Every now and then I receive a message from people around the world entreating the UoG to be more engaged in reducing emissions, increasing efficiency or moving towards carbon neutral behaviour. The impetus for these cries often comes from an advertisement of another university or conglomerate of universities proudly announcing to the world their green or carbon reducing initiatives. The claims are laudable and I often wonder what these institutions are doing ............ when you look it is surprising to see what they aspire to because, quite frankly, in most cases the UoG has been doing that for some time.

For example, recently a group of American presidents banded together and determined that they would reduce emissions by establishing a bus pass for students, would start to implement energy saving/reduction strategies, and would fit energy efficient light bulbs on their campuses. Without making a song and dance about it, Guelph did these things ages ago: the Central Student Association (CSA) negotiated the bus pass many years ago, we have been working to improve the efficiency of windows, heating and ventilation systems across campus for some time, the students implemented a "green tax" which the university will match for energy saving/retrofit programs, and we began a program to change light bulbs a couple of years ago.

And Guelph goes on leading - this year the main store in the University Centre has really gone "Down to Earth". The store has been completely renovated and offers all sorts of natural, locally made products and produce for consumption, and now markets organic and bio-based materials for sale - including T-shirts and underpants made from bamboo fibre!

We will not stop here. At the end of the year, we will introduce a "footprint calculator". Working with Zerofootprint in Toronto we will launch a calculator that allows you to determine your own impact on the world. It will allow users to think about ways in which they can individually and we collectively can reduce our carbon footprint and perhaps create a way for us to set up competitions between groups on campus to be the most effective at reducing our footprint.

So next time you read about some cool things at other places, just stop and think that in many cases Guelph did them first or has certainly taken the lead with innovative ideas.