Maddi LeBlanc, Founder of On Board, Instructor for SUP Kids and competitive stand-up paddle boarder, shares how experimental learning teaches kids and adults alike to be responsible environmental stewards – all while having fun. In this episode, Maddi shares her process for turning passions into two projects: a community fundraising event and an educational program for youth.

Episode references and resources:

• On Board
• SUP Kids
• Maddi’s personal site

If you enjoyed learning about Maddi’s journey, check out these conversations on creating change by following your passions:

• Cater your degree to your passions with Jeffray Behr
• How to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto
• Creating change through plant-based living with Jackie Bastianon
• Starting a national youth environmental group with PickWaste

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

Make sure to rate, subscribe and follow the Clear the Air Podcast, and follow the journey on social media:

Website: https://ctablog.ca

Podcast site: https://ctablog.ca/podcast

Instagram: @_ctablog

Twitter: @_ctablog

YouTube: Clear the Air

Don’t forget to share your sustainability journey on social media and tag Clear the Air!

Clear the Air – The Podcast

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Clear the Air seeks to educate, empower and mobilize youth to take action against climate change. These weekly episodes will focus on a specific theme, teaching you how to take action RIGHT NOW in your own life. By listening to the podcast, you will become a sustainability expert in no time.

Jenna Phillips is the podcast host, a passionate university student, and a local climate action leader. She uses her expertise and desire for change to make a difference in the lives of others.

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

The post Episode 14: The value of experimental learning with Maddi LeBlanc appeared first on Clear the Air.

In this episode, learn how to create change through plant-based living with Jackie Bastianon.

Jackie, one of Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25, is the Co-Founder of PlantEd Project, an Ottawa-based group that connects the community in taking sustainable action every day through the power of plant-based living. In this episode, learn how Jackie transformed her passions into a real-life business and became a young entrepreneur, while also receiving valuable advice on how to create your own project.

Episode references and resources:

• PlantEd Project website
• Health Canada’s Food Guide
• Tips for going plant-based (1, 2)
• Recipe blogs: Hot For Food, Minimalist Baker, Oh She Glows

If you enjoyed learning how to create change through plant-based living with Jackie Bastianon, check out these conversations on skill-building, creating change and following your passions:

• Cater your degree to your passions with Jeffray Behr
• How to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto
• Breaking boundaries in research with Dr. Sarah Wolfe
• Starting a national youth environmental group with PickWaste

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

Make sure to rate, subscribe and follow the Clear the Air Podcast, and follow the journey on social media:

Website: https://ctablog.ca

Podcast site: https://ctablog.ca/podcast

Instagram & Twitter: @_ctablog

Don’t forget to share your sustainability journey on social media and tag Clear the Air!

Clear the Air – The Podcast

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Clear the Air seeks to educate, empower and mobilize youth to take action against climate change. These weekly episodes will focus on a specific theme, teaching you how to take action RIGHT NOW in your own life. By listening to the podcast, you will become a sustainability expert in no time.

Jenna Phillips is the podcast host, a passionate university student, and a local climate action leader. She uses her expertise and desire for change to make a difference in the lives of others.

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

The post Episode 12: Create change through plant-based living with Jackie Bastianon appeared first on Clear the Air.

Do you aspire to someday work for one of the world’s top companies (Google, Walmart, Apple) or non-profits (World Wildlife Fund, the United Nations), but have no clue where to start? Do your passions for sustainability coincide with these dreams of working for a global organization, but you can’t figure out how they can possibly coincide? If you said yes to either of these, today I bring you a story that will answer your questions. In this interview with Winnie Lam, learn how to pursue sustainable careers with top companies from Google’s Director of Energy, sustainability lead, and member World Wildlife Fund’s National Council.

Winnie started out just like the rest of us: a student with a passion for change. Through hard work, skill development and an opportunist mindset, Winnie has become an admirable leader in the realm of sustainability, helping some of the world’s largest companies operate more eco-consciously. In this interview, Winnie discusses how she designed the career she has now and what critical steps youth need to take to make a change.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

“I graduated from Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and have been working at Google for 15 years. I have always had a passion for sustainability. I had been doing side projects to optimize the energy produced by Google’s solar panels, and benchmark the energy efficiency across Google’s office buildings. In 2013, I decided to go all in. Rather than doing side projects, I decided to pursue a career in sustainability full time. It’s been very fulfilling since.”

Coming from an engineering background, how did you first get involved in sustainability?

Back in 2008, I was working in Google’s Ads team, which didn’t have much to do with sustainability. I wanted to roll up my sleeves and do something related to sustainability. I learned that Google had recently become the largest installer of solar panels in corporate America. I contacted Google’s Real Estate team, and asked if there was anything I could do to help with the solar panels. They wanted help with data analytics. My goal was to optimize the solar energy generated by the 1.7MW of solar panels across dozens of Google’s office buildings. I analyzed the solar panels’ tilt, building locations, solar radiation by time of year, and many other factors. After analyzing all this data, we identified a method to double the solar energy output for some buildings. 

Turns out that there were a few buildings directly located across from a dirt field and it had not rained for months, so the solar panels were very dirty. We power washed them, and the solar energy output doubled overnight. While it seems obvious now, washing solar panels was not a commonly adopted practice. I published this finding in Google’s blog, so that everyone else can benefit from our analysis.  

When people think of WWF, they typically don't relate it directly to engineering. How did you find yourself working with WWF?

In 2012, there was a vast increase in the elephants being poached for their ivory. I learned about this issue from various wildlife conservation non-profits that I supported. I wanted to do something to help, and didn’t have to look far. Back at that time, when someone searched for “buy elephant ivory”, Google would mistakenly show ads and shopping results enabling people to buy ivory. This was against Google’s policy, but there were holes in enforcing that policy.

I recruited some friends as volunteers. With help from WWF on what to look for, we noted all the elephant ivory ads we found on a spreadsheet. I would then share that spreadsheet with my colleagues that did policy enforcement. They took down the ads promptly. That worked well for a while, but certainly was not a scalable approach. So I worked with the Engineering team to automate the removal of these ivory ads. It was not straightforward, because the algorithms needed to distinguish between elephant ivory ads from ivory colored shoes. Of course, the team figured it out and automated banning ivory ads. 

