Green Team at UofO

We are the Green Team at the CUPE2626. We are committed to making the union and the campus at UofO more sustainable in its energy use, garbage disposal and methods of transportation.

If You Want to Join: We are always looking for new members and new ideas. For info, email

Current Initiatives:

Caught green handed – Once a month we “catch” people being environmental friendly and we give them a prize. Check out the current winners (http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=100001987421416).

The anti-idling campaign on campus - 2010-11

Leaky tap reduction campaign ("One water drop per second means 7,000 litres of water is wasted every year")

We are part of: Ecology Ottawa and the EcoNetwork at UofO.

What We've Accomplished:

Won Ecology Ottawa's Green Team of the year award. Great work Team!

Involved in the annual car free day

Contributor to RecycleMania

Holding environmentally responsible Union (CUPE2626) events

Water awareness campaign

Contributed to the University's Vision2020 to make sustainable development a priority

Come check out one of our monthly meetings.

Going green is easier than you think. There are little things you can do every day to help the environment. Here are 10 things you can do to help.

1. Pay attention to how you use water. Turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, fix leaks, drink tap water instead of bottled water.
2. Leave the car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year.
3. If you must drive, car pool.
4. Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy and lead to increased pollution.
5. Drive smarter. Slow down. Plus, accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel economy, so take it easy.
6. Recycle. Reduce. Reuse. You've heard it before, you know what it means. Do it.
7. Compost. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means taking up less space in landfills. Nothing breaks down in a landfill quickly. You can dig down and read newspapers that were thrown away in the 1950s.
8. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy.
9. Unplug. Turn off lights when you're not in the room and unplug appliances when you're not using them.
10. Buy less stuff.

(source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/save-earth-top-ten.htm)

For more ideas and great information on how to help the environment check out these Ottawa links and other green groups.
http://www.sustainable.uottawa.ca
http://thesustainabilitree.blogspot.com
http://www.ecologyottawa.ca



CUPE 2626