism in Gambia: Challenges and Opportunities,” at the London Student Sustainability Conference hosted at Imperial College in London. This research topic has been a source of inspiration for me for over six years, shaping not only my academic journey but also my commitment to contributing to sustainable tourism development in my home country.
Background: The Gambia, nestled in the heart of Africa, boasts a rich tourism history, abundant natural resources, UNESCO heritage sites, stunning beaches, and a delightful climate. Despite its small size, tourism plays a significant role, contributing 20% to the national GDP and fostering overall development. However, this growth is not without challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, economic leakage, and a lack of comprehensive tourism policies.
Research Rationale: My project aims to delve into the reasons behind the frustration in tourism development in The Gambia despite its vast natural resources. Key questions include understanding the draw factors for tourists, the impact of tourism on households, and its contribution to the national economy. Additionally, the lack of academic research in this area motivates this study, aiming to bridge the existing gap in knowledge.
Passion for Sustainable Tourism: What compelled me to present at LSSC24 is the deep-seated passion, love, and dedication I have for my country. I am committed to achieving sustainable tourism development through research and promoting responsible tourism that not only benefits the economy but also safeguards our planet and involves local communities. Representing my university at this level is an added honor and responsibility.
Acknowledgments: I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Fatemeh Mohamadi, my project supervisor, for her unwavering support throughout the presentation process. Special thanks to Andres Coca Stefaniak for inspiring me with his knowledge on sustainability, Samantha Chaperon, Lauren Siegel, Isabella Ye, and to all the dedicated lecturers from the Department of Tourism and Events.
In sharing my research, I aspire to contribute to the discourse on sustainable tourism, fostering positive change in The Gambia and beyond.
Embracing Sustainability and Student Leadership: My Journey as a Volunteer at LSSC24
By Ishan Thakkar
Hello, I’m Ishan Thakkar, a student pursuing International Business at the University of Greenwich. With a fervent interest in sustainability and a deep appreciation for nature, I am always on the lookout for opportunities that allow me to make a positive impact. My journey as a volunteer at the London Student Sustainability Conference 2024 (LSSC24), hosted at Imperial College London, was a testament to my proactive approach and commitment to environmental stewardship.
As I sit down to pen my thoughts on my recent volunteering experience at the LSSC24, I am filled with a sense of pride and fulfilment. This marks my second year of volunteering at this prestigious event, and with each passing year, my passion for sustainability and student leadership grows stronger. I assisted presenters and organizers in ensuring the smooth execution of the event. One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering was the opportunity to engage with presenters and learn about their sustainability initiatives first-hand. Their passion and commitment to driving positive change left a lasting impression on me and reinforced my belief in the power of collective action.
Proudly student-led and organized by ten universities, LSSC24 showcased the collective efforts of students in addressing sustainability challenges. The commitment of the Student Delivery Group was evident in every aspect of the conference, infusing it with a student perspective and ensuring its success.
It has reaffirmed my commitment to sustainability and ignited a newfound determination to make a meaningful impact. Therefore, I am excited to announce that I will be working on my own sustainability initiative over the coming year. My goal is to develop a comprehensive project that addresses a pressing sustainability issue and showcase it at the upcoming LSSC25. I eagerly anticipate becoming one of the presenters as well. I am eager to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on sustainability and to inspire others to join me in taking action towards a more sustainable future. With determination and passion, I am confident that together, we can create a more sustainable world for future generations.
My experience in the Student Delivery Group at LSSC24
By Michelle Kossowski
My name is Michelle Kossowski and I am a first-year international law student from Canada. I joined the university’s Sustainability team as a volunteer in September 2023. Ever since then, I have supported Clothes Swap events and was a member of the Student Delivery Group for the London Student Sustainability Conference 2024!
I am drawn to the sector of sustainability because improving the environment has a direct effect on people’s quality of life. I believe sustainability is not just about improving the current quality of life, but ensuring it keeps to a high standard in the future. The issue of fast fashion interests me because I often see my peers making unsustainable fashion choices due to the rapidly changing trend cycle. I hope to educate others on the social and environmental impacts of unsustainable fashion. I am also intrigued in the intersection between sustainability and law because the law can be a mechanism to prevent environmental misconduct. I heard about the opportunity of joining the Student Delivery Group from the sustainability team at Greenwich.
