When an airline decides to lower their prices, the first things to go out the window is usually food quality (or food period), and then service. In Westjet’s case, the first was scenario was true, and now any food on board must be purchased from a third party provider, beverages however remain complimentary. Westjet’s success in maintaining high quality service is really thanks to their core values as an organization. Humour replaces luxurious pampering, and that is seen through their genuine care and growth approach to staff and clients. It goes a long way to describe what individuals value, and it is not being treated like royalty, but treated like important individuals.

So what then could be next on the horizon for Westjet if they plan to stay the course as market leaders in the industry? Well in order to come full circle as an organization committed to triple bottom line results, Westjet must now complete the circle through their conscious impact on the community and environment in which they operate. Based on my observations, I have made three suggestions that could truly go a long way for an organization like Westjet.

1. Strive for zero-waste in flight and in the office.

Why should eating on a place be any different than eating in a restaurant or coffee shop? (other than the obvious lack of a take away option). The waste generated by plastic cups, tissues, wrapping/packaging, and disposable cutler to name a few, is an unnecessary burden to our landfills and recycling plants (that is if they do separate the recyclables). So would it be so difficult to design the services inflight like one would a coffee shop? An idea would be to give everyone a mug to use, and then return it at the end of the flight, echo on the cutlery for food or snacks served as well. I can only imagine long term benefits and savings for the company, the clients, and the environment!

2. Have alternative entertainment options.

I love inflight movies, especially when I have lots to choose from, however, in budget flights, the options are either an additional cost, or you don’t have any choice over the selection. In Westjet’s case, they have satellite TV, which does include movies at an additional cost, however the complimentary option leaves us spending half the journey flipping through uninteresting channels and spending half the time exposed to commercial products – something I do not like. It can be said that sometimes having options doesn’t always give you choice. So, thinking to myself that I must be an anomaly, I decided to walk up and down the aisle seeing what other people were watching. That is when it hit me, well over half the people were either trying to sleep or were reading either a book or a magazine. A fraction of the remaining were watching the inflight movie, and a few drones were flipping through the channels trying to find something suitable to entertain them. So my question is quite an obvious one to me, why not appeal to this demand? By providing a small book library of some classics, and top of the chart books, and variety of magazines, passengers can sign them out at the beginning of the flight, and return them upon landing. Why stop at just reading, why not have small board games that you can challenge your neighbour with, more often than not, people are starving for conversation or interactions yet our society assumes we all want our privacy, so why appeal to one and not the other? Have the option, it wouldn’t be that costly, but the value could be tremendous. I can tell you, one of the most stressful places to be is in a departure gate with 200+ strangers, not a single one saying a word.

3. Provide premium carbon offsetting service.

Like many avid travellers, I get quite disappointed whenever I take a carbon footprint calculation test. Living my life as sustainable minded as possible, I always do great until I get to the question about how many flights/distance do I take in a year – needless to say, my planets needed to support my lifestyle doubles. It is no myth that air travel is the worst producer of green house gases (GHG) for any individual. So why not offer a premium service for the eco-conscious traveller? It would involve a premium price, that would be put toward offsetting your emissions and growing the renewable energy industry. Travellers can then fly in the comfort that somewhere, their money is helping to put up solar panels or wind turbines to replace dirty non-renewable energy supply. This alone will send a strong message to the R&D labs of the airline industry to hurry up with their solar flight research, and to really expand to lead other airlines that will be heading in this direction.

The uncertain future of oil will undoubtedly force a lot of change, and we will likely see the end of cheap air travel in our very near future. Here is an interesting analysis of the state of the airline industry, and their search for oil alternatives. I am sure there are various other opportunities to green the airline industry, and that is why it needs a leader, like Westjet has demonstrated so well for us in the past.

I suppose some of the experiences I had will never leave me, some truths you cannot just sweep under a carpet. Now that I am back in Canada, the hardest part is trying to share those experiences I had in a way that help people understand these truths that I have seen: poverty, exploitation, corruption, dishonesty. I guess this feeling is shared by anyone in the field of sustainability. The question eludes me, while I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. The worst of all, for me, is falling on deaf ears to the ones that are supposed to be closest and most beloved to us: our family.

