We declared two winners in our U-Pass photo contest a while back, and Malloreigh Hamilton and Daniel Loke had the best photos capturing the concept of “good karma and less carbon.”

Malloreigh, who is a Langara College student, submitted the photo at right. It was taken by Lindsay Elliott (you can check out Lindsay’s photo website too). Here’s what Malloreigh had to say about the photo:

The photo I entered into the U-Pass Photo Contest was taken in early September – a warm early autumn day in Vancouver. I ride my bike all summer, and in the winter, too, if I can – but on those dismal rainy days when I have schoolwork to do, I take the bus. I consider it my responsibility to do everything I can to minimize my impact on the planet – I love what we have left of it and I want to help save it. I take a lot of joy in riding my bike around beautiful Vancouver, and I love the friendships I make on the bus to and from school. My goal is to infect everyone with the contagious happiness that comes from doing little things that help make the world a better place for everyone to live in.

Daniel Loke goes to UBC and took this photo himself. Here’s how he described his picture:

My photo represents a lot of what I think of the environment. Besides just riding a bike and reducing carbon emissions, I was riding it on Rottnest Island in Australia, which generates 37% of its power through renewable resources. In fact, there’s a wind turbine just behind me! Ecotourism is becoming a big thing now, and I’m happy to be a part of it. For me, taking local buses and transit is the real way to travel. In addition to ‘being a local’, it’s just part of being environmentally friendly. I ride my bike to work and bus to school every day, even though I have a car available to me (why not? I have a U-pass anyway!). It’s just little things like that that means I use less carbon, and gain more karma. Earth gives so much to me, I just have to give something back!

Thanks again to everyone who entered! It’s great to see that students care about the environment and are trying to make a difference!