For a small, cash-strapped city department, the promise of free expertise fuelled a partnership with the University of Victoria.
The relationship proved symbiotic.
Victoria has committed to reducing its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. And fourth-year environmental studies students needed real-world experience to round out their theoretical training B次元官网网址� and their resumes.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 that perfect situation where everybody wins,B次元官网网址� said Roy Brooke, VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 director of sustainability.
B次元官网网址淭he students are bringing their energy and enthusiasm to bear in proposing solutions, so then we can pull them off the shelf as we implement things.B次元官网网址�
The city already has a list of actions to accomplish its climate goals. Fleshing out an implementation plan for each one, however, takes time and resources.
B次元官网网址淭he cityB次元官网网址檚 resources are tight and stretched, so for us, itB次元官网网址檚 an amazing way to get something done that we need done,B次元官网网址� Brooke said.
The environmental students presented their plans at a recent climate expo held at city hall. They included strategies to transform Government Street into a pedestrian mall, draft-proof windows in apartment buildings and set up a bike-share program.
More than 300 engineering students also attended the expo and held a trade-show style presentation of their ideas to increase the number of bicycle commuters.
B次元官网网址淭he students were extremely highly motivated,B次元官网网址� said instructor Karena Shaw, associate professor at UVicB次元官网网址檚 School of Environmental Studies. B次元官网网址淚 had to shift my teaching away from content and a lot more toward skills-based stuff, like writing clearly and communicating complex ideas for a popular audience instead of for academics.B次元官网网址�
University partnerships, like the one with the city, are definitely on the rise, Shaw said.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know how far the trend is going to go, but I certainly know that UVic is putting a lot more emphasis behind it.B次元官网网址�
As well as all the benefits they bring, however, these partnerships can be problematic.
There is some fear that offering inexpensive, high-quality research will take away paid work from professionals in the field, admitted Shaw.
B次元官网网址淯nions have rightfully raised questions about the implications of that,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e have to keep an eye on that.B次元官网网址�
Shaw follows a few rules when evaluating potential partnerships. First, she asks whether the organization seeking student work should have the capacity to pay. Second, she asks whether the project benefits primarily the wider community or the organization itself.
B次元官网网址淥n the community energy and emissions plan that we worked on, the effort is really to get the community to take hold and lead these projects, so I thought this is really an appropriate way to apply student energy,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淚n the end, the consistency with which we can provide these kind of services is not going to be strong enough, and the quality is not going to be consistent enough to displace paid employment.B次元官网网址�
Climate change strategies: conception to implementation
To meet its communityB次元官网网址檚 greenhouse gas reduction targets, Victoria obtained customized software that quantifies the costs and benefits of various strategies, such as planting trees or insulating windows.
B次元官网网址淭his is leading-edge stuff,B次元官网网址� Brooke said of the software developed with grant money from B.C. Hydro.
Next, he vetted the options with industry stakeholders.
B次元官网网址淭hey can be the reality check. If I say IB次元官网网址檓 going to double-glaze all the windows in the city, they might say, B次元官网网址榟ang on, thatB次元官网网址檚 never going to happen,B次元官网网址� and they come up with more plausible scenarios.B次元官网网址�
Once the city developed a list of realistic actions, they shopped them to environmental studies students at the University of Victoria. Each student group tackled a different action item and developed a detailed implementation plan.
Early next year Brooke will present the options to city council to determine which plans it would like to advance.
rholmen@vicnews.com