The conundrum, in which I have befallen, is where to cross the line when on one side of it you know you cannot tell another person what s/he is doing wrong and how to live their life, on the other hand you cannot stand idle watching while ignorance is harming innocent people (and the environment) thousands and millions of miles away.

What would you do if stuck in this situation, crying desperately to be heard, to share some tiny morsel of experience, that may trigger an awakening to just how damaging the majority of North Americans live.

I know, I’m being harsh, accusing, judging. I know, but what would you do? What would you do if you knew someone was doing something that unbenownst to them is harming others, often, many others.

“What makes you so much smarter than us” or “who are you to think you know whats best for us” are two phrases I hear in defense whenever I point out the pointless obessive purpose to an electronic pepper mill. I wish I had all the answers, no one has all the answers. I do have a lot of questions though, like these:

1. Why do we not question why places like Wal-mart can offer such ridiculously low prices? Can we not accept the reality that there are underpaid Chinese men and women (and often children) living and working in deplorable conditions to put together crappy products that are designed to be either broken, or unfashionable within 6 months. Not to mention the lives lost and sold into slavery over the extraction of cocoa for our chocolates, and diamonds for our dogs new burberry jacket?

2. Why we unquestioningly believe the FDA or our government would never approve any products that would be harmful to us, yet allow tobacco products in abundance, toxic chemicals to remain in shampoo, soaps, unrecyclable plastics to cover our produce, genetically modified fruits and vegetables that carry ridiculous “newest health wave trend setter” like pro-and pre-biotics (wtf?), animal meat that is so pumped with hormones (Bovine growth hormone), that our mother-to-be’s breast milk contains dioxin (read deadly manmade toxin, leads to cancer) and our children are hitting puberty earlier, and getting fatter and bulkier than anytime in recorded history.

3. Why we have to pay more for “healthy food”, since when did health become a choice? shouldn’t it be a given, like air or water?

4. Why do we allow companies to drill in our backyards, pollute our fresh water streams, and kill off communities and bio-diversity that has lived on the land for far longer than the English language has been around, just to turn around and sell us that which we used to get for free and in abundance: Water! Tap water vs bottled water has been proven (and again) to be a hoax, a self satisfying delusion that tastes oh so good with our pre-bionic, certified organic, high in calcium and omega-3, with 0 trans-fat and low cholestoral, diet, meals.

5. Why is it okay to bag our groceries in non-recyclable plastics produced from petrol, and drive SUVs in urban areas when we know that a large percentage of gasoline money goes to Saudi Arabia who uses a lot of that money to build madrassas all over the world, many of which teach a fundamentalist form of Islam, which only leads to more terrorism. Oh yea, not to mention that oil and gas production is a major cause of global warming (automobile emissions alone contribute to 30% of CO2 released into the atmosphere in the United States alone), and not to mention destruction to natural habitats; but as long as there is demand, the oil companies have an excuse to continue making money.

6. Why do we believe we can obtain quality of life or social stature by owning material things? We keep ourselves in sub-urban bubbles, ignorant of the thought about where our products come from, and most important, where it goes once we are done? Why do our politicians refer to us as consumers and not citizens? Why do we consider quality time to include the family sitting around watching TV, not communicating, not sharing, not caring – and we wonder why teen depression and suicide rates are rising? We have less leisure time than any society in recorded history, and our general effectiveness at work has dropped dramatically, mainly to do with the over-stimulation of advertisements trying to get our attention around every corner!

7. Why do we believe that drugs will cure our illnesses and not cause others? Why so much attention on treatment and not more on prevention? With staggering rising cancer and asthma rates in industrial nations, isn’t there more that can be done to keep us healthy? Why do pharma companies experiment on “psychological abnormalities” in children by diagnosing them with A.D.D.? More importantly why would doctors buy into this practice that is causing more harm than good to our childrens early stages of development?

How are we supposed to trust anything in a world so wrought in corruption, and so blind to the public eye?

