On his bike, one can
read “Burn fat, not oil”. It is 7.30am. Still pitch dark outside,
but he is biking from home to university. This morning he will first
work. This afternoon he'll have class. Who is 'he'?
Here everyone calls him Victor but his real name is Vitor.
Vitor is Brazilian and he
both works and studies at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).
Arrived in September 2011, he attends a curriculum on environmental
protection and sustainable development. But why exactly come from
Curitiba, Brazil to Anchorage, Alaska? What is the point of loosing
40°C/70°F during a major part of the year? Why here? Why that?
In Brazil, Vitor was
working on financial market. Exhausted by the mentality of his
co-workers, he started, in January 2011, a 6-month road trip
throughout the United States. His purpose was to meet the people
listed as the 50 most influential to change the world. He was looking
for inspiration and concrete ways to build a better world. From Los
Angeles to Seattle, via Nashville, New York City or Chicago, he met
about 20 of them: professors, NGO workers, politicians,
photographers, etc.
Then he wanted to acquire
academic knowledge. He applied at University of Alaska Anchorage
(UAA) and got approved. He is studying in the afternoons and
evenings. And every morning, he works. As staff member of the Office
of Sustainability, he is part of the recycling team that pick up
recyclable material throughout the UAA campus. More importantly, it
is a way to raise awareness on recycling in the different buildings
and departments he picks up this stuff. But he doesn't only on that.
The Office is generally making recommendations to UAA to improve its
policy on every topics related to sustainability and is in charge of
implementing those existing.
At the university Vitor is
also very much involved in the student life. As “Senator” in the
university board, he is doing his best to encourage UAA become one of
the twenty most sustainable universities in the world. There is a lot
to do in terms of recycling or energy saving. But at least he has a
goal. He strongly believes that UAA can make a difference by giving
other universities a good example. In addition, students will sooner
or later have responsibilities in this world. So better to start now
to take care about planet Earth. There is no planet B!
As he hosted me for almost
a week, we discussed a lot about the way he perceives the level of
awareness of the Alaskans when it comes to climate change or
sustainable development. As I could realise it by myself, Alaskans
are not that much concerned about those issues. It is pretty sad
since Alaska is, even more than any other regions of the globe,
impacted by global warming. It even contributes a lot by drilling
more and more oil and gas, not developing carbon-free energy
resources, developing spread cities with transportation laying only
on cars and trucks, etc.
What makes him still
optimistic about changing mentalities? He firmly believes that we all
have, at our level, a certain level of responsibilities. We have the
right and the ability to volunteer in NGOs, gather in committees, get
involved in politics, think about our consumer habits or interaction
with nature, etc. So we can all act towards this ideal better world.
And Vitor will stay in Alaska until he thinks he has done the best he
could.
He is
sharing a house with other people. Discussions at home are quite
noisy sometimes! Little by little, he tries to make his flatmates
think about their impact on environment. But he is also full of
energy when it comes to have fun or go out along with friends. Vitor
is kind of a funny and humorous person. He is not an annoying
environmentalist nerd. And I guess he is not the only one I'll meet.
Just the first one.
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