MacDivest aims to better inform and increase engagement with students on climate crisis advocacy through Fossil Free Fridays
On Friday Oct. 20, McMaster Divestment Project launched their new outreach initiative, Fossil Free Fridays , which will run biweekly on Fridays throughout the semester.
Fossil Free Fridays aims to engage with students, raise awareness about the climate crisis and educate students on McMaster University’s investments in fossil fuel companies.
MacDivest was initiated three years ago as a McMaster OPIRG project. Their goal is to advocate for the university to pull out of their investments in fossil fuel companies and to increase awareness about the climate crisis.
“For three years as a group we've been pushing for the university to take its money out of fossil fuel investments, and to reinvest in green energy,” said Mila Py, a member of MacDivest.
Presently, McMaster holds 2.7 per cent of its investment portfolio in fossil fuel companies. Additionally, McMaster is building four natural gas-powered electric generators near campus on Cootes Drive, which was protested by MacDivest last spring with a hunger strike.
Fossil Free Fridays were first discussed by the group this past summer. Py stated that the intent is for them to be friendly and welcoming to attract students with a focus on raising awareness.
"With a high student turnover [and] so many new people on campus every year, the message that Mac is investing in fossil fuels doesn't stay in the minds of students,” explained Sydney Szijarto, another member of MacDivest.
With a high student turnover [and] so many new people on campus every year, the message that Mac is investing in fossil fuels doesn't stay in the minds of students.
Sydney Szijarto, member, MacDivest
Through these events MacDivest hopes to ensure that new students are made aware of McMaster’s reluctance to shift its fossil fuel investments into industries whose actions are not major contributors to rising global temperatures.
For their first Fossil Free Friday, a picnic was held on campus in front of the Burke Science Building and cookies were given out to students who stopped and engaged with MacDivest members. Informative flyers and stickers were also given out to students.
For future events, Py explained that many ideas are being considered, including having a climate-related chalk-art event, a coffee house, a potluck and sharing art and poetry relevant to climate activism.
Future updates on these events as well as others by MacDivest will be posted to their Instagram, @mcmasterdivest.
The steel city could become one of the hottest in Ontario, but improving our heat response and investing in innovative approaches could change that
With record-high temperatures this year and a stifling four-day extended heat wave during the first week of class, heat in Hamilton is a cause for concern.
While being exhausted and drenched in sweat may seem like the only apparent effects of the abnormally hot weather, repeated prolonged exposure to high heat can cause severe damage to the body.
And the consequences of Hamilton’s searing heat waves are only further magnified for residents downtown. Thanks to a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, cities that lack natural landscapes and greenery and are instead replete with pavement, buildings and other surfaces, have the ability to absorb and trap heat. As urban areas become much hotter than surrounding rural areas, energy costs and pollution levels rise and heat-related illnesses take a toll on health and emergency services.
For the city of Hamilton, heat waves are expected to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. In fact, experts predict Hamilton could become one of the hottest cities in Ontario — but it is not too late to change that.
MacChangers program lead, Selena Esteves, explained that this is a critical time for the city and its climate.
“We are currently in a period that matters a lot for what comes next in Hamilton’s climate and how the city experiences [heat],” said Esteves.
Currently, Hamilton’s infrastructure and built environment is not designed to support the diverse needs of community members, especially given the consequences of the UHI effect. Urban areas are not only prone to becoming much warmer on hot days, but also suffer from poorer air and water quality, posing even greater health risks for Hamilton residents. Esteves has been researching these issues with the MacChangers program.
“The way that our city is built becomes very dangerous for people who might experience things like heat exhaustion. There’s a large elderly population in Hamilton, a large homeless population and there are very many people who are at risk of extreme heat illness,” explained Esteves.
So far, Hamilton’s response to the heat waves has involved the implementation of cooling centres across the city. However, these spaces aren't always accessible to everyone who needs them. Transportation, stigma and restrictions on what individuals can bring to these centres pose obstacles for various groups including community members who are unhoused, elderly or have a disability.
