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In a world that is changing daily due to climate change and environmental degradation, the role of sustainability has become increasingly important in all aspects of our lives. For university students like me who want to shape the future of our world, this is a truly important topic.
I had the unique opportunity of being one of the four students chosen to represent the U of A at the annual Conference on Sustainability in Engineering held at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) last month, which was organized by the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students. This conference allowed me to learn about the latest advancements, exchange ideas and find a community of people as passionate about sustainability as I am.
Since this was my first conference, it was fair to say that I was a bag of nerves leading up to it. I also struggle with being socially awkward at times, so meeting new people can be an uncomfortable experience for me. Nevertheless, the excitement of attending something like this far outweighed everything else. On the day of the flight to Toronto, I remember waking up late and almost missing my flight (like a true engineering student), running to the gate armed with a large cup of coffee. Landing in Toronto was a weird experience as it was my first time visiting the city.
As I stepped onto the TMU campus, I was immediately surrounded by people from across Canada. It was a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with everyone trying to get to know each other better. As most students were jet-lagged, we all just got to know each other and had a couple of safety briefings about how to be safe while in Toronto…followed by a karaoke session organized by TMU students! The sessions on sustainability began the next day.
There was a surprising amount of topics covered, ranging from how climate change is researched and analyzed to how nuclear energy has evolved over the last 45 years and even a session about beekeeping. There was something new to learn in every single session. My favourite discussion was about how hydrogen fuel cells can play a role in our future cities, along with powering our cars while being cheaper than using fossil fuels.
We engaged in a really fun debate about the ethics of having children in a rapidly changing world. After a point, no one could keep score of who actually won the debate, and everyone was just having fun! I also had the chance to speak to engineers from all over Canada and learn firsthand how every single problem has so many possible solutions to it, each of them being unique in their own sense.
The conference was not only lectures and debates, though. There were a lot of fun activities planned, including a silent disco and visiting the Ontario Art Gallery. There were also a lot of quirky traditions students had come up with over the years, including trying to steal the mascots of other schools (the U of A delegation totally won this because we had hidden ours in the hotel room). There was also a lot of patch and scarf trading going on, and some students had more than 10 scarves on them. It was super fun bonding with different people over debates about which patch was cooler.
Amidst all the sessions and the mascot stealing, the conference was a source of inspiration and empowerment. Listening to the stories of people who have worked on innovative solutions and dedicated their lives to advancing sustainable engineering filled me with a sense of purpose and determination to help bring about further improvements in this rapidly growing field. I enjoyed hearing engineers talk about projects that benefit not just the environment but also local communities, for example, building a community centre powered by wind energy in a small town located in the far north.
It was equally amazing to be able to bond with students from different universities. I distinctly remember having a long discussion with students from Carleton University about the unique ways in which Indigenous Peoples have adapted to live in harsh climates. Discussions like these help reinforce the spirit of working together that lies at the heart of sustainable development and left me feeling hopeful for the future.
This conference also provided me with two major realizations:
- It is so important to discover something you are passionate about. There is likely a community of people who are equally passionate about the same thing.
- To be truly successful in your career, you need to work in whatever you enjoy doing the most.
The definition of sustainable development from TMU is “Living harmoniously within the limits of natural and societal resources so that all systems can flourish indefinitely. This requires improving the quality of the environment and human relationships with it in a manner that promotes equity, well-being and justice for every community member.” This perfectly summarizes how we need to put people first and prioritize well-being over profits, and it is something that truly inspired me.