After getting Google to ban elephant ivory ads, WWF and I decided that the robust solution we need is to get the entire tech industry to ban selling ivory on our tech platforms. We formed a coalition comprising of many major tech companies in the US and China, and then later in Europe and Africa, towards the common goal of banning the sale of endangered animal products on our websites.  

You have worked organizations from the global to local scale to promote sustainability. Do you think one scale is more important or feasible to act at than another?

What advice can you give to someone interested in making change, but not sure which level they should work with?

Every organization delivers value to society in unique ways. A small local organization or startup may be more nimble to the needs of the region, whereas a big global organization has the potential to scale its impact more broadly. For someone early in their career, it may be beneficial to work for a company that is well respected in their industry. Some people claim that working at Google or McKinsey is like earning a degree from Stanford or Harvard, in terms of the boost in their career. I can see that.

For someone wanting to make change, my advice is to get your hands dirty and do anything, literally anything, to add value to that organization. I’ve used that approach at various points in my career. It has worked out well for me.  

From your own experiences, what are some of the challenges with mobilizing people to take action, especially youth? Do you have any advice for overcoming these barriers?

There is no shortage in people who are passionate about doing something positive for climate change. Transforming that enthusiasm into meaningful impact is the challenging part. My advice is to come up with an effective strategy for how you will positively impact the world, and recruit people to join you. 

For many co-op students today, it is a dream to get an internship opportunity with Google. Back in university, did you ever imagine that you’d be working for an organization as large as Google or the WWF?

Definitely not. I have always adopted an opportunistic mindset, to grab the best opportunity ahead of me and never look back. 

Going through your degree and career, did you have a mentor/role model to guide or inspire you?

I have had lots of mentors throughout my career. I am not shy about asking for advice from people who are orders of magnitude more accomplished than I am. My mentors include CEO’s at various non profits, many of whom had illustrious careers in the private sector before going the non-profit route. Some of my mentors are very generous with offering me their guidance, because they see my potential in doing something good for the world. Other times, they mentor me because I can help them, through my Google connections. Other times, they are just genuinely kind people. I’m extremely grateful to my mentors, and make an effort to stay in touch with them.  

IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND TELL HIGH-SCHOOL WINNIE ONE THING/LESSON RELATED TO YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

To succeed in the professional world, it takes a lot more than A+ grades and knowledge. People skills and emotional intelligence are critical leadership qualities.

What does sustainability mean to you?

Sustainability is such a broad term. For climate change, it means doing everything we can to limit further temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. For consumerism, it means not consuming more of the planet’s resources than can be replenished. For wildlife, it means protecting ecosystems around the world. 

final thoughts

If this conversation could be summed up, the message would be this: there is always a role for youth in fostering change. Whether it be with a company, a non-profit, or your own start-up initiative, all it takes is the motivation to initiate something. If you truly want to work for a an organization, you need to initiate it. If you see an environmental problem within your community (litter, water pollution, deforestation…) take the initiative to launch a campaign against it. Also, always strive to learn. Your role as a student does not stop once you get your degree. Learn from coworkers, peers, family members; find a mentor in every new role you take on. Follow the journeys of people you admire and want to grow up to be like, and figure out what steps it took them to get there. The road to your ideal future may be a hard one, but it is possible. You just need to put the work in and believe in yourself.

To learn more about Winnie and her work, check out these resources and stories:

• https://www.worldwildlife.org/leaders/winnie-lam
• https://www.blog.google/topics/inside-google/she-word-winnie-lam-helping-google-do-right-thing-planet/
• https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2018/articles/wwf-national-council-member-winnie-lam-on-innovation

If you enjoyed learning about Winnie’s journey and her advice on how to pursue sustainable careers with top companies, check out these other helpful conversations that deal with skill-building, creating change and following your passions:

• How to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto
• Catering your degree to your passions with Jeffray Behr: engineering, renewable energy and plant-based meats
• Breaking boundaries in research with Dr. Sarah Wolfe
• Starting a national youth environmental group with PickWaste

Have any questions for Winnie about how to pursue sustainable careers with top companies, or suggestions for other guests to have on the blog/podcast? Let me know in the comments. 

Until next time.

The post How to pursue sustainable careers in top companies with Winnie Lam, Google’s Director of Energy appeared first on Clear the Air.

The post Episode 10: Cater your degree to your passions with Jeffray Behr appeared first on Clear the Air.

Episode 08: In this episode, learn how to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto. Tania is a sustainability expert, esteemed entrepreneur and inspiring youth mentor. From navigating the world as a young entrepreneur to finding inspiration to start a business, this conversation proves how youth can truly make a difference in the world.

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

Make sure to rate, subscribe and follow the Clear the Air Podcast, and follow the journey on social media:

Blog: https://ctablog.ca

Instagram: @_ctablog

Twitter: @_ctablog

Don’t forget to share your sustainability journey on social media and tag Clear the Air!

Clear the Air – The Podcast

To learn more about GreenHouse: check out their site here.

If you enjoyed learning how to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto and want tips more on being a successful innovator, check out these posts:

• Why daily goals are essential for success
• How to be “successful”
• How to stay motivated

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Clear the Air seeks to educate, empower and mobilize youth to take action against climate change. These weekly episodes will focus on a specific theme, teaching you how to take action RIGHT NOW in your own life. By listening to the podcast, you will become a sustainability expert in no time.

Jenna Phillips is the podcast host, a passionate university student, and a local climate action leader. She uses her expertise and desire for change to make a difference in the lives of others.

It’s time to Clear the Air of all this confusion about climate change. It’s time to learn how we, the youth climate leaders of today, can make a change. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.

The post Episode 08: How to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto appeared first on Clear the Air.

Today I bring you an interview with EarthSuds, a local initiative tackling an important issue in the sustainability world. Founded in 2017, EarthSuds takes a unique approach to tackling the single-use plastic problem, particularly in hotels. To learn about this amazing project, keep reading for my interview with EarthSuds!

University can be an eye-opening time in your life, especially the first year. New people, new places, and new issues that you learn about. You may even find a topic or problem you are passionate about and hope to focus your future work on.

