Green Campus: Fight for the green future
March 24, Earth Hour-2018 is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that encourages us to be more environmentally aware. At 20:30, over 2 bln people worldwide switch off their lights at offices and at home. As SPbU implements a number of projects on sustainable development, SPbU’s students also take part in the event.
Pollution and non-rational use of resources are among the global challenges today. According to the WWF, by 2050 climate changes will cause draughts, floods, and massive deforestation. In Russia, the Earth Hour is committed to an idea “Vote for nature”: separate waste collection and recycling, availability of green energy, and preservation of natural areas.
SPbU’s students are environmentally aware and constantly bring forward green initiatives. The University has created a separate waste collection scheme: there are containers for aluminum, paper, glass, and plastics. SPbU regularly opens new eco-points and holds regular events “Exam session – waste paper session”.
130.4
tones of recyclable materials were collected at the University last year.
It makes about 5 % of all waste materials SPbU produces. When we can collect 30% of recyclable materials, it will bring benefit from using the recyclable materials, say the eco-activists. For example, recycling one ton of paper brings over 8 thousand rubles. SPbU is the first university in Russia to adopt such scheme to recycling the waste materials.
The University is also interested in educating the students in the area: SPbU, together with its international partners, offers a number of programmes in ecology and nature management. The bachelor’s programme in Ecology and Nature Management can offer you exchange with the University of Stavanger, Norway, while the master’s programme in Ecology. Biodiversity and Nature Preservation is supported by the European Commission TEMPUS.
The University also offers intergrated educational programmes in environment in various regions. The students of the programme in polar regions CORELIS study mineral resources, biodiversity of the region, climate changes, and economic development of the territories.
The University is actively engaged in developing the idea of the Green Campus, a concept to create green eco-oriented environment.
Director of the Office of Ecology at SPbU Natalia Popova
All the programmes in Ecology SPbU offers are practice-oriented: students get internship programmes in the committees for nature management and ecological safety of St Petersburg and Leningrad region, Rosprirodnadzor and Rostechnadzor, research institutes, Russian and international organisations. The unique equipment enables students and staff to monitor environment, study the composition of substances, and assess the quality of the habitats.
SPbU, as it successfully implements ecological projects, uses resource-saving technologies and popularises alternative means of transportation, is a member of the Association of the Green Universities of Russia.