Sustainability Archives - Queen's Journal

Queen’s clubs take part in Sustainability Month

Written on October 7, 2021. Posted in News.

October marks the beginning of AMS Sustainability Month. This year, the student society has split the month into three different themes: agriculture, fashion sustainability, and waste management. Jessie Wile, ArtSci ‘22 and AMS Commissioner of Environmental Sustainability, spoke to The Journal...

University pledges to sustainably sourced seafood

Written on April 2, 2021. Posted in News.

With the goal to combat global overfishing, a leading issue in the climate crisis, Queen’s Housing and Ancillary Services entered into a contract with Aramark Canada last summer for food services on campus. “By committing to sustainable seafood, Queen’s will contribute to the protection of the world’s...

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...

QBACC initiative encourages students to have a more “Sustainable Semester”

Written on March 19, 2021. Posted in News.

Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC) is running an initiative encouraging students to adopt more sustainable practices. QBACC’s Sustainable Semester started Jan. 25, shortly into the winter term. Each week, the club posts a sustainability challenge to its social media accounts. Students...

Fast fashion is taking a toll on the environment. Our consumer habits can change that.

Written on March 9, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

The fast fashion industry contributes to an endless void of textile wastage and excessive pollution that we don’t need more of. We must hold this industry’s companies accountable, adjusting our own consumer habits to do so. The mass production from fast fashion brands keeps cheap, disposable clothes...

Student Life Centre leads Sustainable Student Awareness campaign

Written on March 9, 2021. Posted in News.

The Student Life Centre (SLC) initiated a month-long virtual campaign on March 1, raising environmental awareness for the Queen’s community by addressing temporal and financial barriers facing students. Collaborating with the AMS, Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC), Queen’s Sustainable...

Project to bring more green spaces to campus

Written on March 5, 2021. Posted in News, Student Politics.

Students can expect to see more green spaces on campus next year. In collaboration with Students of Queen’s Urban Agriculture and Sustainability Hub (SQUASH), Molly Urquhart, AMS commissioner of environmental sustainability, is planning a three-year project to reintroduce pollinator gardens and more...

Consumers cannot be blamed for unethical consumption

Written on November 26, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

While leading a clean lifestyle has always been important, it’s now become a popular trend. Unfortunately, not everyone has the means to participate. The digital age has brought awareness to sustainability and the exploitative nature of the production of goods. A rapidly approaching climate crisis...

Huskee Cups return to CoGro

Written on October 19, 2020. Posted in News.

Common Ground (CoGro) is relaunching the Cup Swap program with Huskee Cups, starting Oct. 19. “Since we reopened on June 29, our purchasing manager Christy Scott had been working on a proposal to the Campus Operations Group (COG) for about a month that outlined why we wanted to reintroduce the Huskee...

Queen’s takes steps to protect migratory birds passing through campus

Written on October 16, 2020. Posted in News, University.

Despite everything that’s happened this year, it’s just another year for Canadian wildlife. Like every other fall, birds are preparing for the long journey of migrating to warmer climates before winter begins. They will have many obstacles to contend with as they make this trip—with one in particular...

Despite fearmongering, GMOs are the key to a healthy and sustainable future

Written on October 8, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

A lot of plant-based foods at the grocery store are labeled ‘non-GMO’—as if genetically modified crops should be avoided. In reality, we ought to embrace the technology. Genetic modification to our food is as old as agriculture itself. When humans began domesticating plants, we used selective breeding...

Reducing the campus carbon footprint: new app will help students make sustainable food choices

Written on September 25, 2020. Posted in News, University.

In the Queen’s University Climate Action Plan, Queen’s committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040. The app NetZero hopes to help the University and its students achieve this goal. NetZero is an app that will allow Queen’s students to track their carbon footprint by logging the food they purchase....

Queen’s signs climate change charter

Written on June 24, 2020. Posted in News, University.

Queen’s has signed onto a new climate change charter as part of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2040. The University announced on June 18 it had become a founding signatory of Investing to Address Climate Change: A Charter for Canadian Universities. The Charter captures a set of principles aimed...

Queen’s student named one of top 25 environmentalists under 25

Written on May 28, 2020. Posted in News.

When The Starfish recently recognized 25 young leaders as “Canada’s Top Environmentalists Under 25,” Queen’s student Sebastien Molgat, ArtSci ’20, was on the list. The list, released annually since 2011, highlights individuals who inspire and lead environmental change in their communities across...

ASUS hires first equity and sustainability director

Written on April 28, 2020. Posted in News.

ASUS has hired four new positions for the 2020-21 year, including the first equity and sustainability director (ESD), Caitlin Hayes. Incoming ASUS President David Niddam-Dent and incoming ASUS Vice-President Matt D’Alessandro had emphasized improvement to internal functions of the Society during their...