That’s what happened to Marissa Vettoretti, now a fourth year business student at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and the Co-Founder of EarthSuds. When given the opportunity to learn more about the environmental problems facing our world in her first year, the initial idea for Marissa’s business took form. She took her existing passion for sustainability and knowledge of environmental issues to tackle an overlooked problem: plastic waste from single-use hotel toiletries.

“I was shocked by how much waste was being created,” Marissa recalled as we chatted, “I wanted to do something about it.”

EarthSuds is the solution to the plastic waste problem in hotels. While still single-use toiletries, the portable “cubes” are paraben and sulphate free, vegan and cruelty-free, and use local ingredients whenever possible. They hold up against water until pressure is applied, at which they begin to lather. The shampoo, conditioner and body wash tablets come in a minimalistic cardboard box which can be recycled or composted after use, making these products practically waste-free.

The story of EarthSuds

Marissa has always been passionate about sustainability and business. She constantly created business ideas as a child, like selling cookies. Sustainability has always been a thought at the back of her mind when shopping and going through everyday life, but she never thought it would turn into a career for her. That changed in university. 

When Marissa was finishing her first year, she heard about the Circular Design Competition, an opportunity run by OpenIDEO, to merge her two passions. It was an opportunity for individuals interested in reducing plastic waste to come together and develop sustainable solutions to plastic waste. Through this competition, Marissa became deeply entrenched in the world of climate change and sustainability, seeing environmental problems in new, specific dimensions. In particular, Marissa learned a lot about small, non-recyclable plastic bottles used commonly in hotels. She realized how complex these issues are and that they go far beyond the supply chain of a product. “There are all these other factors involved, with all input that goes into the production, all the travel, all the stuff that happens after the product is being used.”

Upon entering the competition, Marissa realized just how much of our plastics cannot be recycled, an example being the toiletry bottles provided by hotels. “It’s too hard and too small to be recycled, so they just end up in the landfill,” Marissa explained. By entering the competition, Marissa had the opportunity to develop a solution to this pressing problem.

This competition was no simple feat: Marissa was surrounded by professional engineers and designers. However, her position gave her a competitive edge. The engineers and other design experts focused on redesigning what we already use – plastics – to seal their products. “I didn’t know anything about [creating] plastics,” she explained. So instead, she thought, “how about we use something we already know is sustainable?” 

Most community waste programs can’t accept “bioplastics” that engineers were designing in the competition, so “sustainable” plastics did not appeal to Marissa. She wanted to redesign the product and packaging, using materials she knew were widely available and low-impact. “The reason that soap has to be packaged in plastic is because it’s a liquid. If we don’t make it a liquid – if we make it a solid – we can put it in more sustainable packaging.” Hence, EarthSuds was born.

Marissa returned to the competition in her second year of university to further develop the soap prototype she had developed the previous year. With support from peers and Faculty at Laurier, and her knowledge gained through her entrepreneurial coursework, her product soon became a reality. Fast forward through months of hard word, promoting and product development, and EarthSuds products are now on the market. 

Making the product

One of the most impressive things is that the tablets are all currently made here in Waterloo by a small team in a commercial kitchen. In addition to prioritizing environmental sustainability, EarthSuds also prioritizes social sustainability: the company employs adults with developmental disabilities to make the tablets, providing these individuals with meaningful employment and a reliable source of income.

Challenges along the way

Building your own business from scratch is never an easy venture. The hardest step is certainly the first. Making the EarthSuds tablets were certainly not a simple feat. As a student, knowing what you want to create without having the cosmetology background can be overwhelming, not to mention scary. Especially when a product hasn’t been done before. “It was a whole new ballgame,” Marissa explained. Especially when trying to be an environmentally-responsible company in a sector dominated by unsustainable practices, “maintaining an eye of sustainability” requires a lot of attention to detail, systems thinking and diligence. 

“There are a million things you can do for sustainability,” Marissa explained, stating that the best way to approach such a massive issue is to first specialize in a few aspects of sustainability and build from there. 

Don’t forget that Marissa is also a full-time student while working on EarthSuds. When I asked how she balances these two demanding roles, she said it really isn’t as hard as you may think. “Every time I work on the business it’s a break from school.” She is pursuing her passion while working on EarthSuds, and her team of close friends make it all the easier.

Sustainability and business: Can they go together? 

As a final parting, I asked Marissa to comment on the intersections between sustainability and business, and if it is truly possible to find a common ground between the two. She definitely thinks there is. “The most sustainable businesses are the most profitable,” she explained, using paper as an example: “if a company is switching from printing all their papers to PDF, that’s huge savings on paper.”

With all the time and work that went into EarthSuds, it’s no surprise how successful they already are. 

Final takeaways

I asked Marissa to share some advice for youth interested in starting their own business, based on her experience. One thing she said really stuck out to me: “The most sustainable part of business is also the most profitable and smartest.” Essentially she is saying that sustainability and profit do not conflict; the most sustainable actions you take can also create the most cost-saving and profiting opportunities for your business. She used the example of paper versus PDF documents. If your business operates using PDF documents rather than paper documents, you not only save money on printing costs but are also making a major reduction to your resource use. Sustainable, and economic. 

The second and final major recommendation Marissa can offer about starting a business is to “Just start doing it. It’s not a challenge to do the work. It’s a challenge to know what needs to be done, and how to do it.” In other words, if you want to start a business or project or are putting off a task you really need to do, just start. Research, ask questions, reach out to your network for help. Overcoming this “starting” hurdle is challenging, but once you do the process gets much easier. 

Stay connected

Interested in learning more about EarthSuds and Marissa’s entrepreneurial journey? There are many ways to get connected and follow the company’s story. You can follow their social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Here you can follow their business journey, get exclusive promotions and watch them reach major milestones, like presenting at the National Geographic Oceans Innovation Challenge! What an amazing achievement. If you are interested in ordering their products (which I have tried and HIGHLY recommend!) then check out their online store. 

I hope you enjoyed this interview with EarthSuds, and feel inspired by their initiative. EarthSuds proves you can start any project you are passionate about, whether you have a background in a particular issue or not. All you need is the passion and drive to pursue it, and the commitment to making a change.