I wanted to connect and network with like-minded individuals and my first meeting was electric, as we all had ideas about the event. It was a diverse and welcoming space to give and receive feedback. I settled as the conference’s Social Media Manager and my responsibilities were to create promotional content and content on the day. The opening ceremony of the conference was already filled with excitement and hope.
A highlight of the ceremony was a speech given by Dr. Omnia El Omrani, who is a Climate Change and Health Junior Policy Fellow at Imperial College London. She talked about her work in promoting a health-focused approach to sustainability across the world and how she presented youth efforts on climate and health at COP28 UAE. This set an inspirational tone for the day!
Although I was running around the building with the student photographer getting the perfect shots for social media, I found the time to sit down for a presentation. I listened to Niso Khamraeva’s presentation, “Saving the Aral Sea,” which focused on a region of the world that was completely new to me, Karakalpakstan. She discussed the gender and climate impacts of the community’s diminishing water source and finished the speech with the insightful question: “If every specialist brought with them a bucket of water, would the sea be filled again?” After the presentation, I went to conduct short interviews with the workshop leaders. It was a comfortable atmosphere and the lecturers I spoke with were open about their experiences and motivations surrounding the LSSC24. Attending the LSSC24 was an enriching experience to learn more about sustainability from a student perspective and I intend to foster all the connections I made.
LSSC24: Creating opportunities for students to shine
By Fariha ‘Faz’ Ahmed
Hi, I’m Faz Ahmed, Sustainability Projects Assistant at The University of Greenwich. I became a part of the UoG fabric around 5 months ago and one of the first tasks I got given was to be involved in the London Student Sustainability Conference 2024. Now, in all honesty I had never heard of this conference (which is shameful considering I just recently graduated in sustainability from a London university), so I turned up to the meetings with very little clue and first-day jitters.
But what I found was an inspiring group of higher education professionals gung-ho in creating the best and most impactful experience for students interested in a topic near and dear; sustainability.
Steering group leader, Arthur Shearlaw, spear-headed the event to what it is, ensuring everyone was on the same page, and doing a lot of the less than exciting work; the dreaded admin. I was lucky to have UoG Sustainability Manager, David Jackson to hold my hand through the process and make me aware of the ins and outs. Apart from these shout-outs it was just wonderful to meet such an eclectic group of varied people ranging from lecturers, sustainability professionals and people new to higher education, just like me, who were truly enthused to share their knowledge and experiences in sustainability.
Now, when it comes the actual event, I made the rather rash decision to manage the student volunteers who so kindly gave up their time to make the event what it was. If I’m being honest, the role did make me want to scream at times, especially when I was running around like a headless chicken on the day. However, the screams quickly turned into smiles once I met such a broad range of young, passionate students with real interest in contributing to how our world is shaped.
The experience was incredible, and I’ll leave it at that.
I love everything to do with beauty. Only several years ago, I had a handful of not-so-good products. It was only when I got my first job that I started to invest in more, better quality makeup.
Recently, I have become more conscious about them though. What ingredients are used to make them? Where are they sourced from? Have they been tested on animals?
As a consumer, I have the power and responsibility to spend my money on whatever I want. So why should I be paying companies that are hurting fluffy, little bunnies? The problem is a lot of us just don’t think too much about what we’re putting into our shopping baskets.
I believe that making the first step towards buying ethical or Fairtrade items can be tricky. Where do you start? Well, if we all took some time to read product labels and do some research on the brands that we love, we can learn more about them.
Here’s what I’ve come across in my search for ethical/Fairtrade beauty:
Brands that are cruelty free usually show this on their packaging with an image of a bunny or explicitly say so.
Brands that are Fairtrade have the logo on their packaging.
A lot of the time if you’re unsure about the details, you can easily find your answers online.
Brands that I’ve found:
Lush: “Lush consistently works hard to source materials and develop relationships with producers that are as direct and transparent as possible […] Lush uses a variety of ingredients, some of which are not able to be certified Fairtrade.” They also fight against animal testing, hand-make their products and are suitable for vegetarians. (https://weare.lush.com/lush-life/our-policies/fair-trade/)
The Body Shop: is leading the way to all things Fairtrade and ethical, as well as running other important campaigns. Their website is jam packed with information with what they are actively doing to help the world. (http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/values/index.aspx)
(by Superdrug): “It’s our vision to be part of what makes you and your life beautiful.” B. is both cruelty free and vegan friendly – the best of both worlds! As well as carrying makeup and skincare items, they also have a range of products for men. (http://www.superdrug.com/brandshop/B)
Sometimes when we think about making the transition to buying ethical/Fairtrade items, we often think about the higher price tag that is attached to them. But, what you should consider is the fact that you’re investing in something positive and supporting these companies.