With more than one in 10 Hamilton residents living below the poverty line, it’s abundantly clear that there needs to be an equitable approach to the city’s heat response.
Amid worsening heat waves, it is crucial for Hamilton to adopt an adequate temperature bylaw to ensure all tenants are provided with access to air conditioning in their homes.
While a minimum temperature bylaw is in effect throughout Ontario and requires landlords to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees or higher in households, there is no bylaw to prevent dwellings from overheating. Without such a bylaw, Hamilton residents lacking access to cooling units or who are unable to afford energy costs associated with cooling will continue to be threatened by heat waves.
As we continue to provide resources to prevent heat-related illnesses, we also need to look to long-term solutions that reduce the UHI effect. Investing in more land cover and green infrastructure in downtown Hamilton with innovative approaches such as green and cool roofs could help protect the city’s future.
Hamilton’s distressing future may have been forecasted by experts, but it is up to us to rewrite that future and evolve as resilient, sustainable, and inclusive communities.
Working with the city through the CityLab Semester in Residence program, students have proposed solutions for affordable housing and the rental marketplace
Hamilton ranks as the third least affordable city in North America to live in and with the escalating cost of living shortages of affordable housing have reached an all-time high. In response, students in McMaster University's CityLab Semester in Residence program have partnered with the City of Hamilton to tackle different aspects of the housing crisis.
The CityLab program is a 15-unit course that allows students from all faculties to apply their skills to real-world issues in Hamilton. In the fall semester, students conducted research and consulted with stakeholders to create proposals for improving transitional housing, affordable housing and affordable home ownership.
Bohmee Kim and Rhea Saini, from the CityLab SIR 2022 fall cohort, presented findings on and recommendations for unlocking municipal land for affordable housing to city council last December.
“Our plan for unlocking municipal land caught the attention of councillors. . .The staff seemed inclined to pull together an inventory of all the municipal lands that currently exist in Hamilton and survey them for potentially building homes on,” said Saini, a fourth year student in the bachelor of health sciences program.
Our plan for unlocking municipal land caught the attention of councillors. . .The staff seemed inclined to pull together an inventory of all the municipal lands that currently exist in Hamilton and survey them for potentially building homes on
Rhea Saini, CityLab Semester in Residence Fall 2022 cohort and fourth year health sciences student
Kim and Saini’s recommendations proposed redeveloping government-owned plots of land into affordable mixed-use housing to address long-term affordability. They pointed to The Station, a 45-unit affordable apartment complex built on top of an active fire station in St. Thomas, as an example of how building on underutilized municipal land could be done effectively.
Another CityLab project aiming to improve Hamilton’s rental marketplace proposed solutions such as stricter enforcement of property standard laws for residential properties around McMaster, and information campaigns to address the public's lack of knowledge about the rental market, tenant rights and responsibilities.
“One of [the group’s] major findings was looking at accountability from both the city and McMaster – looking at lack of supply of students, education and the rental process,” said Saini.
Kim and Saini described their experiences in the CityLab SIR as valuable for gaining hands-on experience in working on community engagement projects.
“CityLab allowed me to work on a project outside the role of the student or academia. Seeing what it would look like to talk to stakeholders made community engagement less of a theoretical exercise and more actually putting it into practice,” said Saini.
They emphasized the value of having autonomy over their project which allowed them to explore their interests to make real-world change.
“As students, when we talk about making change, we gain the soft skills to do it. And so [CityLab] is the place to build that toolkit and gain those skills to make meaningful change in a respectful and collaborative way,” said Kim, a third year student in the arts and science program.
Kim discussed the upcoming 2023 fall semester project that addresses methods for building a climate-resilient future in Hamilton. She pointed to creating plans for affordable housing that is energy-efficient and sustainable as an example of a project that will be developed by students during the semester.