As always, thank you for reading. Until next time!

The post An interview with EarthSuds: Making sustainable travel possible appeared first on Clear the Air.

Hello, everyone! I hope that you have been safe and warm the past few weeks. In case you don’t live in Ontario, we’ve been experiencing winter storm after winter storm. I’ve never seen this many extreme weather alerts in such a short time frame…

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my story a few weeks ago hinting at this post. Now that it is complete, I am so excited to share with you another interview! I believe that the couple behind this amazing company are two of Ontario’s most innovative sustainability entrepreneurs. I was elated, then, when Ellin a.k.a. one of the co-founders of Zero Waste Bulk, agreed to do an interview with me!

ZWB is a zero-waste grocery store that opened in December 2018 in Waterloo, Ontario by Ellin and Kevin. I had been waiting for this store to open for almost a year, as soon as I read the announcement online that ZWB was coming to Waterloo. Already the store has attracted thousands of shoppers and media as it paves the way for sustainable shopping in our province.

When shopping at the store you have two options: bring your own reusable containers or pay a deposit to borrow/purchase one of the store’s containers. They have everything you could think of, from fresh produce to locally made bread (from one of my favourite cafe’s!), to cleaning supplies, personal care, frozen foods and more! When the produce is reaching the end of its life, they offer the items at a discounted price/free and share it in their Instagram story. They also sell items online on their website. They are always seeking new ideas for products and love feedback from the community.

Without further ado, let’s learn more about what it’s like to run Zero Waste Bulk.

What inspired you to start your Zero Waste journey? Have you always been interested in protecting the environment?

Ellin: I first heard of “zero waste” when I connected with minimalist communities about two years ago. It started with a journey of re-evaluating my possessions. How did I accumulate so much stuff and why was I so attached to my possessions? I was a borderline hoarder, but being surrounded by clutter was a constant source of stress. A key moment was when I realized I didn’t have an organization problem – it was a “too much stuff” problem. Too much stuff that didn’t even bring me joy (I was definitely inspired by Marie Kondo – now trending on Netflix). I realized much of this stuff I was decluttering was destined for the landfills, and this bothered me a lot as I’ve always wanted to prevent things from being wasted (that was part of the reason I held onto so much stuff). Being critical about my material possessions also led to the re-evaluation of my consumption habits. That’s where minimalism and zero waste overlap – both involve becoming a conscious consumer.

I’ve always been interesting in protecting the environment, but did not realize that so much of the waste I regularly produced could be avoided. In terms of waste, I thought recycling was good enough, but it’s best to avoid having to recycle in the first place. Recycling is just a form of waste management. What we want to do is reduce recycling by creating systems of reuse. Recycling is still resource intensive, and putting things in the blue bin does not necessarily guarantee that the item will get recycled. In addition, plastic “recycling” is really downcycling. Every time plastic goes through the recycling process, its quality deteriorates; plastic cannot be recycled forever – it eventually becomes waste.

Producing loads of garbage on a regular basis is so normalized we don’t really give it a second thought, but much of the garbage we produce can be avoided by being prepared with reusables and becoming mindful of our consumption habits.

What made you want to open Zero Waste Bulk? When did you officially decide that you were going to open the store?

Ellin: As I began trying to live zero waste two years ago, I realized that it was inconvenient. If there were a one-stop shop where you could shop zero waste, this would be much easier. I’ve heard of other zero waste shops popping up around the world and wanted to see one near me, but as far as I knew, this wasn’t happening. I did not want to wait for someone else to start a zero waste store in the area since I didn’t know how long that would take. So I decided I would take the initiative and start one myself. It took about two years from the birth of the idea to the opening of the store.

Did you have any experience as an entrepreneur prior to opening ZWB? If not, what was the process of opening your own store like?

Ellin: Nope! I had little interest in starting my own business, especially a brick-and-mortar business. The process of opening my own store was definitely a huge learning process. There are so many details to take care of to open your own store – it’s something I would not be able to cover here.

Why did you choose to open the store in Uptown Waterloo?

Ellin: First, the location had to be somewhere I could walk to since I don’t drive. I chose Uptown Waterloo because it is central and visible. I wanted the store to be in a place where random people walking by would walk in and become introduced to the idea of shopping zero waste rather than it being in a location that would only draw in people already interested in sustainable living.

How do you find the products that you sell in store? Do you prioritize local/organic/ethically made products? 

Ellin: Lots of research and connecting with the online zero waste community and local businesses. Yes, we prioritize products made locally, organically, and ethically. Though this often means that the price points also tend to be higher than if the products were mass produced, outsourced, and made in unethical conditions.

Since it was announced that Zero Waste Bulk was opening in Uptown, there has been a lot of hype and support for the store. It’s only been open for a month now and is already so successful. Did you ever imagine that the store would do so well, so quickly? 

Ellin: No way! We were blown away by the support and people’s eagerness to learning to shop the BYOC way. We are proud of the community’s dedication to reducing waste!

Were there ever times that you felt discouraged during this process? How did you get through the tough times?

Ellin: Lots. I just tell myself you only live once – might as well try and fail than not try and forever wonder what could have happened if you tried. 

What was the most challenging part of making ZWB a reality?

Ellin: Finding the right location.

Do you have a favourite memory that you made throughout the whole process of opening ZWB?

Ellin: Renovations were pretty fun as we got to connect with an amazing community of volunteers who wanted to help us make ZWB happen.

What’s your best tip for someone just starting their journey towards a more Zero Waste lifestyle?

Ellin: It takes practise to create a habit. Work on creating new habits, one or just a few at a time. Don’t get discouraged if you forget to bring reusables with you and end up accepting disposables. That is totally normal when you are starting out. Just keep trying and eventually becoming prepared with your reusables for all sorts of situations will become automatic. It’s also normal to feel weird about bringing your own containers to restaurants and such, but often times people love seeing us packing away our leftovers or putting food in our own containers. Also, if you keep forgetting to bring your own bag, it helps to hang them on the doorknob right after you come home so you remember to take them with you again when you leave the house.

