climate crisis Archives - Queen's Journal

Unpacking Canada’s fossil fuel industry

Written on November 19, 2021. Posted in Features.

When the Queen’s Finance Association (QFA) hosted RBC CEO David McKay on Nov. 5, protestors stood outside Grant Hall to voice their concerns with RBC’s financing of the fossil fuel industry, particularly their subsidizing of the Line 3 pipeline expansion. Stephanie Sherman, Con-Ed ’22, is part of...

QBACC changes name to match urgency of the climate crisis

Written on November 19, 2021. Posted in News.

With the climate crisis worsening, Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC) has changed their name to Queen’s Backing Action on the Climate Crisis to match the urgency of the threat. QBACC co-chairs Aria Goldin and Natalie Woodland, both ArtSci ’22, sat down with The Journal to discuss the...

RBC doesn’t care about Indigenous reconciliation or the climate crisis. The money proves it.

Written on November 12, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) may claim to care about the climate crisis and Indigenous reconciliation, but the institution’s actions have proven performative—and the CEO seems dismissive of those RBC stands to harm. On Nov. 5, the Queen’s Finance Association (QFA) hosted RBC’s CEO David McKay at...

‘Time is running out,’ Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change says

Written on September 2, 2021. Posted in News.

On Aug. 9, the United Nations (UN) released a 4,000 page report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report compiles comprehensive research and expert opinions to emphasize the “code red for humanity” reflected in the current of state of our climate. In an interview with...

Student Life Centre hosts panel discussion on solidarity in climate crisis activism

Written on March 26, 2021. Posted in News.

When four youth panellists joined together on Wednesday for a discussion about the climate crisis, they brought attention to how it intersects with lived experiences and social injustices. The Student Life Centre hosted its Climate Justice Youth Activist Panel March on 23 over Zoom. Panellists included...

Splitting atoms: making sense of nuclear power

Written on March 19, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle.

If you didn’t get the message from grade five science class onwards: fossil fuels are the bane of humanity. Fossil fuels let us power the majority of our cars and give us hand cream and Ziplock bags—but they’re killing the planet. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in...

Single-use plastics ban ignores a larger problem: carbon emissions

Written on October 16, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

The Liberals’ single-use plastics ban is set to take effect next year, including items like takeout containers, plastic cutlery, and straws. There’s no doubt this is a positive step forward from an environmentalism standpoint, but the ban ignores a much greater problem: Canada’s carbon emissions. Single-use...

My failure to go zero waste

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

Three years ago, I tried to go ‘zero waste’ and failed. Miserably. I remember sitting in class, scrolling through Facebook and seeing a video about the pile of trash in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean, the one that is twice the size of Texas. I wanted to help—but being an undergrad student with...

The spill on plant-based milk

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

Looking to lessen your environmental impact can be a daunting task—it’s hard to know what power you have to make a positive impact on the climate. One of the simplest things you can do is limit your consumption of animal products. You don’t have to go full vegan or even vegetarian to make a big...

We need to plant the seeds for a more sustainable cannabis industry

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

Since its legalization, marijuana has become a big industry in Canada, and like most industries of its size, it comes with a substantial environmental impact—but it doesn’t have to. Marijuana requires specific temperature and humidity levels to grow efficiently, and growing marijuana indoors requires...

Stop the narrative that climate change is caused by you and me

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Personal accountability for the climate crisis isn’t just irrelevant; it was designed and implemented by the world’s biggest polluters. If we want to save our planet, we need to stop blaming everyday people for the declining environment and start holding the real culprit responsible: the fossil fuel...

Will the pandemic’s blue skies last?

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, the resulting international shutdown brought clearer skies, sparking hope in humanity’s fight against climate change—but that hope might be misplaced. Shuttered workplaces and travel restrictions meant fewer commuters taking polluting vehicles to work. Factory...

Canada’s transportation system is miles behind

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

Cities across the country continue to make a negative environmental impact with their decisions about public transit. The government continues to fund highways and promote travel by car, rather than investing in a greener future by funding zero-emission public transit. As commuters, we must demand...

What COVID-19 can teach us about the climate crisis

Written on March 27, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

The world is in the midst of what could become the deadliest global pandemic in living memory. Even as we lack adequate testing capabilities, global cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 500,000, doubling in the past week. This epidemic has prompted a drastic and far-reaching shift in...

