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Studio 58’s non-verbal play, a ficticous tale of a failed attempt at sending cosmonauts to Mars

WITHIN SIX METERS OF THE OPENINGS INTO THIS BUILDING INCLUDING DOORS AND WINDOWS THAT OPEN ANO ANY AIR INTAKE

*

...campus will enforce

new by-law

JONATHAN PARKIN photo illistration

Vancouver city council passed a law banning the use of e-cigarette products anywhere that regular cigarettes are prohibited.

Vancouver bans e-cigarettes from public places: not enough known about how they impact health

By JAMES GOLDIE & JONATHAN PARKIN

resh air advocates at Langara

College are breathing easier fol-

lowing a recent decision by Van-

couver city council to ban the use of e-cigarettes in public places where smoking is prohibited.

On Oct. 1, council voted to subject electronic smoking devices to the same restrictions as tobacco products. The bylaw, proposed by Dr. Meena Dawar of Vancouver Coastal Health, accepts that not enough is known about the health impacts of e-cigarettes. The new bylaw restricts sales to minors and prevents the advertising of e-cigarettes and re- lated products.

Maggie Ross, manager of Student Conduct and Judicial Affairs at Langa- ra, will be communicating to students and staff as soon as her office receives details about the bylaw. The new e-cig- arette policies will be enforced by cam- pus security. “I haven’t received any complaints,” Ross said, with regards to e-cigarette use on campus, where there are designated smoking areas.

See E-CIGS BAN, page 3

Langara energy aving goals met

After meeting its target in energy use, Langara is looking forward to ways it can be more efficient on campus.

By JES HOVANES

cess in meeting energy saving goals, and have big plans to keep the campus green in coming years.

A report released Sept. 25 confirmed that Langara surpassed the energy savings targets set out in its 2009-2014 Strategic Energy Management Plan.

The 19 per cent reduction in overall energy use smashed the original target of 15 per cent.

This earned Langara a profile in the 2013 Carbon Neutral Government Year in Review report.

This victory is just one aspect of Langara’s plans to be the greenest campus possible.

Graham Smith, manager of building operations and major construction, said there is a multi-lateral set of strat- egies that are interlocking.

“We have an agreement with [B.C.] Hydro and we have an internal commit-

I angara recently announced its suc-

&

ment to be sustainable and go green,” Smith said.

One major carry-over from the exist- ing energy plan is the commitment to cut electrical use by four per cent per year.

“Every year it gets harder to find ways to cut four per cent” said Smith. He added that one big target is Build- ing A which has been in a constant state of renovation and retrofitting for a number of years.

“We try to get the most out of every little bit of energy,” he said. “It is much more complicated than it used to be, and it’s always been kind of complicat- ed.”

“The campus has an overall effect. ... It has an effect on your sense of well be- ing,” Smith said.

He urges students to take part in green initiatives on campus.

“Don’t be a passive user of a thing that exists, step in and be part of some- thing,” he said.

Langara Green Efforts

Optimizing campus energy use through moni- tors

Ty

2 Upgrading older build- ings with effective new technology

3 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

4 Raising

awareness on sustainability in the camous and commu- nity

Source:

Langara 2013 Carbon Neutral Action Report

GRAHAM SMITH

Langara build- ing operations manager

New Rainwater class

Langara’s new course starting Oct. 18 will be a hands-on approach to rainwater harvesting and management.

By VIVIAN CHUI

course this fall, in answer to rising demand for sustainable water sys- tems in Vancouver.

The rainwater harvesting and mva- nagment course is an elective for the organic landscape management certifi- cate program, and recognized by the Canadian Association for Rainwater Management. Ken Nentwig, executive director for CANARM and program in- structor, is set to start the course Oct. 18.

“Water itself is becoming a huge is- sue worldwide, and although we’re blessed with all kinds of it, we still have shortages,” said Nentwig in an inter- view with the Voice.

“Our urbanized lifestyle exploits wa- ter, but it is a finite resource that’s be- coming more and more precious,” he said.

UBC associate professor in geogra- phy, Andreas Christen, who specializes in urban climate research, said 60 per cent of rainwater is lost from urban ar- eas, as opposed to five per cent lost in forests.

“With paved roads and roofs, most of the rain is lost horizontally, while little

Les: College is offering a new

is absorbed in the soil, leading to a dri- er climate and heating up the city,” said Christen.

Nentwig said managing rainwater provides two main benefits, storm wa- ter control and potable water conserva- tion.

“Collected storm water can then be used in situations where potable water is not necessary, such as toilet flushing, garden landscaping, and fire storage supression,” he said.

With an emphasis on solving stu- dents’ rainwater problems in the con- text of climate change and urban water cycle, the course is taught from a hands-on perspective, Nentwig ex- plained.

“Tt would appeal to those who have a high appreciation for the environment already,” Nentwig added.

Cities, such as Victoria and Abbots- ford, are looking to reduce storm water taxes by reintroducing rainwater to the ground through structures such as per- meable pavement, said Langara sus- tainable communities program coordi- nator Peggy Harowitz. “They are starting to hire people who have sus- tainable landscaping knowledge.”

Currently low in registration, the course may run in January 2015.