What’s your favourite product in the store (available now or coming soon)? 🙂

Ellin: In terms of non-food products, one of my favourite items is the round stainless steel Onyx container. I also love the U-Konserve nesting trio containers. They are always with me in my backpack!In terms of food… That’s hard! A few of my favourites: Maple syrup pecans, organic dried mangos, and the gaia mix (the best trail mix)!

~~~

It’s hard not to be inspired by Ellin’s story. I seriously am amazed at how determined her and Kevin were to open Zero Waste Bulk, without any prior business experience. Their story shows that you really can do anything that you set your mind to. Thank you, Ellin, for sharing your journey on my blog! I know that your store will inspire and empower anyone who reads it. If you want to learn more about Ellin, Kevin and the story of ZWB, check out their Instagram, Facebook or website!

Next time you are feeling discouraged, or have a dream but have no clue how to bring it to life, do not give up. Yes, it could be a long and hard process with numerous setbacks and challenges. No successful business owner, actor, singer, writer, politician, engineer or student could be where they are without hard work. Take the setbacks and challenges you face as a learning process. The more you learn from your mistakes, the better equipped you will be to face similar challenges in the future, and the stronger you will be when you achieve your dreams. Don’t stop yourself from achieving your dreams just because you’re afraid of failure: often times, failure is the best way to learn.

I hope that you all have a great day, and thank you as always for reading!

Until next time!

The post An interview with Zero Waste Bulk appeared first on Clear the Air.

As I write this it is Friday morning, less than twelve hours after I finished my final exam for my first term (2A) of second year. Because of my program, I won’t be doing my second term (2B) until the spring; I’ll be on co-op from January to April. That said, my third full term of university has been sort of a whirlwind. It passed by so quickly…I still feel like it’s September, not December. 

Going into 2A, I was warned that it was going to be a challenge. Upper years in my faculty told me that it may have been one of the most challenging terms to get through. I can definitely understand why they said this now, and despite having prepared myself for hardship I was still caught off guard when things didn’t work out as well as planned. However, I still had a lot of fun throughout the term, and I still live to tell the tale, so that’s a plus! 

Reflecting on the last four months, there are a few experiences/lessons/challenges I had that stand out from the rest. These experiences have really tested my patience, perseverance and who I am as a person. While they were a pain to get through, I am glad that I experienced them because I wouldn’t be the person I am now without having gone through them. Not all are bad, of course, and some had positive outcomes. By sharing these experiences with you, my hope is that I can help you in some way: maybe you are going into your first year of university, or into your second year with your first round of co-op interviews coming up (*cringe*), applying to a job outside of school, looking for an apartment for the first time, or are here out of general curiosity and want to hear what I’ve been up to the past few months (and why I haven’t been posting…I’m sorry!).

Without further ado, here are five lessons I learned from this past term. I hope that you enjoy! 

1. Living off campus is a whole different ballgame. 

This past term I lived off campus with my friend from residence. We rented from a student housing company, one of the big-name ones around Waterloo with a bunch of different buildings. This experience by far has transformed me more into an “adult” than anything. If you know me in person/follow me on social media, you know the woes and struggles that I have gone through this past term with this rental company. I’m not going to put their name on here for privacy sake, but if you would like to know because you are looking for a place off campus then feel free to send me a message. 

Anyway, there have been many struggles with living off campus this term, but it wasn’t always bad. The apartment is located right in the middle of all the necessities: Uptown is a 15 minute walk away, the mall and grocery store is a 5 minute bus ride, campus is a 20 minute walk and there’s a bus stop right outside our door. It was a decent price for the size, too, and a two-bedroom apartment is rare to come by. When our neighbours weren’t partying or moving around all their furniture at 2am, it could be very peaceful to read or eat breakfast by the window.

I started listing all of the issues out in this post, then deleted it because I didn’t want this post to be me just ranting. I go on for days about the issues I’ve faced this term in my apartment. Being a student while living off campus means finding time to pick up groceries every week and hull them home on the bus, clean the apartment regularly, take the extra time to get to campus and make sure that rent was being paid on time every month. Having to chase after my property manager every other day to report an issue or follow up to something they claimed were being fixed added a lot of unnecessary stress. As of right now I’m not sure what my living plans are for the next three years of university; I am applying to be a don for my third year, so if I get that then I will be living on campus. If that doesn’t work out, though, I will definitely be finding a new place to live.

        2.  Finding the right co-op job takes a lot of time, effort and patience. 

If you are not familiar with co-op, it is essentially you working at a job related to your studies for 4-8 months. You apply through the school (although you can use your own connections/other job boards) and have a lot of paperwork/documents to complete. The University of Waterloo is known worldwide for it’s co-op program, so actually being a part of it is an interesting experience. What a lot of people do not understand is that co-op at UWaterloo is not a placement or internship. The school does not find the job for you: you must apply yourself. You also have to pay nearly $800 in tuition for each term of co-op, which seems silly since you’re not even in school at that time. We have a student job board called WaterlooWorks where employers post jobs specifically for UW co-op students. While you are applying for your first co-op, you are also completing something called a “PD,” or personal development, course. This is essentially a full course in its own right, where you watch modules online, complete assignments, etc. but it is catered to helping you through your first co-op application experience. You also do resume critiques and mock interviews which were pretty useful, but otherwise it was another course with deadlines that you have to meet and pass while trying to pass your other five courses. In addition, the resume template you have to use for the assignment is not recommended to be used for your actual job applications (which doesn’t really make sense).

Going into my first co-op application round, I was pretty scared. Upper years told me that I may not get a job, and to only expect one or two interviews (if I was lucky) in the first round. I was really lucky this term because I got 7 interviews, which was way beyond I even imagined for my first term. I think the number of interviews you get really depends on how much effort you put into your applications. In the first round (which runs Oct-Nov) you can apply for up to 50 jobs: I applied for 27 and catered each resume/cover letter to each employer, but I have some friends who applied to all 50 and just sent in general applications (but they did get jobs). I even have friends that applied for less than 15 and got jobs, and some friends who are still searching (fret not, you will find something, I believe in you!) It all depends on how well you sell yourself, and what sort of experiences/skills you highlight. For me the physical application is the hardest part; once I get an interview, I am confident that I can show the employer my passion and interest in an interview. 

