The second annual Canada West Foundation Student Essay Contest invited students attending western Canadian post-secondary institutions to write an essay in response to the following question: Who should have the greatest responsibility for reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions: governments, industries or individuals? A $5,000 cash prize for the best essay was the incentive.
Our thanks are extended to the 150 students from across the region who submitted essays.
The Canada West Foundation congratulates Kaija Belfry of the University of British Columbia for the winning essay that appears in this document. Congratulations are also due to Tyler Bryant of Simon Fraser University and Francois de Soete of the University of British Columbia; their essays have received honourable mention and also appear in this document.
The three essays present readers with some very interesting answers to the question of who should bear the greatest responsibility for addressing climate change and are a valuable addition to this critical debate.
The question for the next round of the Canada West Foundation Student Essay Contest is: “Should Canadians switch to a system of proportional representation?” Contest details can be found at the end of this document.
Funding for the Student Essay Contest has been provided by the Canada West Foundation Founders’ Endowment Fund. Many thanks to Dr. Kari Roberts for managing the 2007 Canada West Foundation Essay Contest.