the pgssec committee who are we. what is our mandate. our activities

The PGSSec Committee

• Who are we.

• What is our mandate.

• Our activities.

PGSSec 2005

• Chair plus three members

• No Budget

• Few activities

PGSSec Today

• Budget > $1000

• Chair plus 5 members

• Stipend for Chair (now called environmental commissioner)

• Number of activities

Green Night

• First time PGGSec was part of PGSS orientation week

• Free environmental information

• A sustainable selection of food

• Other environmental groups

• Speakers

Quinoa

• Cultivated up to 400 feet

• Undemanding

• Protein filled

Different Colors of Carrots

The Beast of Beauty

E-EVOLVE

PGSSec Cosmetics Workshop

The PGSS Environment Committee and Gorilla Composting proudly present

In celebration of International Women’s Day:

Learn about harmful chemicals in cosmetics and make a selection of healthy alternatives that you can take home:

Rosemary Bath Salt

Maple Sugar Body Wash

Cleansing & Exfoliating Scrub

Cranberry Lip Balm

Participants will also receive a booklet with these and other recipes.

Friday, March 7 @ 3:30pm - Redpath Museum

* Pre-registration required at the PGSS office, open daily: 11:30am - 5:00pm (7:00pm on Thursdays), Thomson House, 3650 McTavish

Cost: $10, payable at the PGSS office.

Other PGSSec Activities

• “Here on Earth” speaker series

• Green Drinks Montreal

• Projects

"Climate, Weather and Energy" - the Relationship between Climate, Weather Forecasting and the Energy Market.

Bees: A Buzz About Sustainability

...because:

- bees carry out roughly half of all animal-mediated pollination.

- bees improve crop yield and product quality.

- bee products have considerable nutritional and medicinal value.

- bee numbers are declining worldwide. Contributing factors may include increased pollution, habitat loss, pesticide levels, parasites and diseases. Domesticated and wild populations are both affected.

Photo: Adam Makarenko www. www.adam-makarenko.com

The Potential of Grasses as Biofuels

Not All Biofuels are Equal• Comparison of methods of generating energy from reed

canarygrass

• Energy Gasoline (ethanol) Net GHG • Method out:in or coal (direct reduction • combustion) g CO 2 e-C

/MJ• displaced• MJ m-2 y-1• • Direct 20.4 34.77 2604.59

Combustion

• Ethanol 4.43 4.88 ~ 100 •

Other speakers

• Retreat of Andean Glaciers, a Threat for Peruvian Water Resources"

• Green lessons from Ghana

• "The West Nile Virus in Quebec: What you really need to know"

Green DrinksGreen Drinks

"Tourism, Air Transport and Climate "Tourism, Air Transport and Climate Change" Change"

"Waste Diversion in Ontario""Waste Diversion in Ontario" "Solar Buildings" "Solar Buildings" "More Super Green Savings, Less "More Super Green Savings, Less

Greenhouse Gas Emissions"Greenhouse Gas Emissions"

Bike Loan Program

• Fall survey: 1) 61.8% of respondents would use 5-15 times per year

• 2) 75.4% of respondents would pay to use it

• Application to Mary H. Brown endowment fund

Bike Loan Proposal Budget

• 3 bicycles $1800

• 3 secure locks 200

• Incorporation 1200

• 3 helmets 200

• Total $ 3400

Bike Loan Proposal

• $1 per use to help defray costs

• Signed waiver once a year

• April to November

• Use of bike repair coop on campus

• Possibility of PGSS money

• Further work

PGSSec website

• Goal – to get more graduate students active in the environmental movement at McGill and to market sustainability

• Contents: calculation of carbon imprint, sections on recycling and composting, environmental trivia, write-ups on speaker series topics and other areas of interest

• Website would be fun and informative

Green points program

• 12 million Canadian households invested a total of 24 billion dollars into a collective fund dedicated to reducing Canada’s 486 Mt of green house

• Super Green Points Card Program• Points for choosing a green purchase• Changing existing points (9 billion

unclaimed points)• Tax credit for choosing green