“Climate change is happening now. Taking climate action is not something we can only do through social media. We also have to take concrete actions. And at CityLab, you are working with the city and community partners. It's a real hands-on project to tackle climate change and have an impact on the people in the community,” said Kim.
Climate change is happening now. Taking climate action is not something we can only do through social media. We also have to take concrete actions. And at CityLab, you are working with the city and community partners. It's a real hands-on project to tackle climate change and have an impact on the people in the community
Bohmee Kim, CityLab Semester in Residence Fall 2022 cohort and third year arts and science student
The SIR program has been effective in addressing the housing crisis in Hamilton. Students in the program have been able to apply their skills to real-world issues and work with community partners to propose practical solutions to create a sustainable and resilient future for Hamilton. Kim and Saini encourage students to subscribe to their student-interest form for updates on SIR application openings and to follow their website and Instagram.
Five McMaster students are striking for divestment and to suspend the Cootes generator project
On Monday, McMaster Divest announced that five McMaster University students have officially begun hunger striking. The strikers are located in the MUSC atrium, where they have set up signs and posters advocating for divestment from fossil fuels.
The strike began with a rally at 11:00 a.m. on March 20. The rally featured speakers from McMaster Divest and from other community organizations, including Environment Hamilton and Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet.
The strike began with a rally at 11:00 a.m. on March 20. The rally featured speakers from McMaster Divest and from other community organizations, including Environment Hamilton and Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet.
Amarah Hasham-Steele, News Editor
Speakers led chants and discussed the impact that fossil fuels have on the environment.
Don McLean, representative of Hamilton 350 and an honorary degree holder at McMaster University, expressed his support for the strike. He emphasized in his speech the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Global South, highlighting that investment in fossil fuels harms the home countries of many international students.
“What the students in Mac Divest are doing is right, it’s just and it’s brave,” said McLean, in an interview with the Silhouette.
In an email to the Silhouette, McMaster University stated their commitment to a net-zero carbon campus and to divestment, but they also acknowledged that their approaches and timelines differ from McMaster Divest. The university also stated that they will be providing striking students with physical and mental health services, as well as regular checks with McMaster's Emergency First Response Team.
Dr. James Quinn, who has been a professor at McMaster since 1992, spoke at the rally about the urgency of the climate crisis, advocating for more immediate climate action.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Quinn also discussed the gas-powered generators being built at Cootes Drive, arguing that the desired result of peak-shaving could be achieved through conservation instead.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Quinn also discussed the gas-powered generators being built at Cootes Drive, arguing that the desired result of peak-shaving could be achieved through conservation instead.
Amarah Hasham-Steele, News Editor
According to Quinn, the university attempted conservation as a peak-shaving method once in 2016, shutting down air conditioning units during select peak times. This, Quinn said, negatively affected ongoing lab experiments at the time and received some negative attention.
“They didn’t do it the right way. But, in this day and age, when people understand what a climate crisis [is], if it was handled properly, it would be easy to repeat [the conservation] approach,” said Quinn.
On Mar. 15, McMaster Daily News released an article stating that McMaster has remained committed to divestment from fossil fuels and that fossil fuel companies make up 2.7 per cent of McMaster’s investment portfolio, down from 4.5 per cent in 2018.
“The university has committed to reducing the carbon exposure of our investments by 65 per cent by 2025; 75 per cent by 2030 and the rest as soon as possible after that,” reads the article.
According to a McMaster Divest Instagram post, McMaster Divest is advocating for a commitment to total divestment by 2025 and reinvestment in clean energy, with full public disclosure.
This is an ongoing story.
This article was updated to include a statement from McMaster University
Green Venture’s stewardship program is devoted to supporting youth climate activists in the Steel City
C/O Emma Shemko
By: Emma Shemko, Arts & Culture Contributor
Climate anxiety is increasingly becoming a universal experience. In the face of severe climate events, there is a sense of impending doom weighing us all down. From the devastating floods in Pakistan to the wildfires in British Columbia and the degradation of Indigenous lands, many of us are beginning to wonder if we’re watching our futures go up in smoke. However, organizations such as Green Venture, a local not-for-profit, are providing ways to take action.