It has been rewarding to learn so much about ethical/Fairtrade online, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. There are countless videos on Youtube that talk about it.
When it comes down to the basics, we want to be purchasing from companies that are simply fair. If we all take small step towards investing in better products, we can all live in a better world and know that we are contributing to the greater good.
There is no such thing as a free lunch…perhaps this is not so true especially if you know how to forage.
Foraging for wild food is what humans used to do before we became sedentary and reliant on agriculture. Now people are flooding back to foraging not only for the free food but to connect back with nature and learn more about the different foods that we tend not to find in the supermarket so much.
Alex and Emily from the Sustainability Team were invited to a foraging day in Abbey Wood by Barracuda Digital, a digital marketing agency. The day was hosted by the Caravan Club and Napiers, to put existing foraging skills to the test and to learn more about what to look out for and the history of these plants in herbal medicine. Below they recount what they learnt and how foraging could become a regular event at the University of Greenwich.
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On a beautiful spring morning we were invited to the Abbey Wood Caravan Club site to meet up with other London bloggers and delve into the world of foraging. We had had some experience of foraging but this was mostly limited to picking Sloes for gin and Blackberries for jam so were looking forward to learning more about the wild food available on our doorstep.
We started the day meeting Monica Wilde who was to be our guide for a 3 hour session around the site and Lenses Abbey Wood.
Monica is a director at Napiers- the herbal and plant remedy business, as well as an active foraging business.
“I live in a field in West Lothian. 4 wild acres where I am planting and encouraging medicinal and foraging species. I have been fascinated by herbs and plants since childhood. My original interest was sparked by a wild childhood in Kenya, where I was introduced to herbal medicine by a local Kikuyu herbalist at the age of six. We were outdoors most of the time and I remember with joy the freedom of those early years. I love foraging for wild food as well as wild medicine and would happily never visit a supermarket again.”
We started with the innocuous daisy found on most lawns and learnt a fancy dinner party trick that we will definitely be trying out. When picked, daisies will start to close up however once dropped in liquid they begin to slowly open up again. For a spectacular starter you can drop a couple of closed daisies onto your soup and your guests will be impressed as the daisies open up before their eyes.
Alex sampling some bitter cress.
We also took a look at the common dandelion which is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The leaves can be used in a salad or cooked. Flowers can be made into juice, or added into many recipes. You can even use the root and dry it to be used in dandelion tea.
There were many things to taste enroute and we sampled wild garlic, wild parsley hawthorn buds, common chickweed, pineapple weed and the favourite of the day which were the buds from a bramble bush which inexplicable taste like coconut!
Foraging for Wild Garlic and Wild Parsley, and learning about the dangers of Hemlock (also known as poison parsley)!
As well as expanding our knowledge in botany we also had a crash course in herbal medicine learning some historical applications of herbs as well as things we could benefit from now. Women have used the seeds from the wild carrot plant for centuries as a contraceptive, the earliest written reference dates back to the late 5th or 4th century B.C.
Wild carrot with its distinctive purple spot.
Now we may not be trying this one out for ourselves but Emily did try some crushed clove roots on her wisdom tooth and will be reaching for the clove oil in future and not the paracetamol.
Monica cleans and cut some clove roots for Emily’s tooth
Alex found it extremely useful to learn about how to use dock plant sap to sooth stings from nettles. After a lifetime of mindlessly rubbing her hands and legs with the leaves of the dock plant, we learnt how it is actually the sticky sap at the base of the plant that you should rub onto your stings! If you venture into the base of the dock plant, around the point that the leaves divide above ground, you will find a sticky substance ‘as if someone has blown their nose in the middle of the plant’, as Monica described it. It is gross, but very worth it!
Monica ventures into the base of the plant to find some of that magical dock sap
Foraging for food is extremely seasonal, allowing you find a huge variety of foods throughout the year. Successful foraging is also reliant on the ability to follow the food. Summer is a great time to forage on the coast for a huge range of edible seaweeds rich in iodine. Autumn is the perfect time to stock up on mushrooms (reliant on knowing what to pick of course!) and nuts for your winter larder.
We hope to return to Abbey Wood in autumn to see what seasonal changes have done to the wild food available.
