Bachelor in Environmental Studies Student Association - BESSA

05/30/2018

ATTENTION EVERYONE!!

We are looking for a new BESSA team!! If anyone is looking to get involved, especially within their program, then BESSA is the perfect fit for you! It's a great way to meet other amazing students and faculty members. Do not miss this awesome opportunity!! The positions we are looking for are:

1) President
2) VP Finance
3) VP Internal Communications
4) VP External Communications
5) VP Events
6) Event Coordinators (3 Positions)

Email [email protected] if you are interested or have any questions. Hope to hear from you!

04/22/2018

We endorse this message from Jane Goodall!
Take a pledge to recycle more, go strawless, eat less meat, carry reusable bottles/mugs/shopping bags, take off appliances when not in use, volunteer with an environmental organization!
As long as we are still here, it is not too late. Happy Earth Day 2018

Today’s annual Earth Day Doodle was created in partnership with one of the planet’s most influential advocates: Ethologist (animal behavior expert), conserva...

04/22/2018

Posted on April 20, 2018 / by Emily 10 Meaningful Ways You Can Celebrate Earth Day, Everyday Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd – a day when environmentalists, activists and citizens organize and attend events that demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day was launched in April...

04/22/2018

Happy Earth Day from BESSA!
We hope that you all take time today to ponder on changes you can make in your own life, even by just fueling conversation about environmental issues. Keep participating in events and advocate for the local and global issues. Take care of the earth, today and every day!

04/07/2018

yu vote is York University's online election system. It allows you to vote 24 hours per day, seven days a week online. The system is designed for your convenience and is environmentally friendly. Before voting, read: General Guidelines About Online Voting Notes for Voting via Laptop Technical requir...

04/07/2018

BESSA are happy to endorse Karmah Dudin as undergrad rep for the York U Board of Governors! Vote now at http://yuvote.yorku.ca

*Undergraduate and graduate* students can vote online for Karmah Dudin as undergraduate student nominee to the Board of Governors (BoG) NOW until April 12 at 5PM.

This is what Karmah fights for!

1) Opposing tuition and other fee increases & advocating for free education

The Board of Governors has consistently raised tuition fees by 3% annually (the maximum amount legally permitted in Ontario). As BoG student nominee Karmah is committed to voting against all tuition and ancillary fee increases and speaking in support of free education.

2) Advocating for transparency

Although BoG meetings are public, there are only a limited number of seats and you must e-mail well in advance to attend the meetings. Karmah will create public reports after every board meeting updating the community on the decisions made and advocate for live-streaming board meetings to increase transparency

3) Fighting for fossil fuel & weapons divestment

York University invests in weapons companies and fossil fuels through its endowment fund, a pool of money that is invested to generate student scholarships and bursaries and fund university projects. Karmah will advocate for York to permanently take its investments out of these companies and reinvest in more socially responsible companies.

4) Advocating for a more democratic and less corporate Board of Governors

Only 6 of the 30 positions on the BoG are elected positions, the rest are selected by the board itself. 3/4 of the Board are from high-ranking positions in the corporate sector. Karmah will lobby for more elected position on the Board and increased representation from the York community.

5) Protecting quality education

Karmah will oppose the corporatization of the University so York prioritizes education over profits. The working conditions of our educators are our learning conditions. Karmah will support the struggle of campus workers to improve their job security and the conditions under which they teach.

yu vote is York University's online election system. It allows you to vote 24 hours per day, seven days a week online. The system is designed for your convenience and is environmentally friendly. Before voting, read: General Guidelines About Online Voting Notes for Voting via Laptop Technical requir...

03/23/2018

Switch off lights and appliances tomorrow at 8:30 pm to be a part of the largest environmental movement for our planet. Every person makes a difference 🙋 🙋‍♂️

TOMORROW is the BIG day! 2018 is finally here!😍 How are you going to celebrate? We’re excited to see what you've planned! 😁 Don’t forget: 24 March, 8.30pm local time. Switch off and - you’ll be part of the largest environmental movement for our planet, and every person makes a difference 🙋 🙋‍♂️ It's not too late to put events on the live map: http://ehour.me/Earth-Hour-Events-Nearby

03/22/2018

March 22 marks World Water Day, an acknowledgement of the importance of safe, clean drinking water. This year, the celebration takes place against the backdrop of water shortages.

03/22/2018

ITS WORLD WATER DAY!
Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 - includes a target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.

United Nations - What makes it so difficult for some people to have access to water? Why are there millions of people in the world without access to a toilet...

03/04/2018

Another important source of information regarding transportation:

Transportation Services in the event of a CUPE 3903 strike In the event of a labour disruption at York University Keele Campus, Transportation Services will make every effort to minimize the impact to the community and will continue to deliver as many services as possible. Expect delays. TTC TTC wil...

03/04/2018

What support services are there?

Strikes are stressful times for everyone. For any student who is experiencing emotional/mental distress the best source is http://pcs.info.yorku.ca/

It provides emergency contact numbers for York’s Personal Counselling Services (PCS) and a 24/7 Help Line “Good 2 Talk” along with crisis intervention information and general support.

Please pass this on to anyone you think might need it and message us if you need support.