Whitewashing climate activism limits its success

Written on March 3, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Young climate activists represent the future of environmentalism in Canada and around the world. This activism must represent the diversity of those impacted by the climate crisis, not just a handful of white voices. A recent Toronto Star opinion highlighted the importance of including a broad range...

Climate grief can’t be cured, but it can be addressed

Written on January 28, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Sometimes, when I’m aching over my resume’s format, cover letter narratives, and addressing the scary thing people call “post-graduate life,” a niggling voice reaches out of a dark place in my mind to ask: “What’s the point?” If the world’s going to end in an apocalyptic tidal wave or firestorm...

What’s the deal with Australia’s bushfires?

Written on January 14, 2020. Posted in Columns.

Bushfires aren’t uncommon in Australia—in fact, the country experiences a natural “fire season” every year during the Australian summer. However, the past few months have been much worse than normal, as the intense fires have burned millions of hectares of land and destroyed thousands of homes. Scientists...

Doubling down on a declining industry won’t help anyone, especially the planet

Written on November 15, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

Despite Canada’s abundance of oil and gas reserves, transitioning our economy away from the industry is the only way to address the climate crisis. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated carbon budgets—how much carbon dioxide we have left before our planet warms beyond...

Climate activists host talk on campus

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in News.

On Tuesday, Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists hosted an event about the effects of the climate crisis, bringing their concerns about the Canadian government’s response to the forum. XR is a movement that began in London, England on Oct. 31, 2018, after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...

Climate action leaves behind the most vulnerable

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

At the intersection of race and poverty, you’ll find the marginalized communities who are affected most by the climate’s rapid changes. From last summer’s plastic straw debate to the recent federal election, combating the climate crisis has risen to the forefront of newspapers, corporate social responsibility...

What students hope the world will look like in five years

Written on November 1, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

Thinking about the future right now might be daunting. Will our climate be worse? Will our political landscape be increasingly divided? Will the global economy tank? For some, it’s best not to dwell on these scary possibilities. However, it can also be helpful to think positively about the changes...

Thinking about the planet can lead to profit and benefit our futures

Written on October 23, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

Teaching both business and environmental studies offers a unique perspective on the intersections of business and sustainability. One thing has become clear from my experience doing exactly that: it’s time to look into the future of Queen’s and our students in a green way. According to the University’s...

Extinction Rebellion comes to Kingston

Written on October 23, 2019. Posted in Features.

Fake blood pools underneath the bodies of protestors heaped on top of one another as a eulogy for planet Earth echoes out over the spectating crowd—letting them know the world will soon be taking its last breath. This spectacle, known as a “die-in,” is a protest tactic of Extinction Rebellion (XR),...

Queen’s should listen to its student protestors about the climate crisis

Written on September 20, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

Every year, Queen’s boasts about its sustainability efforts, from selling reusable straws to offering electric vehicle charging stations. But when it really counts, the school falls silent. It’s up to the student population of Queen’s to ensure this silence stops. Sept. 20 kicks off a week of worldwide...

News in Brief

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in News.

Queen’s Sustainability Office hosts third annual Sustainability Week More than 40 partners, including local businesses, student groups, and University administration, will collaborate to host Sustainability Week from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. The initiative will provide participants with the opportunity...

Transitioning to veganism at Queen's opened my eyes to sustainability

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

When I tried going vegan at the end of my first year at Queen’s, my motivations were mostly personal. I’d never been bothered enough by the concept of factory farming and animal abuse to stop eating meat, and I didn’t know much about the environmental reasons for veganism. Initially, I tried the...

In conversation with Star Editor-in-Chief, Irene Gentle

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in News.

The Toronto Star is the only national Canadian newspaper to sign onto Covering Climate Now, an international journalism coalition dedicated to covering the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. The Journal spoke to Irene Gentle, The Star’s editor-in-chief, about the paper’s decision to sign...

Canadian politeness has no place in climate politics

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

With Canada’s 2019 federal election campaign officially underway, now is not the time to extinguish the climate debate—it’s time to ramp it up. A recent Globe and Mail opinion disparaged the emphasis on climate rhetoric as the upcoming election approaches. The contention between the Progressive...

The alumni with power in Canada's fossil fuel industry

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in Features, Investigations.

Queen’s has at least 11 alumni above the senior vice-president level at eight of Canada’s 10 largest fossil fuel companies, a Journal inquiry has found. A broad survey of the University’s investments, donations and corporate-backed research shows deep ties to Canada’s oil and gas sector. Across...

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