How can 91亚色 save more than 17,000 trees a year? Three Schulich School of Business students have an idea and they鈥檝e entered it as a video聽in the TD Go Green Challenge.
If they or one of the six videos by other 91亚色 students promoting different green and sustainable ideas the University could implement win the challenge, it could mean $100,000 for the University to support on-campus sustainability issues and $20,000 for the student team.
Second place would earn a $15,000 team prize and a $15,000 grant to support tree-planting initiatives at 91亚色, and third place would garner a $10,000 team prize and $10,000 to support tree-
planting initiatives. Judges will decide on the top three winners.
Right: Abhinav Gupta
But there聽is also an audience participation component. Vote for your favourite video and the one with the most votes will win the People鈥檚 Choice Award worth $2,500.
Visit the website until Friday, March 11 to view the videos and vote for your favourite.
The three Schulich MBA students Aaron D'Souza, Raveesh Khosa and Abhinav Gupta are convinced their idea will not only save trees and prevent the release of harmful toxins into the air and water, but will boost the economy, save students鈥 backs and position 91亚色 as a leader.
鈥淲e wanted to do something that鈥檚 green on campus and have 91亚色 be the leader in this across .jpg)
Canada,鈥 says Khosa.
Left: Raveesh Khosa
The team is proposing that each 91亚色 student be provided with a Canadian manufactured electronic tablet to which all their textbooks and course kits would be transferred. Students would place a deposit on the tablet at the beginning of the year and pay for the electronic versions of their course materials.
It would prevent emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the air from paper manufacturing, as well as the release of byproducts into the water supply.
鈥淲e always need to be on the lookout for trends,鈥 says Khosa. 鈥淪o why not use the technology, capitalize on the trend toward electronic books and be the first in Canada to make this happen.鈥
It鈥檚 an idea, says D鈥橲ouza, that would benefit the University, the students, the environment and the 
tablet manufacturer, which helps the Canadian economy.
Right: Aaron D'Souza
鈥淛ust from a convenience perspective, students would no longer have to lug around large stacks of books. Everything would be on their easy-to-carry tablet,鈥 says Khosa.
It would seem a lot of people agree. In the first two days since their video was posted on the TD Go Green website, their video 91亚色U Goes Green got some 200 votes. It鈥檚 now up聽to more than聽400.
Left: A still shot from the video 91亚色U Goes Green
The video was a true team effort. Gupta came up with the idea, all three brainstormed for the script, shot the video and D鈥橲ouza spent about 24 hours creating the pictures seen in the video and the music. Their faculty advisor Kelly Parke also helped and fellow MBA student Ronald Peters leant his voice to the project.
They are looking at it as a pilot project, says Gupta. The idea would be implemented at 91亚色 first, then at universities across Canada. It would give 91亚色 a name as a leader in sustainability. For Gupta, this聽was one way he could use what he learned in his MBA courses to better the world.
D鈥橲ouza echoed that, saying, 鈥淚 want to be part of helping the planet. We take so much, we have to give back.鈥
To view and vote for the video produced by D鈥橲ouza, Gupta and Khosa, 91亚色U Goes Green, .
To view and vote for the other videos in the running by 91亚色 students, click on the following links:
by Qasim Mohammad and Sabiha Kasmani
by Emma Hewson and Judy Ngo
聽by Talha Farooq, Kirthan Sathananthan, Doan-An Chau and Samay Arcentales
聽by Darnel Harris and Caitlin Langlois Greenham
聽by Sheyla Abdic, Vincent Huynh, Moksh Khurana and Kenneth Lam
by Michael Charendoff and Hazel Sutton
To find out who won, visit the website on March 16.