One way Green Venture offers youth to take action is through their stewardship program, YouthQuake. The program aims to engage youth aged 14 to 24 in leading environmental conversations and hands-on activities.
“The best way to alleviate climate anxiety is taking action and YouthQuake can be a great place to do just that,” said Heather Govender, program manager at Green Venture.
YouthQuake runs both online and in-person on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. Long-term commitment is not required to attend these meetings and in-person meetings take place at the EcoHouse on 22 Veevers Dr., the home base of Green Venture.
Youth are a critical component in the fight to mitigate the climate crisis. Although their concerns about climate change are often cast aside, they continue to fight, inspire and demand climate justice and young people often have far more influence on elected representatives and big corporations than older generations realize.
“I think it's important to give [youth] a platform to find and use their voices and to tell our elected representatives what they want to see if that's where things go and just learn how they can make a positive impact,” said Govender.
I think it's important to give [youth] a platform to find and use their voices and to tell our elected representatives what they want to see if that's where things go and just learn how they can make a positive impact."
Heather Govender, program manager at Green Venture
Giving youth a spotlight to express their concerns and always showing them their voices matter is one important step older generations can take to help create a healthier planet for all.
“Regardless of whether you consider yourself an environmentalist, you're completely dependent on the planet. This is where we get our food, our water. Good food to eat, clean air to breathe and clean water to drink is absolutely essential to every single person on the planet,” said Govender.
The Silhouette attended YouthQuake’s Sept. 28 meeting. Young activists—Aria Dalla Pasqua, Emelea Shaua, Isabella Goldner and Jasmine Montrichard—led a gardening activity to promote the idea of maintaining healthy forests and increasing wildlife diversity.
They practiced how to properly plant seeds to grow food from home and reduce energy consumption. They also made planter boxes intentionally designed to increase the variety of plant choices for pollinators. In previous meetings, activities and conversations were centered around gardening, supporting bee and bird populations, foraging, waste management and fast fashion.
There is lot of pressure is placed on individuals, particularly youth to change the world, but not everyone has the resources to do so. Sustainable consumer choices such as avoiding fast fashion brands, going vegan, or purchasing natural products are too expensive for many university students who are on a budget. But YouthQuake can be a great starting point for those who are new to environmentalism and want to kickstart their journey as activists.
"Remember to be forgiving of yourself. It does not rest solely on your shoulders to save the planet. We're limited by the options that are available to us,” said Govender.
"Remember to be forgiving of yourself. It does not rest solely on your shoulders to save the planet. We're limited by the options that are available to us."
Heather Govender, program manager at Green Venture
She also kindly encourages McMaster students to get involved.
“McMaster students should join YouthQuake because it is a safe, positive space to decompress and talk about whatever environmental topics are on your mind,” explained Govender.
Climate doomism doesn’t have to signify an ending. Instead, fears can be turned into positive action, through programs such as Green Venture's YouthQuake.
C/O Emma Shemko
Book recommendations for the earth lovers and tree huggers
By: Emma Shemko, contributor
Happy Earth Day! Reading books is a great way to celebrate our beautiful planet not only on April 22, but all year round.
Often Earth Day book recommendations can be tough-to-read non-fictions with inaccessible language that discourages readers, leaving them feeling as though the fate of Earth rests on their shoulders alone.
Listed below are 10 easy and enjoyable reads, including poetry, graphic novels and climate change fiction. I hope this list helps you find a book that inspires you as much as they have all inspired me.
Each book is available from Hamilton’s public libraries!
Please be sure to check the trigger warnings for the books below. The Storygraph app is an excellent resource for doing so.