So tell me, am I wrong to ask these questions? Should I just accept things as they are? Wait till someone else figures out a solution? (or invent something that could kill us all).

Is it true I don’t have a right to tell you how to live your life, when the media and society do so much of a better job at it than I do? Maybe I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, these questions should be more than enough to prompt you to ask your own questions and find out whatever it is you can do to jump off this crazy train speeding toward a cliff without breaks.

What’s that? You want solutions? I thought you didn’t want someone telling you how to live your life. Well I don’t have solutions for you, only experiences on how I try to live a little bit better. But you’ll have to contact me or comment to hear what I have to say, I’m sick of trying to get your attention. It’s your turn to do something now.

The Environment is impacted by our human footprint; this footprint is the result of diverse community interactions (economy, leisure, family) in any given society. Social activism, or civil society, is shaped by embedding values in the people that are part of the society and who will take up responsibility for that society. It is therefore vital for youth to grab this inclusive picture of sustainability to ensure a positive future generation of prosperity and increased quality of life.

The picture shows a circle of people connected by a web. This activity looks at interdependence of global issues.

This toolkit aims to provide an overview for the programme and how it can be run in not only colleges and institutes, but also in companies of any size.

All that is required is a committed team to organize some logistics, and a series of individuals with a passion for sustainability.

Stage 1: Around 20 motivated individuals are selected and trained as mentors

This number can vary depending on how many schools or students you want to reach out to. The point to remember here is to recruit individuals, who are fun, can relate well with kids, and have an interest in learning about Sustainability. The big bonus here is that through being a mentor, the individual actually learns more about him/herself and their personal actions in sustainability by going through this process.

It is important to establish rules of conduct, and training on material before hand so that the next stage can run smoothly.

Stage 2: They share an understanding of sustainability through a workshop in the school.

The best part of this programme is interacting with the kids; they end up being our greatest teachers. This stage is when the newly trained mentors will go into the classrooms and deliver a 1-1.5 hour presentation on sustainability. Topics can be focused or broad; the idea here is to make sure the kids leave with a strong understanding that sustainability means making smart choices now
so that we don’t suffer the negative consequences in the future.

Topics you should cover:

• Defining sustainability.
• Understanding the Venn diagram of People, Business and Nature (Society, Economy, Environment).
• Grasp the idea that all actions and events in the world are interrelated and interdependent – there are no such things as isolated actions and response.

Stage 3: The most interested students get a deeper understanding through a simulation game.

Are we having fun yet? If not, then we surely will now! Stage 3 represents a simulation game with a duration of 3 – 4 hours.
Here the mentors will plan and facilitate a series of activity-based learning games that will help develop soft skills while teaching them core ideas of sustainability.

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Topics you should cover in the simulation include:

• Understanding the big picture of sustainability (that is, global warming, pollution, security, overpopulation – nature, business and society).
• Introduce the concept of ‘Tragedy of the Commons’.
• Guide them through a product life cycle of their favourite things, move from linear product life cycle to closed loop product life cycle.
• What is a network or system, how can we simplify it if it no longer makes sense and is overly ineffective?
• Understanding interdependence from the perspective of various decision makers (Government, NGOs, Companies, and Individuals).
• What is their vision for a sustainable future in 20 years time?

Stage 4: Through mentorship students will execute a project in their school.

This is the most magical stage, as anything can happen when you put good intentions into the hands of creative children. By mentoring a group of kids, you get to see a project and change happen over the span of 3 weeks to 1 month. The kids will surprise
you with their creativity and ability to grasp the concept of sustainability. The goal of the project is simple: Make one change in your school that can help it become closer to being zero-waste.

Project areas that kids can work on include:

• Waste and Disposal
• Water Conservation
• Soil and Plants
• Energy Efficiency
• School Supplies and Books
• Paper Usage
• Transportation
• Food

Make sure you start the projects with an audit of the school, so the kids can identify unsustainable practices, then come up with ideas, and measure the ideas based on the Venn diagram model. Does it make Business, People and Nature sense? If not, how can we improve it?

Stage 5: The projects are showcased and rewarded, raising awareness in the community about sustainability.

