Other Sustainability Initiatives at Pearson

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The diverse make-up of the Pearson College community lends itself to a wide array of interests and exposure to many new issues. Over the years, students, staff, members of the Board, and friends of the College have taken an interest in sustainability and spearheaded various projects on campus. Below is a description of some of the more recent initiatives, as well as other relevant ongoing efforts that are helping to shape Pearson College's sustainability vision.

Current Initiatives

Green Home: When Calgary Home, one of the five student residences at the College, was slated for renovation in 2001, the students living in the house decided to help “recreate” Calgary House as a model of ecologically sustainable housing. In collaboration with the Board, Alumni from Year 17 and 18, and architects Eva Matsuzaki and Cornelia Oberlander, the GreenHome project was launched. We have since developed a design which reduces energy use by 70%. Currently we are awaiting funds to proceed with development.

Greening Pearson Project: In 2004, Pearson College teamed up with Royal Roads University to conduct a fully-fledged sustainability assessment of the College. Supplied with assessment tools from the Sierra Youth Coalition, we measured indicators focused on the community's health and well-being, knowledge and governance, and our use of and impact on land, water, energy, air and materials. This project not only took detailed measurements of our activities, but also provided specific short- and long-term goals. Unfortunately, due to student and faculty turnover at both Royal Roads University and Pearson College, the 114-page document did not experience a thorough enough follow-through in the subsequent two years; The Oikos Project is now working to help implement some of these recommendations.

Race Rocks: One of the College's most momentous projects is our stewardship of Race Rocks, a small series of islands, inter- and sub-tidal reefs situated just outside the mouth of Pedder Bay. After agreeing ten years ago with the federal and provincial government to be the ecological guardians of Race Rocks, we have introduced several solar panels, a composting toilet, and a no-waste policy on the islands. However, the solar panels alone were not enough to power the lighthouse   keeper's home, our marine laboratory, a dormitory for eight students, and dozens of telemetry devices, cameras, and computers. As a result, we have worked in partnership with the Canadian government and two corporate sponsors to create the world's first free stream tidal turbine generator. The location of Race Rocks makes it an ideal place to test the viability of using tidal currents to create electricity. This summer we successfully deployed the turbine, which stores excess energy in a set of batteries on the main island. At peak tidal flow, the underwater turbine produces an emission-free 65 kilowatts per hour, which is enough to power all of the needs outlined above. Depending on an assessment of how a larger turbine would affect the underwater ecology, we may hope to see a scaled-up farm of the turbines planted in the Juan de Fuca Strait. A single commercial sized tidal turbine, (four times the size of the one already installed) will generate two megawatts of power – enough to power not just our entire campus but a dozen more.

-Written by Nico Hawley, PC year 33 

Ongoing efforts

Sustainability by accident or design?: This article written by Director David Hawley outlines an ambitious and innovative vision for Pearson College in terms of sustainability.

An Environmental Code at Pearson: Questions for Discussion & Goals to Guide Us: Faculty members Eileen Dombrowski & Dominique Hamel initiated a discussion for a Pearson Environmental Code.  This is a document that is helping to frame this ongoing community dialogue.

Report of the Sustainability Task Force on Food: In March 2003, United World College graduate and Pearson College employee Yuill Herbert, coordinated the creation of this report. The document outlines a process designed to incorporate the principles of “ Sourcing Local Food, Organic Food, Fair Trade, Connecting People and Food, and Keeping the Costs Down” into the operations of Pearson College in a way that would translate such ideals into a unique educational system.

Sustainability Strategy for Pearson College(Draft): Also prepared by Yuill Herbert (see above), the strategy was based on a compilation and analysis of data on Pearson College's consumption of electricity, natural gas, water, and materials, as well as transportation choices. Although this report remained in its draft state it contains valuable and relevant recommendations.

Past Events

Project Launch: The January 23rd Special Topics Day was dedicated to officially launching the Oikos Project

Comments from workshop leaders and students about the days learning have been compiled and are available in the Documents and Resources section, as well as the power point presentations prepared for and by the on-campus workshops.For pictures and a student perspective on the day, consult the Pearson College Link, Issue #105, February 5th, 2008.Many thanks to everyone who helped make this day a success!

The Science of Oikos: First year Pearson College students take a closer look at the campus Oikos.

As part of the International Baccalaureate science requirement, 13 groups of first year students each tackled a research topic relating to campus sustainability.

Organized by physics professor Mark Wheen, the “Science of Oikos project”(also known as the group 4 project) provided an opportunity for students to look into the potential of integrating green technologies to campus infrastructure. Areas of research included green roofs, grey water re-use, rainwater collection, food production, energy generation/conservation measures and much more.

On April 4th , they shared their results with the Pearson College campus community.Thank you for the great work and congratulations to everyone!