The smell of wild garlic gave it away as to what Emily was eating.
Now that we have caught the foraging bug we hope to continue this on our own patch. Learning your area and watching how it changes over the year is a great way to start and we would like to bring together people from around the University who either already know something about foraging and would like to share this knowledge, or people who are interested in learning more.
Foraging is a great way to get outside, enjoy the seasons and connect back with an aspect of nature that was so important in our human history. Foraging can help us connect to history, what we put on our plates, health and or course can be a social event too.
Delving into the hogsweed looking for delicious buds.
Thanks to Monica from Napiers who provided a very interesting and fun day out, and the Caravan Club for having us rummage around the bushes of your site in Abbey Wood. We would like to send special thanks to Barracuda Digital for arranging and running the day and encouraging us to meet other London bloggers!
So if you are interested in foraging at the University or would like to know more about our visit please get in touch at sustainability@gre.ac.uk
Greetings to you all, my name is Charity Imagor a 3rd year undergraduate Public Health student at the University of Greenwich. It is indeed a great pleasure to be a part of the University of Greenwich Sustainability Team.
Pursuing a Public Health course at the University of Greenwich has greatly enhanced and extended my knowledge in acquiring skills on how to promote health through the environment, for example, encouraging walking and cycling is a good way of increasing physical activities. Regular physical activities reduce incidences of coronary heart diseases, stroke and chances of being obese. Therefore, creating active, safe and accessible greens spaces such as parks and community gardens will encourage individuals to participate more in physical activities and gaining knowledge in growing their own fruit and vegetables hence promoting a healthy lifestyle.
In my second year one of the modules that I undertook was environmental health and Housing. The information and knowledge I acquired during these lectures raised my awareness that there are certain circumstances that impact greatly on our health if our environment is not cared for appropriately. For example human behaviour that causes air pollution such pollution from cars and highly industrialised areas, is a leading environmental threat to human health. Particles in the air such as dust, dirt, soot, and smoke are one kind of air pollution that is known to cause health problems. People exposed to fine particles over a long period of time have more heart and lung problems such as Asthma than people who are not breathing this kind of air pollution.
The environment is one of the determinants of health and closely links to Public Health. For example the Physical environment which includes safe water and clean air, healthy workplaces, safe houses, communities and roads all contribute to good health among individuals and communities at large.
I hope through being on placement with the sustainability team, I will gain more Public Health knowledge and skills required to promote environmental issues and personal health including for those around me. I will also be able to share my knowledge and skills in combating the determinants of health with other Health Students on placement and with the Sustainability Team
I am so enthusiastic and cannot wait to meet with the sustainability team, to learn more from others about the environment in particular its benefits to the community. including how it could be conserved and preserved for the future generations.
Nnenna Nzeh
Hi, I’m Nnenna and I am currently writing my final year project in Public Health. I complement my studies with being one of the Green Impact Assistants and I’m also doing my work experience with the sustainability department. Great! Work experience is one of the requirements needed for the award of the degree that I have undertaken and to help prepare me for the roles ahead. I’ve been allocated to work with the Grey building team. I have undertaken an induction course with an amazing staff of the Green impact Team at the Grey building and this is in relation with the objectives that I have agreed with my tutor and sustainability. The objectives in a nutshell include; examine the interrelationship between behaviour change and health as part of a green impact process; to identify different areas that form part of Green Impact and to highlight other areas of personal improvement.
It’s been great working with Emily and Alex and I’m looking forward to working with the team at the Grey building and to upgrade my experience. The placement will give me a window of opportunity to see different aspects of sustainability and to apply these aspects in public health practice and more over to meet people from other fields of work.
Esther Oyeniran
Hello, my name is Esther I am currently in my final year studying Public Health at the University of Greenwich. I love listening to classical music and also play the Viola. I also love travelling and exploring new places. My studies at University of Greenwich has been very exciting so far and has widened my knowledge about public health issues both locally and globally
It is a great privilege to be part of the sustainability team working towards protecting the environment from pollution and the effects of climate change. Necessary to achieving this goal is a clear understanding of how the integrated social, economic and environmental aspects of our world affect sustainability. These aspects represent a related set of concepts that when considered together form a solid basis from which major decisions and actions can be made with regards to public health. The issue of sustainability is extremely important because of its immense impact on the present and in particular the future world. The choices we pursue and all the actions that we make today will affect how we live in the future. We need to make sound decisions at present in order to avoid limiting the choices of generations to come.
