Copper redhorses, a kind of freshwater fish, are the only vertebrates found exclusively in Quebec. However, their population is declining. Recent evidence suggests that the ‘recruitment’—a measure similar to birth rate—has dropped in the past few years. Hugo Marchand, a postdoctoral researcher in Jessica Head’s ecotoxicology laboratory at McGill’s Department[Read More…]
Tag: pollution
Turning pollution into power: McGill’s green energy innovation
At the First Earth Summit in 1972, the world set out guidelines to help preserve the Earth and prevent climate change. Since then, climate change has gained a prominent place in the global political agenda and has remained a matter of international importance for decades. But what has changed since[Read More…]
The journey of a microplastic: An unfolding story
From the packaging of an online order to the takeaway cup holding a morning coffee, plastic is everywhere. In 2019, humans produced 460 million tonnes of plastic, an enormous increase from the mid-twentieth century when roughly two million tonnes were produced annually. A key aspect of plastic pollution is that[Read More…]
Deadly pollutant PM2.5 is lacking regulations worldwide
Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 is a group of airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres found in ash, dust, vehicle exhaust, smoke, and sometimes the air we breathe. A micrometre is roughly one-millionth of a metre—about 30 times smaller than the average diameter of a human hair—and is only visible with[Read More…]
Monmouth University professor leads webinar on Anthropocene accountability
Monmouth University professor Randall S. Abate presented a new approach to the fight for climate justice in a webinar hosted by The McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law (MJSDL) on Oct. 2. The central focus of Abate’s presentation was on holding “common enemies”— the animal agriculture industry and the fossil[Read More…]
‘The World Is Bound By Secret Knots’ warns against over consumption
At once familiar and shocking, tame and wild, gluttonous and skeletal, moving and lifeless, The World Is Bound By Secret Knots is a rainforest of mesmerising, ersatz creatures. From Sept. 5 to Oct. 24, the Art Mûr gallery in La Petite-Patrie is showcasing Montreal-based artist and writer Emily Jan’s animalistic sculpture[Read More…]
Global study exposes the disproportionate impact of pollution on Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous communities all over the world, from the Cree of Waskaganish to the Sámi of Sápmi, differ greatly in language, history, and culture. However different they are from each other, a common belief that informs the traditional practices of many Indigenous Peoples is the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the[Read More…]
The changing nature of sea ice
Over the last few decades, climate change has profoundly changed the shape and movement of the layer of sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean. As a result of a warming climate, melting sea ice has become more mobile. A new study conducted by McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science[Read More…]
Weathering the storm of aerosol emissions
There has long been concern surrounding the environmental impacts of extracting oil from Alberta’s Athabasca oil sands, the world’s third largest oil reserve. According to a McGill-led study published in Environmental Pollution, contamination from the Athabasca oil sands is impacting the weather patterns of nearby regions. The study was led[Read More…]
Microplastics: A ubiquitous problem
In 2017, Orb Media, a non-profit media group, sparked public concern after they published research showing that microplastics were present in global drinking water. Since then, research efforts have increased to examine the effect of microplastics on species and find ways to make the removal process more efficient. At a[Read More…]