When you apply for a co-op job, you can see how many people also apply: one job I applied to had 168 applicants, for instance. That definitely made it more stressful, because knowing the odds of you getting that one position out of 168 people are very slim. If you do manage to get an interview, you can also see the names and emails of the others who got an interview; a lot of times I would find out that I was going against upper years with more experience, which was (surprise) stressful. Also keep in mind that job interviews are happening throughout the regular school term, meaning my friends and I would have to miss class or tutorials to attend them. Usually the TAs and profs were understanding and would make accommodations if you told them you’d be missing a session in advance. Some days were just interviews: I had three interviews in the span of three hours. Your interviews could take the form of phone calls (in this super busy call centre where you are sitting in a cubicle with other people being interviewed on either side of you), a Skype call (mine which crashed twice and resulted in the interview being 1.5 hours instead of 40 minutes) or an in-person interview. You could also be asked to do specific tasks or “tests” – I actually got an interview for the job with 168 applicants, and I had to write 3 essay questions in 30 minutes at the end of the interview. Definitely an interesting (and intense) experience!

Overall I did enjoy the co-op application experience. I feel very confident in writing cover letters, resumes and with my interview skills. Yes, the whole experience was extremely stressful and hard to stay on top of PD assignments, interviews and coursework, but in the end I came out with 4 job offers (one of which was the job with 168 applicants!), all of which interested me and made the decision very tough. Next term I will be working in Guelph as a Waste Programs Assistant at the Waste Resource Innovation Centre, where I will be helping with projects around the city to improve waste diversion strategies and assist with developing an apartment composting project. 

     3.   Life is expensive.

When you start buying all of your groceries, cleaning supplies and personal care products, you realize just how expensive life really is. Groceries were especially killer, and seeing how food prices changed over the last few months depending on the season really influenced what I purchased and ate. I wrote this post about food insecurity and discussed the affordability of food playing a significant role in malnourishment right here in Ontario; while I am nowhere near this state and am very grateful that I can afford fruit and veggies still, the variety I ate was more limited as we moved away from prime harvesting season. A small cauliflower was 7 dollars, an avocado 3 dollars. Insane, right? 

On the other hand, I enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to eat more seasonally. The last month or so I’ve been eating a lot of root vegetables like carrots, beets, onions, garlic and ginger, as well as mushrooms, sweet potatoes, squash and cabbage. I ate frozen berries that were picked when they were in season. I would buy things like apples and bananas still just to get a different variety of nutrients in my diet, and when cooking I would try to change around the spices/recipes so that I didn’t get bored of the same ingredients. Yes, sometimes I would’ve loved to have fresh strawberries or a mango or other summer-y produce, but it just wasn’t practical economically. By purchasing produce in season and as local as possible (always check where your produce is coming from, and try to buy within Ontario if possible!) I was doing the most good for the planet that I could. If you’re interested in eating more seasonally, or want to know what kinds of produce will be cheapest (because local availability dictates this a lot) check out Ontario’s produce availability guide here.

     4.   Getting yourself involved is a great stress relief. 

I really enjoyed getting involved around campus last year, so I wanted to continue doing so this term. I volunteered at the Environment Student Coffee Shop again, which is always so fun because I get to meet students, profs and other staff from my department. I sat on the Environment Student Society, the faculty’s student council, as Vice President Operations. We hosted some awesome events including our annual Nacho Crawl, Charity Gala, and my personal favourite, Bob Ross Paint Night. We also ran Mental Health Month festivities, had breakfast with the Dean of Environment and ran office hours every week. I really enjoyed getting involved with the faculty in this way because I was able to connect with other students and staff that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I was the newbie and youngest on the team this term, so it was nice getting to participate in these big decisions made for the faculty and making new friends. I will definitely be applying for ESS when I am back in the Spring term!

I also had a part-time job as a Peer Leader at the residence I stayed at last year. A Peer Leader is similar to a don where they offer support and guidance to a set of students on a specific floor in your faculty (called your “cluster”). Peer Leaders would run weekly study halls where students ask for help on their assignments, course work or get tips for studying; we did review sessions for faculty-wide courses like ENVS 178 (an environmental stats course) and would attend themed community dinners. My floor would also do weekly Tea Time on Thursday nights, where we would chill in the don’s room and just chat about life. For a floor event, I had the floor visit my apartment (which we nicknamed “the box” since it was so small and our tables/counters were made of moving boxes) as I discussed their options for off-campus housing once they were done their first year. The don and I then took them to a board game cafe, which was a lot of fun and a nice way to relax. I also got to volunteer at the Fall Open House, representing the residence at a booth on campus and then giving tours of the residence later in the day. Overall I really enjoyed the Peer Leader experience, and I don’t become a don next year then I will definitely be a Peer Leader again! 🙂 

     5.   It’s okay to take breaks.

I have definitely said this in numerous blog posts, but it is still something I struggle with. Especially with how busy this semester was with courses, co-op applications and dealing with my apartment’s issues, it was easy to get overwhelmed. Nonetheless I knew how important it was to take breaks, even if it was 5 or 10 minutes. When I was feeling very overwhelmed I would stop whatever it was that I was doing and go for a walk or call a friend or my mom. I rarely studied in the apartment because I found the space too confining and for some reason cannot focus when I’m home; I would take myself out to a local coffee shop and spend hours studying away with a latte and sometimes a treat. After I finished a midterm, final or major assignment, I would treat myself to lunch or dinner at my favourite places around town. I attended hot yoga classes throughout the term, which I really enjoyed, and would regularly do stretching in my room. Netflix of course was a good break, and I think I started (and completed…) three different shows. I visited home every few weeks, pet my cat and saw my best friend. Little things like this made the stress more bearable and easier to take on.

