UNews - Gary Weikum

Environment is the key

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:09:26 +0000

"It's all about the environment, stupid!"

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge instructor Gary Weikum quotes Dr. David Suzuki for effect but the message is valid. To create a viable sustainability plan, one that encompasses all three aspects of the sustainability model (environment, social and economic), it must begin and end with a focus on the environment.

"There's a commonly accepted diagram that is used to demonstrate sustainability and its three components," says Weikum. "It shows three overlapping circles, representing the three aspects of sustainability, with the commonly held belief that the overlapping section of the diagram represents sustainability. A more accurate diagram would begin with a large circle representing the environment, within which smaller circles for the social and economic aspects exist.

"What we're realizing, as a result of science, are the limits of our planet and the impact we're having on it. It brings us back to the idea that the environment is a life support system for us and we need to ensure that it is going to continue."

To that end, Weikum is doing his small part by leading an Applied Studies course that is drafting a scoping study from which a sustainability plan for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will eventually be created. He and his five students will complete the study at the end of the semester.

"Before starting a plan, you need to first prepare a scoping report, which is essentially an instruction manual on how to produce the plan," he says. "We're trying to figure out what topics should be included in the plan, how broad or how narrow we make this, who would be included in the planning process, what resources will be required and what timelines are reasonable to complete the plan."

Weikum speaks from experience, having been a city planner for 30 years. He sees this as a valuable experience for his students, all the while serving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as it follows the direction of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Strategic Plan, which contains a priority directed towards the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's sustainability.

"That's what makes this so exciting for me, sharing this experience with some of my students," says Weikum.

Fourth-year urban and regional studies student James Switzer revels in the chance to work with a real client and participate in the making of a viable plan.

"This has been one of the most beneficial experiences of my university career," says Switzer, a Calgary native. "It has been an opportunity to apply the knowledge I have gained throughout my education in a practical sense; one that has provided a valuable and unique learning experience which has exposed me to some of the processes, issues and challenges which are involved in putting together such a report."

Fellow student Deanna Cambridge says the process has really opened her eyes to the limitations of what a real-world plan looks like.

"This project is only the first stage in the eventual creation of a sustainability plan," she says. "The biggest factor I have noticed so far regarding the realities of what can be achieved in the area of sustainability is in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ priorities, and therefore budget allocations. Sustainability needs to get backing and support from all stakeholders including students, faculty and staff. Part of our study focuses on how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can get these groups excited so that sustainability is seen as something that is both wanted and needed by the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community."

Weikum describes true sustainability as achievable only when it supports each aspect of the equation. It will not take hold if unrealistic resources must be devoted to the process.

"We have to start within this economic system we've developed," he says. "In the long term, economic viability is determined by the viability of the environment."

Cambridge is excited to see the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ set sustainability as a strategic priority, even though her contribution won't be realized until years after she has left the U of L.

"As a person with pride for this ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I would like to see it excel in sustainability so that it gains recognition in the academic community for its work and therefore can attract more students in more study areas," she says. "I also believe that if the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is able to make sustainability a top priority it will open up different practical and research study opportunities for students through the implementation of its policies."

Weikum and his students see the need for this plan at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the movement is beginning to take hold.

"The environment has limits, it has carrying capacities and we understand that if we exceed those carrying capacities, there is usually a negative feedback of some kind."
Turning that into a positive is beginning to take shape now.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Geography students take city hall

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:54:13 +0000

A team of Geography students recently received a high-profile lesson in public affairs by presenting their research to Lethbridge City Council.

As part of an Applied Studies project, five students from Gary Weikum's Geography 2535 Introduction to Planning and Geography 4500 Sustainability Issues in Planning classes spent the academic year conducting research on the sources and quantity of greenhouse gases produced by the corporate operations of the City of Lethbridge.

Craig Wiebe fields media questions with support from (l to r) Jordan Vine, Leo Chow, Andrew Malcolm and their instructor, Gary Weikum. Missing from the photo is Nicole Gergely. All students are in their third or fourth year of study.

Weikum, a sessional instructor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and former city planner, introduced the project to the student group as a means to complement their classroom knowledge with hands-on experience. He says the students demonstrated their commitment to the project and desire to promote the management of greenhouse gases even after the course was complete by presenting their findings to city council and discussing greenhouse gas issues with the media.

"This was a great opportunity for the group to put their knowledge to action and theory to practice by preparing a professional report for a real client," says Weikum. "The students can now go back to the classroom with an enhanced perspective and better context for classroom instruction."

Weikum adds that the project also benefits the students as they are exposed to potential work situations that may be available after graduation.

"The key elements acquired by the students include; the ability to manage large projects with firm deadlines, work in a team environment, and build successful relationships with a client," says Weikum. "They also participated in several workshops to examine their preferred working styles, and strengths and weaknesses of the project management component. These insights will help them refine their career plans."

Craig Wiebe, a team member who intends to pursue a master's degree following graduation next year, says the project will help him should he continue on as a community planner.

"Gary deliberately structured the project to be similar to one of the many projects he had worked on as a planner for the City of Lethbridge," says Wiebe. "He even included a presentation to council, which is common in projects that planners work on. Working on this project as a team, with the amount of
external data sources and research that we needed to collect and analyze gave us all important work experience. Members of our project team have already found employers to be keenly interested in the experience that we gained."

Weikum said that with the success of this project, he plans to initiate further client-based ventures that relate classroom study to community issues.

The student group conducted an extensive review of all City of Lethbridge operations to assess the level of the city's greenhouse gas emissions. The final report is expected to be used by city council and administration for future planning.

The students found that overall, city operations produce more than 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from such activities as heating and lighting buildings, providing transit service, road maintenance, etc. It was discovered that the city-owned landfills (one operating site and two closed sites) account for more than 80,000 tonnes of the total. It was also noted that half of the electrical and gas demand for the wastewater treatment plant is supplied by the combustion of methane gas produced from municipal sewage.

"The most surprising item we discovered during our research were the enormous amounts of greenhouse gases – in this case, mostly methane – being emitted by the city's three landfills," says Wiebe. "Much of the methane emissions are produced by paper and cardboard, which can conveniently be taken to recycling centres throughout the city."

Wiebe says that landfills were included in the corporate survey, as they are the city's responsibility, but their share of greenhouse gas emissions is disproportionately high in their report, because the entire community contributes to the emissions.

"A community survey would likely find both transportation and landfills to be leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions," he says.

While the quantity of greenhouse gases produced by Lethbridge municipal operations are similar to other prairie cities that were benchmarked, the students were able to make several recommendations for future planning to reduce the amount of equivalent CO2 emissions. The recommendations included more detailed studies, public consultation and input into community greenhouse gas reduction and other similar suggestions.

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Gary Weikum

Environment is the key

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Geography students take city hall

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