As an undergraduate undertaking a work placement with the sustainability team I hope to acquire the necessary skills that will help me in my future job role as a Public Health Practitioner.
Elizabeth Conteh
My name is Elizabeth Conteh. I will be doing my forty hours work experience with Sustainability team. I am a final year student at the University of Greenwich and I study Public Health in the School of Health and Social Care.
I love music and going to church with friends and family. I have no previous experience in sustainability, therefore doing this work experience with the sustainability team means so much because I want to learn more about growing food.
Additionally, I wish to work as health promoter in my future career to promote and increase awareness of the benefits of healthy eating, so for this placement I would also like to gain skills and knowledge in relation to organic gardening and healthy eating that can help me increase my knowledge of healthy eating.
Ruth M’bayo
Hi my name is Ruth, a final year public health student at the University of Greenwich. I’m so excited to join the sustainability team this February and March as part one of my courses. My objectives for this placement are:
To be able to identify the significance of the natural environment to public health and wellbeing. In other to achieve this objective, whilst doing my research on different edible gardens, I will try and explore some of the benefit and importance of the edible garden. This will include identifying how the edible garden promote mental wellbeing, social inclusion, healthy eating and life style and also community development.
To be able to explore the application of environmental policies to public health practice, in particular community gardening. The policies that will be observed during this placement with the sustainability team, whiles researching on the edible gardens will be, the sustainable development food and environmental policies. However I will be exploring the link between the policies and the localism agenda and how it relate to public health practices. Also I will be able to explore how they are similar and what goals they are all aiming to achieve.
To be able to demonstrate my public health knowledge and skills and highlight any areas for further personal improvement. In other to achieve this objective I will use the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the three years of my course to do research and bring back ideas to the team. Also whilst on this placement I will highlight any area I need to improve on, and develop this as it will be beneficial for future job roles.
I hope this experience will help broaden my knowledge in the sustainability field, by making me understand what sustainable development is all about. Also to understand what link it has to public health. Furthermore I hope this experience will lead to exciting opportunities in the future, and also enable me put my public health knowledge in to practices in terms of what will be required of me in my future job role. I look forward to meet and be a part of the team.
If you would like anymore information about work experience or internship opportunities within the team, please get in contact: sustainability@gre.ac.uk
Hello, I’m Esin D’Amery. I am a First year Politics and International Relations Student at The University of Greenwich. 20 by age, but many will agree when I say 40 in attitude. Currently I live in the beautiful town of Greenwich, an area I feel extremely excited about due to the beauty and buzz you get when walking around. I come from London and Hertfordshire originally, but my family currently reside by the seaside in Norfolk.
I first encountered the Sustainability Hub via our current Vice President Campaigns and Representation Sabbatical Officer Kyle Marchalleck. Kyle approached and explained about a new opportunity to combine my interest in sustainability and to get more involved with The Students’ Union. Admittedly I was a tad weary about getting involved with something which is seen to be a brushed under the carpet idea. However, after attending one of The Sustainability Hub’s Forums, I met the team and saw how enthusiastic they were. They explained the Hub in a way I found completely intriguing. I quickly applied and got through to the interview. After passing the interview I was offered the job and here I am!
My first opportunity to get hands on came in the shape of the Fairtrade Fortnight and the chance to host a Cooperative Fairtrade Wine and Cheese night. The Cooperative offer many opportunities to work in conjunction with Universities, schools and businesses to share their knowledge and contacts in order to hold events with a great message. The Sustainability Hub applied to hold the event along with many other institutions, and we were successful in our application – we felt it would be a great opportunity to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight in this manner which we know to be successful. We hope attendees were able to see why it is important to take Fairtrade into consideration with daily life. It is a sad fact that our lack of knowledge and understanding of such controversial and important social issues, cause such drastic drawbacks for the producers we depend on for our daily products. I hoped that by having an actual Fairtrade Producer present for the event, we are able to give attendees a rare face to face opportunity to see the drastic positive change Fairtrade makes to people’s lives.
I worked with the Co-operative to organise the event – it took around 5 weeks to organise it fully. Being a student, I worked around my timetable comfortably and devoted enough time to organise the event without forgetting about my actual degree. The event itself ran perfectly! My amazing team were there helping me out as much as possible and it was fantastic to have them by my side. The Cooperative attended, and along with Daniela Cedron, the Fairtrade wine producer from Argentina. During the event, every last drop of wine was consumed, and every bit of cheese was demolished. All attendees were pleased and I was extremely happy to see such a fantastic turnout! It was great to see something you had initially thought about, actually happen…and successfully! It gave me a great sense of pride in my team and my ability to do my job well!