Spending time with friends is also extremely important. University can be very isolating, and if you don’t have someone to talk to or just spend time with it can really impact your mental health. Having group sushi coffee dates or just one-on-one adventures with friends were go-tos, and my friends finally convinced me to experience Waterloo’s weekend night life (which is actually a lot of fun). Sometimes I didn’t want to go out because I felt that I had too much to do. Sometimes I wouldn’t go out, but other times I would tell myself that there would always be time to finish things while still enjoying myself, so I would go out and have fun. I tried many new things this semester and stepped outside of my comfort zone and did not regret it at all. In the end, I still had time to finish the tasks I had worried about, while still enjoying my term. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this semester despite how much I had to do. Living off campus was definitely an eye-opening experience and really taught me how to “adult.” Co-op will allow me to try out jobs and make valuable workplace connections that will help me establish a career once I graduate. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy educating others, not just about environmental/social issues (hence the blog) but about anything I am knowledgable of. I loved offering my stories and experiences as a Peer Leader to my first-years, and to high school kids visiting the campus on Open House. For the first time I enjoyed all of my courses this term, and while I am glad to have the Winter Break I am disappointed that the courses are over. I have made so many new friends and relationships with the faculty that will only enhance my experience at the University of Waterloo for the next three years. In my first and second term I was a bit hesitant about whether I had chosen the right school/program, but now I know without a doubt that I am in the right place. Despite all the challenges I’ve faced this semester, I’ve become a stronger individual and have further realized who I am as a person. I am so excited to see what the future holds for me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this life update, and I look forward to getting back into blogging. I hope that something in this post will help you in the future, whether it be with looking for a place to live off-campus for your upper years, starting your first co-op application round or anything else in life. My goal is to post regularly throughout the winter during my co-op, and I am excited to share that experience with all of you. Thank you for your patience with me, and I hope you will continue to read what I have to share.

I hope that you all have a great rest of your week, and enjoy the break! Spend some time with friends and family, eat good food, and remember to relax. 🙂 

Until next time!

The post Lessons learned from my second year (so far) appeared first on Clear the Air.

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope that you all had a great weekend. Today we are going to discuss how to take an integrative approach to research with Dr. Sarah Wolfe. Integrative research is ESSENTIAL for effective climate action, which we will learn about in this post.

First, a little update. On Saturday I attended PickWaste’s Awareness Day, where they brought all of the litter they have been collecting in their weekly cleanups to make a giant display. They were showing just how much litter we are creating in our city, and specifically how much unnecessary single-use plastic products we dispose of.

It was a very inspiring day, and I know that all of the attendees were motivated by Sam and Dillon’s passion to make a positive change in the world. There was music, a cleanup, environmental companies to network with and lunch. Pickering’s mayor, David Ryan, was in attendance, as were several other Council members from around the Durham Region. Overall it was a fun-filled community event that was both inspiring and educational!

Dr. Sarah Wolfe

For this week’s post, I am featuring faculty member at the University of Waterloo that I was fortunate enough to have as a professor this past year. I found her course to be very insightful, and her teaching style was very different (a good different!) from any other course I have taken. She really makes the classroom feel like an intimate space, encouraging everyone to participate and empowering them to be the change. In addition, I find her research approach to be one of the most well-rounded and thought-provoking.

If you are a regular reader on the blog, you know that I always say that finding a solution to the problems we face in the world requires involvement from every stakeholder in the decision-making process. We need to hear everyone’s perspective. We may realize how our current systems are impacting everyone and everything else, as well as potentially find a solution we hadn’t found before. Once we have clear, strong communication between stakeholders, the media and the public, only then can we begin to solve the problems that we face today. Does all of this sound familiar? This perspective that I now have towards problem-solving was inspired by Professor Sarah Wolfe.

For a bit of background about her, here is an excerpt from Professor Wolfe’s website: 

" I am an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS, formerly ERS) at the University of Waterloo. My Post Doctoral research was completed in ERS at the University of Waterloo. My PhD (2007) is from the University of Guelph’s Department of Geography, MA from the University of Toronto’s collaborative program in Political Science and Environmental Studies, and a BA from the University of Guelph’s International Development program (Biophysical Environment). As part of my undergraduate program, I studied at the University of Haifa through their English-language program.

I’m a ‘water person’ to the core. I’ve been fascinated/obsessed by water issues since childhood. My grandfather built wooden sailboats for fun and some of my earliest memories are sailing with him. Even today, if I’m not researching water, I want to be on, in or near water.

The second thing to keep in mind is that I am constitutionally incapable of working within disciplinary boundaries. I’ve tried, found it painful and then sped back to transdisciplinary. I’m a pragmatist and willing to poach ideas from any discipline that offers useful insights or methods (defn: geographer?).

And third, the thing that drives me to research and teach every single day is that I’m worried about the world the children — yours, mine, theirs — will inherit. I talk about ‘hero projects’ in my research: figuring out why we — as individuals and as a society — make the decisions we do about water is my hero project. If we can figure out water — something so essential to our very existence — then maybe, just maybe…."

Terror management theory

During Professor Wolfe’s course, we discussed many different topics, all of which I found very fascinating. From water issues (Professor Wolfe’s main focus in her research), to cultural influence on decision-making, to communication barriers between science and policy-makers, to humanity’s naturally irrational mind, to my personal favourite topic in the course, Terror Management Theory (TMT). 

TMT is a way of explaining why we act the way that we do. We are materialistic, consuming much more than what we need to survive. We strive for attention through friends, family and now strangers on social media. We live to be the “hero” in our community, whether that be as a police officer, a celebrated pop star or the Prime Minister. We do this because of both our conscious and unconscious fear of death; of being forgotten. We all want to be “immortal” in a sense; we all want to feel like we matter in the world. We consume, strive for attention, and live our lives according to societal norms so we can feel good about ourselves and forget the unavoidable truth: we are all going to die and be forgotten about eventually.

I know that it sounds morbid, but it is so fascinating. To understand it from an environmental perspective, in the course I took with Professor Wolfe we associated the destruction of the environment with humanity’s materialistic habits and selfish ways. We want to feel good about ourselves, we matter way more than the environment does. TMT examines how Homo sapiens are an innately selfish species that desire and value the approval from others over their own self-worth. 

Our cultural history – religious, spiritual – all focus on immortal “beings” of a divine status, whether it be a god or something of that type. We want to be accepted within our culture. To do that we must consume material objects and constantly seek the approval of others to become our “best” selves. Meanwhile, the process of becoming our best selves (which, hint: if you’re trying to become your “best self,” you’ll never reach it because you’re already there) is environmentally, mentally and socially destructive.

