After water, concrete is the most commonly used resource in the world. From the buildings we live in to the roads we drive on, nearly everything in our built environment is made from concrete. Unfortunately, it’s also the most destructive material in the world, responsible for approximately eight per cent[Read More…]
Tag: sustainability
400 days of cycling and recycling
On July 1, 62-year-old McGill mechanical engineering professor Larry Lessard set out on the journey of a lifetime. An avid cyclist and expert on recycling, Lessard plans to travel across three continents, 28 countries, and 20,000 kilometres in 400 days. Along the way, he’ll stop at universities and wind farms[Read More…]
No such thing as empty land: Agricultural expansion and displacement in South America’s Gran Chaco region
The destruction of the world’s rainforests has long been framed as an environmental problem. Extractive logging, mining, and agricultural practices have led to the loss of millions of acres of wildlife and have emitted massive quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. But for years, activists have argued that[Read More…]
Sustainability initiative ‘impact200’ project winners to be announced next month
Launched in August 2020 as part of McGill’s bicentennial celebrations, impact200 is a challenge that invites teams of students to submit proposals for projects to enhance sustainability on campus, in Montreal, and around the world. The challenge was organized by the Bicentennial Office in collaboration with the McGill Dobson Centre[Read More…]
McGill hosts Sustainable Futures Career Days
McGill hosted a series of Sustainable Futures Career Days from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3 as part of its Bicentennial programming. The events aimed to equip McGill students with the skills to integrate sustainability into their studies and career goals. The series opened with a keynote delivered by Chantal Line[Read More…]
All nine faculty froshes receive gold-level sustainability rating from Office of Sustainability
All nine of McGill’s faculty froshes, including Management, Arts & Science, Physical & Occupational Therapy, Education, Science, Music, Macdonald Campus, Engineering, and Arts, received gold-level certification from the Office of Sustainability for their late-August 2021 events. This was the second time all nine achieved the gold-level designation; they received the[Read More…]
McGill Farmers’ Market creates community for sustainable eating
The McGill Farmers’ Market has been a staple of the summer and fall seasons at McGill since 2008. It returns again to McTavish Street this year, open on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Multiple vendors selling their signature products offer students a variety of food and flavour options,[Read More…]
Exploring Montreal’s thrifting scene
With the return to campus, many members of the McGill community are meeting off-screen for the first time, finally getting the chance to express themselves through their fashion choices. For the budget-conscious university student, this may sound daunting. However, Montreal’s wide selection of thrift stores, each with their own unique[Read More…]
The social and environmental toll of concrete production
Names like McCall MacBain Arts, Redpath Museum, or Stewart Biology may bring to mind lecture halls and study spots, but all these McGill landmarks have at least one more thing in common: They all use concrete in their construction. Just about every infrastructure project in Montreal, and across the world,[Read More…]
Board of Governors convene to address plans for reducing carbon emissions
A report of the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) that recommends actions to decrease the overall carbon emissions of the McGill endowment portfolio was discussed at the university’s first Board of Governors (BoG) meeting of the year on Feb. 13. The meeting covered four board committee[Read More…]