Hey guys! I guess you can never be too late to blog :D! I’m Gabriel, one of the three Green Impact Green Ambassadors. I am a final year Civil Engineering student. Often when I tell people what I study, some of the responses are “WOW!” or “erm, what’s that?”. So I think it’s only fair that I give a brief explanation. According to the Institution of Civil Engineer’s website (ICE) “Civil engineering is all about people. It’s the work that civil engineers do to develop and improve the services and facilities we, the public, all use.”
Civil engineering is relied upon every day for a variety of things: from supplying energy and clean water to our homes, to processing and recycling our waste, to finding solutions to problems like pollution, construction of buildings, bridges, dams, flood defences etc etc. Basically anything that is designed and built a civil engineer has been behind it. (Maybe this wasn’t brief LOL)
Over the period of my studies a passion for the world to have a sustainable future for our water & environment resources grew. Having clean, potable water and sufficient sanitation are vital necessities for a decent standard of living. I know that here in UK that is not a problem but elsewhere in developing countries it is. Therefore, I hope to be a part of creating sustainable water & environment resources worldwide in the future.
So that’s why I’m Green Ambassador! During the time I’ve been a Green Ambassador my understanding and knowledge of sustainability has definitely increased but still there is a long way to go. Learning from my colleagues and various training we have all completed has played a massive contribution. As a Green Ambassador we are working on a unique programme called Green Impact Enterprise which is an environmental awards accreditation scheme run by the university’s student union supported by the National Union of Students (NUS). Currently, we are attempting to promote Greenwich as a centre of sustainable tourism. As a Green Ambassador for this particular programme we offer businesses support and guidance, to achieve recognised Green Impact accreditation for their environmental efforts. It involves a lot of meetings with businesses and organisations which has given me experience I’ve never had before.
I hope to be blogging about the progress we’ve made very soon!
Once you start asking the question: ‘what are the links between sustainability and health?’, you can find yourself with endless answers. The sustainability team and the department of Health and Social Care here at Greenwich are dedicated to exploring some of those links for the students and research. For example, did you know that NHS England spend £630 million a year on energy? Or that outside gardening is good for well-being? How will the UK health sector adapt to a changing climate and environment, and what are the knock on impacts?
We believe that students should have an understanding of sustainability from their first year at University, including those studying in the Health and Social Care department. So on the afternoon of 4th December 2013, we ran a joint event between the sustainability team and the departments in Health and Social Care. We wanted to get the new students engaged in the fun elements of sustainability and to educate them about how the impacts of their lifestyle choices. The students participated in 2 workshops: carbon speed dating and a festive quiz.
During Carbon Speed dating both staff and students were rated as having a low, medium or high carbon footprint through answering some lifestyle questions: ‘how much do you spend on clothes and shoes a month?’ or ‘how would you describe your diet?’. They were then matched with someone with the opposite rating, so people with high carbon footprints spoke to people with lower ones, to share lifestyle choices and experiences. With a goal of networking in mind, the students also attempted a bingo exercise with each other, where they tried to find others with particular habits. For example, have you volunteered at Avery Hill Community Garden, or do you leave electrical items on standby?
In the festive quiz the students battled it out in teams and answered questions on the social, economic and environmental impacts of the festive period. We discussed what easy lifestyle changes we could all make and shocked the group with some figures. Did you know that 60,000 were predicted to be reliant on a Trussell Trust food bank over the festive period? Or that 80,000 tonnes of old clothes would have been thrown away over this period in the UK (that’s 4 million suitcases)?
We would like to thank Veronica Habgood and the rest of the organisation team, as well as the volunteers on the day, for their hard work and enthusiasm. Furthermore, congratulations on putting on a very tasty bake sale!
Hi, my name is Patrick and I am one of the new Education and Training Green Ambassadors at the recently established Greenwich Sustainability Hub.
A little bit about myself
I am a third year Building Surveying (Commercial Management) student at the University of Greenwich. Originally from Stoke on Trent, I have a firm understanding of sustainability and green issues from my school education, which carried a heavy environment emphasis, as well as studying sustainability modules at university.
