Public outreach news

A former two-time Canadian National Debating Champion while pursuing his Honours BA and MA at McGill in the 1990s, Gerald Butts knows a thing or two about the power of words.

There is a common misconception that the problem with adopting sustainable work practices is they are both expensive and inconvenient. The people at Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) would gladly tell you otherwise.

The Emerald Key & Catalyst Awards will be presented by the Office of Sustainability for the first time in 2011 to those who have made a meaningful and enduring contribution to the sustainability movement at McGill University.

How many McGill electricians does it take to change a light bulb in the Gelber Law Library? Only one, albeit on a cherry picker – and that’s no joke, as the lights in question are a good 20 feet off the ground. But even though an electrician’s time could be certainly put to better use, the people at McGill’s Office of Sustainability are not too concerned about how a bulb gets changed.

ISID is very pleased to announce that noted Canadian diplomat Louise Fréchette is now a member of the Institute's International Advisory Board

Prentice gives keynote at annual MISC conference By Pascal Zamprelli “What better time to discuss Canadian water,” asked Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice as he addressed the packed Faculty Club, “because water will become a key issue for decision makers, and it deserves to be near the top of the policy agenda.” And what better place than [...]

As you know, the issue of sustainability is at the forefront of public concern. However, development of a culture of sustainability will require important efforts on the part of all of us. We ask that you consider collaborating in this important initiative by participating in Défi Climat, where you can commit to taking simple steps toward improving the sustainability of our community.

McGill students, staff and faculty are invited to submit proposals for the Sustainable Projects Fund. This new fund, established last semester by McGill students and administration, has $800,000 available for spending in 2010. All proposals are welcome and may be submitted at any time, to be evaluated at regular intervals throughout the calendar year.

By McGill Reporter staff A student referendum on the proposed Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) passed resoundingly last week, with 79 per cent of voters downtown voting to adopt the fund. Some 5,300 students voted, the second-highest total in SSMU history. As reported in the Nov. 5 edition of the McGill Reporter, the SPF would see the administration [...]

An annual Fall event on McGills downtown campus, the Farmers Market provides students, employees, and neighborhood residents the opportunity to buy fresh, healthy, organic and local food directly from the farmers who produce it, and to engage with community and student groups working on personal, community, and ecological food sustainability initiatives.   Developed out of the [...]

New publication about the more than fifty kinds of trees that grace McGill's downtown campus. Authored by Bronwyn Chester, the publication features two self-guided walking tours in booklet form. 7$, available at the Redpath Museum or the McGill Bookstore.

Open House is moving to the Fall Starting this autumn, our annual Open House will take place in November. We look forward to welcoming prospective students, their families and friends on Sunday, November 8, 2009. Check for updates on our Open House website (see below)...

By McGill Reporter Staff While red may be the official colour of McGill, it would seem that we have an increasing penchant for green as well. McGill’s strong commitment to campus sustainability was recognized earlier today with the announcement that the University has been selected to the annual list of Canadas Greenest Employers, as chosen by the [...

What Darwin Didn't Know, a presentation held at the Redpath Museum in honour of Darwin's bicentennary, was recorded live and archived on the World Wide Web. You can watch the presentation via the archive at: http://bcooltv.mcgill.ca/Viewer/?EventID=200902123549 Moderated by David Green, the Director of the Museum, the speakers included four evolutionary biologists from McGill.

Sara is a Triceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Eastend, southern Saskatchewan, just over 65 million years ago. She was probably a teenager when she died but if she had lived to adulthood she would have weighed 10 tonnes. Excavated by the McGill vertebrate paleontology field course led by Dr. Hans Larsson, and then reconstructed in the Redpath Museum, Sara's skull measures close to 5 metres.