Parable of the Sower, Octavia E. Butler (climate fiction; graphic novel)
Set in the very near future, 2024 - 2027, after the world has been destroyed by climate change, Lauren Olamina strives to create a better future. Not venturing too far from the experiences of many today — drought, food and water insecurity, rape culture and systemic racism — Butler’s novel is heartbreaking and heartwarming all in one beautifully written package. This book has also been adapted into a graphic novel by Damian Duffy.
“There’s always a lot to do before you get to go to heaven," said Olamina in Butler's Parable of the Sower.
All Over Creation, Ruth Ozeki (climate fiction)
Years after running away from home, Yumi returns to the farm she was raised on to care for her parents, where she finds herself working with an activist group. The Seeds of Resistance, spreads awareness about harmful genetically engineered foods and continuously fights big corporation’s using GMOs without gaining consent from consumers. Ozeki brings each character to life with her powerful writing.
Now You Care, Di Brant (poetry)
In this poetry collection, environmental feminist Di Brandt expresses her anger about the climate issues caused by industrialism, colonialism and ecocide. Brant stresses the importance of preserving our beautiful planet for future generations. Each poem is unique and deeply moving.
“…the future clogged in the arteries/of the potholed city…” from "Zone: <le Détroit>" in Brant's Now You Care.
20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne (classic)
Captain Nemo and his crew battle giant sea creatures and explore wonderous Pacific coral reefs. Verne was before his time in the discussion of how overfishing and resource exploitation are destroying the natural world. This novel overflows with beautiful descriptions of marine life and is perfect for anyone who enjoys classics.
“Thus, where there was once life and animation [English and American whalers] had left silence and death," said Captain Nemo in Verne's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Life of Pi, Yann Martel (fiction)
Pi Patel and his family decide to immigrate from India to Canada with their zoo animals. When their cargo ship sinks, Patel and a Royal Bengal tiger are left to fend for themselves on a small lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. This book is made up of stunning metaphors for friendship with nature and religion and the importance these things have when trying to survive the direst conditions.
“I sang that tree’s glory, its solid, unhurried purity, its slow beauty," said Patel in Martel's Life of Pi.
I’m Not a Plastic Bag, Rachel Hope Allison (graphic novel)
This graphic novel does not have any dialogue and yet it speaks a powerful message about the tragedy that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Allison’s beautiful illustrations depict the garbage patch as a monster beckoning us to take notice of the damage we’ve caused.
On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, Naomi Klein (non-fiction)
Klein argues for a radical divestment from fossil fuels as our seas rise and violence against people of colour and women continues. Climate change thrives on fossil fuels, colonialism, racism, sexism, xenophobia and capitalism. Klein calls out the politicians who have promised to change yet continue to move us farther away from sustainability. On Fire is a strong call to action.
“We face so many overlapping and intersecting crises that we can’t afford to fix them one at a time," Klein in her book On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal.
The Annual Migration of Clouds, Premee Mohamed (climate fiction)
In a world plagued by natural disasters and insecurity, Reid and her mother are one of few who suffer from a deadly virus. When Reid is accepted into a prestigious school, she battles between choosing her dream or choosing to care for her mother. Mohamed’s post-apocalyptic novella is written is stunning prose where each page encourages the reader to appreciate our planet.
MacDivest’s first in-person protest on campus a success as support intensifies for divestment across McMaster
Photo C/O: Shaded Lenz
McMaster University Student Center was abuzz on the morning of Oct. 27 as many Mac students rallied up for the sit-in organized by MacDivest as part of their ongoing mission to make divestment a reality at McMaster. The protest consisted of students banding together at the Student Center for a duration of 24 hours, until the morning of Oct. 28 to encourage the university to follow suit with the trend of divestment recently spearheaded by Canadian universities such as the University of Toronto and Simon Fraser University. Mainly, the students wished to grab the attention of McMaster’s Board of Governors, a major directorial committee responsible for McMaster’s budgeting and spending practices. Given the crucial role of the Board of Governors in determining the trajectory of divestment at McMaster, the sit-in event was geared directly towards the Board of Governors, naming itself as “Drain the B.o.G.”