How I thrifted (almost) my entire wardrobe

Written on March 13, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

I’ve never thought of myself as a fashionable person. I prioritize comfort and ease above all else, and would wear sweatpants everywhere if it were socially acceptable. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself wanting to understand fashion more and how I can apply it to my own clothes. Before...

Activists celebrate passage of new climate measures

Written on March 10, 2020. Posted in News.

On Friday, the Board of Trustees passed the final recommendations set out by the Climate Change Task Force, including a pledge to reduce the carbon intensity of the University’s oil and gas investments. The Task Force was formed in December 2019, after the Board heard a presentation by Queen’s Backing...

Five days of living waste-free as a student

Written on February 28, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

It’s a confusing time to be environmentally conscious as a Canadian. For one, our country has declared a climate emergency, but also just agreed to expand a damaging pipeline. On top of that, we’re always facing the underlying responsibility to do our part as citizens and consumers, which can be an...

Educating girls is an overlooked solution to the climate crisis

Written on February 11, 2020. Posted in Columns.

We’ve all heard the most common ways to reduce climate change: limit our consumption of animal products, ditch fossil fuel-powered cars, reduce food waste, transition to solar and wind energy, and so on. However, one of the top solutions to the global crisis may surprise you: empowering young women...

Tackling fast fashion, one shirt at a time

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

Even if you’re not familiar with the term “fast fashion,” chances are, your closet’s full of it. Fast fashion is the term used for the inexpensive clothing rapidly produced by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. Think Garage, H&M, and Zara. Most fast fashion retailers are popular...

Hospitality Services implements new sustainability initiatives

Written on February 4, 2020. Posted in News.

Queen’s Hospitality Services is undertaking new initiatives to make dining on campus more sustainable, including hiring a sustainability chef. “Overall role is to engage people and give and collect info,” Davide Del Brocco, Queen’s newly-hired sustainability chef, said in an interview with The Journal.He...

Pushing for sustainability, campus coffee shops to launch reusable cup giveaway

Written on January 31, 2020. Posted in News.

Common Ground, The Brew and The Tea Room will be giving away reusable cups to students on Feb. 5 as part of a new collaborative initiative to reduce single-use waste. By collaborating with Common Ground, The Tea Room, Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC), and HuskeeCup, a company that...

Electric cars won’t save the world

Written on January 28, 2020. Posted in Columns.

There’s no doubt that electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids are a better alternative than gasoline-guzzling internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs). It’s true that, in general, these cars do release less greenhouse gases over their lifespan than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. However, to...

It’s time to regrow our connection with food

Written on January 21, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Asparagus can grow up to five feet tall. The asparagus we see on the dinner table is harvested by cutting small spears off the main plant. Any unused stalks unfurl into feathery ferns, making the plant look like a giant carrot top—not what you’d expect from asparagus. Food has become unfamiliar...

Environmental group hopes to make Queen’s plastic-free

Written on November 22, 2019. Posted in News.

Using a five-year plan, the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) Kingston chapter hopes to lead Queen’s to a plastic-free campus. Last summer, SCB garnered more than 700 signatures in a petition calling on the University to transition away from plastics. In December, co-chair Andreea Bosorogan,...

Queen's Eats: The piping hot truth about the Tea Room’s ecological efforts

Written on November 1, 2019. Posted in Columns.

The Tea Room, located in Beamish-Munro Hall, has been an on-campus favourite since its conception in 2006. This student-run café specializing in loose-leaf teas, coffee, espresso, and select lunch items is not only an inviting study spot, but a leader in sustainable business practices. Founded on...

How to have a sustainable Halloween

Written on October 23, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

From costumes to candy to carving pumpkins, Halloween festivities can be full of single-use products that aren’t so sustainable. Halloween waste is a drop in the bucket when it comes to ranking the biggest threats to our global climate, but for eco-conscious students at Queen’s hoping to reduce...

AMS talks sustainability initiatives

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in News.

As the school year gets underway, the AMS is introducing a host of sustainability initiatives, including reusable Common Ground Coffeehouse mugs and a review of services’ products to determine how compostable they are. Following the announcement of the Student Choice Initiative (SCI) in January,...

AMS Summer in Review

Written on September 4, 2019. Posted in News.

During the first four months of their term, the AMS executive—President Auston Pierce, Vice-President (Operations) Jessica Dahanayake, and Vice-President (University Affairs) William Greene—have been working on a number of campaign promises they established during their January campaign. Following...

Student start-ups: Bel Ami Vintage is making sustainability trendy

Written on March 22, 2019. Posted in Columns.

Best friends Orlaith Croke-Martin, MA ’20, and Melissa Chapin, ArtSci ’18, have recently turned their passion for thrifting into an up-and-coming business. Through the launch of their clothing resale start-up, Bel Ami Vintage, the duo is committed to providing fellow Queen’s students and Kingstonians...

Tag: Sustainability

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