Green Campus Initiative (UCT)
Abbreviation | GCI |
---|---|
Formation | 2007 |
Type | Student Organisation |
Purpose | Environmental action and Education |
Headquarters | University of Cape Town |
Location |
|
Volunteers | 800 |
Website | blogs |
Green Campus Initiative (GCI), is a student organisation within the
Vision
The vision of the GCI is to shift
Porfolios and projects
GCI is involved in a large range of green projects and has established itself as the go-to group for environmental issues[2] for students.
Ridelink
Ridelink seeks to reduce carbon emissions by the
The Residence Project
One of the biggest producers of waste and consumers of energy at
This portfolio also runs the annual Residence Energy Challenge.
Campus recycling
Recycling is very important at UCT – it produces up to 8 tonnes of waste on a daily basis. The GCI has been very involved with Properties and Services (management at UCT) in creating and implementing a recycling system on campus. All bins on Upper and Middle Campus have been grouped into stations and people are expected to throw their waste into the right bin. Waste is collected and taken to a sorting facility and UCT receives some of the revenue from recycled goods.
Events
Throughout the year, GCI organises events for the benefit of students. Such events include screenings of environmental documentary films, tree-planting days, talks by professionals in the environment field, and social gatherings for the purpose of contact-building.
Outreach
This is a new branch of the GCI, and includes participation with several schools around Cape Town.
Green Police
Through an assortment of green-overall-clad students blowing whistles and teasing 'green-offenders', the Green Police adds a lighthearted approach to environmental awareness. The GCI Green Police provide a visible presence at all kinds of student events and seek to be an approachable education platform for students, allowing them to ask questions and learn more about the 'green movement'.
Building-to-building recycling
Not only is recycling necessary for the open areas on
Annual events
Orientation Week (February)
The arrival of thousands of new
A GCI stand on Jameson Plaza during the
Green Bowls Championship (February)
During February, Green Bowls Day starts off the 'green' year for many residence students at
Earth Hour (March)
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.[4]
Every Year, GCI does its bit for the promotion of Earth Hour.
- In 2009, GCI organised a candlelight music concert in Graça Machel Residence.
- In 2010, GCI hosted another concert. <update required here>
Residence Energy Challenge
An Energy Challenge, in partnership with Eskom, promotes energy saving and efficiency. Residences compete to reduce their total energy consumption in an allocated period of time. A prize is awarded to the residence that shows the biggest change. The GCI also works with House Committees to raise awareness about environmental issues within the residences.
Green Week (March)
The GCI Green Week is the biggest annual event that GCI organises. It is usually in March, and aims to highlight various 'green' issues. The week seeks to make all students aware of these issues through
See also
- Green Campus Initiative, Harvard University
- Green Campus Initiative, University of Memphis
References
- ^ "University of Cape Town (South Africa) – The Talloires Network". Tufts.edu. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "University of Cape Town Green Campus Initiative". Open Green Map. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "helps green UCT". Hemporium. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived 11 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)