With TMT, we seek to identify this desire of humankind to be accepted, and acknowledge this fundamental flaw that is destroying our self esteem and the planet. We must personally acknowledge that we are selfish, and this selfishness acts as a barrier and bias in our decision-making.

Without further ado, on to the interview!

How did you find yourself working at the university of waterloo?

When I finished my doctoral degree, I didn’t want to go directly on the academic job market but instead raised research funds to support two years of post-doctoral research and writing. SERS (ERS at that time) was a natural fit for me because it was so transdisciplinary and open to different ways of looking at environmental issues.

what questions do you seek to answer in your research?

When I look back over my research career so far, my overarching interest has always been the ‘how and why’ of environmental decision-making. Personally, I find it mind-boggling what we – and I include myself in this – are doing to the planet despite the best available evidence. Professionally, I’ve looked at this issue from multiple perspectives using social networks, social capital, gender, governance, and now cognitive science and social psychology.  Of course, it would be impossible to look at all environmental issues and decision-making so I’ve always focused on water issues.

Also, from her site:

“The objective of my transdisciplinary research program is to generate scholarly and policy discussions within the context of climate change uncertainty and extreme water events (drought/flood).

My focus is understanding the ways that individuals make water decisions outside of formal institutional rules, processes and policies. I examine individuals’ values, beliefs and emotions (e.g., fear and awe) that are socio-culturally derived, often implicit and not readily quantifiable by standard metrics. I use mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to better explain how individuals and institutions make their water decisions under scarcity conditions. I ask questions such as these:

1) Will individuals’ cognitive and emotional processing effect their perceptions, definitions and prioritisation of water issues?

2) Do these individual-level responses then scale up to group or societal decisions about water management? By looking at the individual as a ‘micro-level’, it becomes possible to examine the foundation assumptions underpinning the water literature’s standard explanations of political will, economic incentives, policies/regulations.”

What is your field of expertise? If you had a "dream course" where you could teach just about anything, what would it be?

I’ve always been highly interdisciplinary because I see disciplinary boundaries as barriers to good scholarship and problem-solving. I consciously push myself outside of my knowledge ‘comfort zone’ so that I constantly learn new ideas, methods etc. This makes me a better research and teacher. It makes me a better research because I’m constantly evolving, not just building my career on ideas that I encountered 10 years ago. And it makes me a better teacher because I know what it’s like to be exposed to new information and the processes of taking in, processing and connecting new ways of understanding the world.

Dream courses: I’m teaching them! ERS 101 [quick note: this is the course that I (Jenna) took!] because I love the energy and openness of first year students. ERS 265 because we must understand the past and deep cultures associated with water to make good decisions now and for the future. ERS 316 because issues of urban water supply fascinate me and are so important for our urbanizing society. ERS 403 because mentoring emerging scholars through their first research projects – the ups, downs and turn arounds inherent to research – is a lot of fun and I always learn new things from students’ theses. My interests in environmental psychology, religion, ritual and water are all sprinkled throughout these existing courses. 

I also teach WATER 601 – a transdisciplinary water course for graduate students from across the university – a course that makes me integrate everything I’ve learned about teaching over the last decade and keeps me on my toes.

How did you get to the point you are at in your career now? Did you know that this is what you wanted to do when you were younger, or did the interest grow as you progressed through your career?

I had to check with my mum for this question. When I asked her, she started laughing and her response was: “you told me when you were five years old that you wanted someone to pay you to read!”. I am First-Gen (i.e., my parents and grandparents didn’t go to university) so being a Professor – they pay me to read! – was something quite unimaginable as I went through my education.

How did I get to this point: a couple factors. First, I had amazing mentors all the way through my education. Teachers and professors who took the time to explain how things worked (e.g., the unspoken expectations and norms of academia) and wrote reference letters for graduate programs, scholarships and eventually jobs. Second, I learned that failing wasn’t terminal. I’ve had some spectacular fails – the events that knock you off your feet and make you want to hide under the covers forever – over the years but I learned how to pick myself up again with help from family, friends and therapists as needed. Failing is never fun, but I’ve always learned something new from it. Third, “deferred gratification”: study now, party later. Yup, I was that kid in school. But let me tell you that 20-years later, my post-tenure party was fantastic!

The environmental field is facing so much negativity lately with all of the talk about climate change, natural disasters, wars over resources, biodiversity loss, and other impacts of our actions. With all of these negative stories constantly coming out in the media, how do you keep a positive outlook when approaching your research?

I love the act of doing research so every opportunity to focus on that process is a good one, even if what I’m thinking about or the results are fundamentally troubling. That’s my selfish answer. Another answer is this: what choice do I have? I can either decide to give up and do nothing or engage to the best of my abilities. Since that first option is inconceivable, I must keep teaching and doing research. Finally, a TMT (terror management theory) research-based answer: fear for the future can be highly motivating when one feels empowered (see answers one and two above) to do something/anything. That’s how I keep going.

If you had one wish that could be granted, no limitations, what would it be?

Professionally, that as a species we would ‘wake-the-fuck-up!’ and start implementing the hard decisions around climate change and a post-carbon future.

If you had one wish that could be granted, no limitations, what would it be?

Website and read my academic or general audience publications, twitter where I brag about my students’ successes, come to my lectures (check with me first!), or invite me to talk to their group.

Final thoughts and resources

That’s all for the interview! I hope that you enjoyed this insightful conversation. If you would like to hear more about Sarah Wolfe’s research or her teaching methods, you can check out her website, sarahwolfe.ca. You can explore her CV at the University of Waterloo’s website, or follow her on Twitter @SarahWolfePhD.

If you enjoyed learning about how to take an integrative approach to research with Dr. Wolfe, check out these conversations on skill-building, creating change and following your passions:

• How to be a young entrepreneur with Tania Del Matto
• Catering your degree to your passions with Jeffray Behr: engineering, renewable energy and plant-based meats
• How to create a youth movement with PickWaste

Have a great week, and I will see you next Monday!

Until next time!

The post How to take an integrative approach to research with Dr. Sarah Wolfe appeared first on Clear the Air.