A Canadian literature symposium to be held in May (2005) in the Department of English at the University of Ottawa has been declared a “carbon neutral” event by the Tree Canada Foundation.
In order to attain this status, symposium organizers calculated the total carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the event and agreed to plant the required number of trees to offset that amount. It’s the first time that any function on campus has been designated “carbon neutral.”
According to a report by the Tree Canada Foundation, the symposium will generate about 9.55 tonnes of carbon emissions in the atmosphere, mostly by participants travelling to and from the event. Organizers have arranged for the planting of 60 vigorous seedlings, which are expected to absorb and hold 9.55 tonnes of carbon over their 80-year lifespan.
The theme of this year’s symposium, being held on May 6 to 8, is “The Animals in this Country: A Canadian Literature Symposium.” It is the oldest annual CanLit conference in the country and regularly draws specialists from across Canada and around the world.
“We are very pleased to have both the symposium and the peace of mind that we are not causing any additional environmental damage,” says Conference chair Janice Fiamengo. “With the generous support of the University of Ottawa bookstore, Pegasus Publishing and Margaret Atwood, we have been able to invest in a sustainable environment and in Canadian literature all at once.”
The conference trees— a mixture of native Canadian trees such as white cedar, white pine, white spruce and red oak—will be planted by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority on marginal farmland along the Rideau River about 40 km south of the uOttawa campus.
Organizers who want to know how to make their next events “carbon neutral” are invited to call Michael Rosen, at the Tree Canada Foundation in Ottawa, at 567-5545, or to visit the Web site at www.tcf-fca.ca.