The last stage of this programme is the most glamorous, as you want to invite the public, partners, other schools and dignitaries to the event. This event can be imagined in many ways, but it should aim to capture the excitement of the kids in presenting their projects ideas, and rewarding them thoroughly for all their hard work. The benefit of inviting so much public is that they too get to play a hand in learning about sustainability.

Prizes should further the kids development in understanding about sustainability, such as nature retreats or educational books.

Stage 6: Taking our learning virtually!

Yes that is right, we have a special sixth stage not represented in the diagram, but ever more important. It is taking the learning of this programme and giving the students and mentors an online platform to connect with other youth across the globe, who are passionate about sustainability. By accessing the My Choice social network, participants gain access to networks of young people, fresh media and resources to help them learn more about sustainability, and best of all: contribute to the discussion.

You’re done! You’ve made a great contribution to society, you’ve learnt a lot along the way, and you’ve networked with others building the same vision and promoted your brand every step of the way.

What could be more satisfying? After all, it’s your choice for a sustainable future!

Reprinted from source: http://www.tbl.com.pk

The building of dams around the world have displaced millions of people in the 20th century. Water ways, aquafers, and natural irrigation channels are being dried up or pumped into plastic bottles and sold to us. That is like someone coming into your home, stealing your most prized family heirloom, wrapping it in a nice package and selling it back to you at 10x the price you paid for it in the first place.

Is it so hard to keep water healthy and accessible to everyone? It seems that more and more politicians are failing to stand up for what should be their jobs – to protect the basic security of citizens! There certainly is nothing more basic than water.

I just finished watching “FLOW: For love of water“. A documentary featured directed by Irena Salina. The movie takes a traditional documentary look at the perspective of water, as a free right for citizens, as free as the air and sun is. It exposes the multinational corporations who are exploiting people and creating scenarios of poverty and dependence on their product (which is really your product only it was extracted from your backyard and bottled).

The film also explores local heros and success stories for local communities winning out against the exploitation of their water sources. Most notably the case in Bolivia in 2005 when water was given as a right back to the public. Now I know thoughts of James Bond: Quantum of Solace come to mind here, but the truth is, companies with similar agendas do exist, and we all buy their products on a regular basis.

I liked how the movie is used as a platform to encourage the UN to adopt a new article, known as Article 31.

Article 31: Everyone has the right to clean and accessible water, adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, and no one shall be deprived of such access or quality of water due to individual economic circumstance.

This article would ensure governments comply with this basic human right. I would argue that the right should be extended to all living organisms, however this is an important first step. Follow this link if you want to sign the petition yourself.

In local news, a Calgary based NGO has been making waves across the world in their battle for affordable water and sanitation. CAWST (Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) was founded in 2001 and has since impacted the lives of millions of people across 53 countries through awareness and simple water filtration technology.

Why has such a basic human need become such a controversial and complex issue?

I’d like to see some initiative in setting up community rain water harvesting schemes, greywater capture and filtration services (preferably as a means of irrigation rather than drinking consumption).

Plastic bags have become such an item of dependence that shop keepers simply don’t know what else to use for their goods and liquids. Rightly so, it will be an uphill battle, but the government is more sure than ever that this is the right step, and it will take time to adapt, however after the initial two month period, shopkeepers caught providing the bags could be fined upwards of 1 lakh rupees (roughly $2,000 USD) or upto 5 years of jail term.

With such a move we will begin to see a demand for cloth and glass making a comeback in India, as these two are the most viable alternatives to plastic bags. No doubt this would also spin off some R&D on bio-degradable plastics and weaning off of petroleum based plastic for the more carbon neutral alternative of bio plastics (soy, vegetable oil, corn stalk).

I wonder what the world would be like today if Ford was able to organize the plastics industry to build exclusively from soy and bioproducts rather than petroleum oil. Needless to say, world war 1 kick started the oil dependency in plastics movement.

A famous quote comes to mind that is so fitting, attributed to an ancient chinese proverb.

“When the winds of change are blowing, some people are building shelters, and others are building windmills.”