My passion for the environment has change forms over the past few years, from an academic side, through to my work as a photographer. Working as a photographer I found a new appreciation for the environment and a greater understanding of why it’s important for us to look after it. Many people across the university will recognise me for my photography work at events, but not many know that the real creative, hobby side of this interest is based on nature photography.
My hope is that in the future as a built environment professional I can merge my passions for construction and sustainability to help drive a positive impact on the industry, towards a sustainable future.
My role at the hub
Working with my colleague Maria I will be creating and delivering workshops on a wide variety of sustainability topics to students and communities across all ages.
This is an ambitious project that forms part of the Hub’s bid for funding from the NUS. We hope that, over two years will we connect with and deliver workshops in 11 schools or colleges. We are just beginning our work now to contact and get involved with these schools.
We hope to engage with many different people from all backgrounds to help to educate them on sustainability and why it is important for us to enact a behaviour change in our lives.
To the future
I will be trying to blog as much of our journey as possible, as well as my own journey to improve my own sustainability. There will hopefully be, chilli growing, workshop ideas and examples and updates of our success in delivering education and training on sustainability.
Feel free to follow the journey and drop us a line with any comments, questions or ideas.
I am Daniela Gangan and I will be joining the Sustainability team as a Fairtrade intern.
I am a first year student at the University of Greenwich, currently studying Business with Law. I moved from Romania to the UK for a change of environment, educational system and way of thinking. I like challenges and getting involved in a variety of projects in order to gain experience. Sometimes I volunteer and I like getting to know new people from different backgrounds. I am passionate about sport, music and photography.
I consider this internship to be a great opportunity to get involved with sustainability at Greenwich and to learn more about ethical business and the importance of supporting local producers. Furthermore, I am excited about the chance of studying sustainability in more detail, a growing movement in the UK. In addition to the knowledge gained from my course, my Fairtrade internship will allow me to understand better the consumer insight of ethical brands and give me experience of event organization for Fairtrade Fortnight. Studying Business with Law, I would like to develop professional skills that can help me in my future career. Similarly, ethical and positive businesses are essential to sustainability. I believe that getting more people involved in sustainability will improve the chances of moving to a sustainable society.
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is about better wages, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for producers in developing countries. It has a strong vision of justice and sustainable development in all trade structures and practices.
The Fairtrade Foundation is a charitable organization that has expanded to Europe, Japan, North America, and Mexico, with the launch of the first Fairtrade label Max Havelaar in 1988. The Fairtrade major principles are to cope with poverty and injustice through trade, and to bring together producers and consumers in a vision to move to a more sustainable society. Therefore, for certain products (such as coffee, cocoa, cotton and rice) Fairtrade only certifies small farmer organisations. Fairtrade standards protect workers’ rights according to International Labour Organization conventions, including health and safety standards, freedom of association, collective bargaining, no discrimination and no bonded or illegal child labour. Since Fairtrade’s beginnings in the 1980s and the launch of the current Fairtrade Mark in 2002, Fairtrade has become the most widely recognized ethical label in the world and is a growing brand in the UK. It is a chance to start protecting natural resources, to produce goods with care and to convince customers that Fairtrade products are better in the longer-term. However, it needs a lot of dedication and involvement to find and to create best deals for farmers and to gain the trust of people who would invest in a brighter future, thus the Fairtrade Foundation work hard in order to do this.
Fairtrade is about trust and transparency. It is a social initiative that has opportunities for students to get involved in a wide range of projects, such as Fairtrade Fortnight. I am very concerned about the ethical and the social responsibility in business.
Therefore, Fairtrade is a great method to promote awareness and create an alliance of ethically thinking people who will help build community.
Fairtrade Fortnight!
Fairtrade Fortnight (24 February – 9 March 2014) marks the launch of a special campaign that aims to transform the banana industry. It is a campaign initiating the movement Make Food Fair.
To support the Fairtrade Fortnight everyone can pre-order event packs, stickers, T-shirts, ethically sourced bananas suits and inflatable bananas. Moreover, there is free access to recipes, quizzes, presentations and a media toolkit.
The University will be participating in Fairtrade Fortnight, and if you would like to get involved please email sustainability@gre.ac.uk!
Hello, my name is Esther I am currently in my final year studying Public Health at the University of Greenwich. I love listening to classical music and also play the Viola. I also love travelling and exploring new places. My studies at University of Greenwich has been very exciting so far and has widened my knowledge about public health issues both locally and globally