Adeola Egbeyemi, a fourth-year arts and science student, is a representative of the arts and science student caucus at the McMaster Students Union and uses her knowledge to involve herself heavily in the divestment project.
“We did not expect this level of student engagement. We were very visible and we had a lot of students notice what was happening and want to get involved. Students are tired of climate inaction,” explained Egbeyemi.
Being MacDivest’s first in-person gathering following COVID-19 safety protocols, the rebellious measures employed in the sit-in are a response to the university’s repeated pattern of inaction towards the climate emergency throughout this year. In February of 2021, McMaster’s financial affairs and facility services hosted a virtual town hall regarding McMaster’s investment decision where all Zoom controls were deactivated, effectively rendering the town hall a seminar, and not providing a platform for students to voice criticisms. Immediately following this in March 2021, the first climate strike was coordinated with MacDivest and 13 other activist groups across Hamilton where over 100 letters were sent demanding divestment, with no responses from the McMaster administration or the Board of Governors.
Photo C /O: Shaded Lenz
Caption: Adeola Egbeyemi speaks at the sit-in
Over the summer, McMaster University’s secretary and privacy officer contacted MacDivest to state that the Chair of the Board of Governors had asked for a written submission from, to which MacDivest preferred to present their findings in a virtual meeting format with the Chair and other relevant parties present due to the earlier submission of letters, to which they received no further responses from the Board of Governors. Finally, the event which forced MacDivest to conduct the sit-in as a physical form of protest on campus was the power washing of a mural painted which emblazoned “no brighter world without divestment.”
MacDivest chose Thursday, Oct. 27 to put on the sit-in, given that it was the day before the Board of Governors were to meet for the first time in the 2021-2022 academic year and since David Farrar, the president of McMaster demanded the Board craft a divestment plan.
The sit-in wished to evaluate how the Board of Governors approached the divestment planned and if it was in accordance with MacDivest’s thoroughly researched demands.
“We expected there to be lower to higher points of engagement throughout the sit-in as it is a 24-hour event and at our highest point of engagement was when community speakers addressed the university, with over 50 people listening in. We had around 30 people sleep in at the Student Center,” explained Egbeyemi.
The sit-in was a carefully planned event on behalf of MacDivest, with planning beginning over reading week and MacDivest coordinators reaching out to various experienced activists and organizers involved in the Hamilton climate scene, specifically with Defund HPS and Hamilton 350. The sit-in was coordinated by four MacDivest internal teams dedicated to managing various aspects of the event.
The sit-in attracted the attention of McMaster University security services, who reached out to MacDivest on Oct. 26, a day before the sit-in was set to occur. Security services expressed concerns regarding COVID-19 safety protocols and fire safety and had attempted to convince MacDivest to end the sit-in and disperse the crowd at 11 p.m. instead of conducting it overnight as planned.
“We had Divest members who were fire safety trained be present for every shift and we were not going to back down on our event. We felt surveilled by campus security throughout the sit-in,” said Egbeyemi.
Despite the success of the event, when MacDivest did attend the anticipated Board of Governors meeting, they were faced with disappointing news that divestment was not announced. In place of complete divestment, the Board of Governors in conjunction with President Farrar announced a carbon neutral plan and stated that McMaster’s indirect investments with asset managers were too complicated to facilitate divestment.
However, support still reigns strong for MacDivest, with most student faculty groups at McMaster chiming in their support and the McMaster Students Union endorsing university-wide divestment while divesting themselves. MacDivest and its projects are also backed by McMaster Green Invest, a group of McMaster professors fighting for reinvestment in non-fossil fuel industries, with many faculty members expressing their views on why Mac should divest.
However, deciphering why the Board of Governors refuses to take the final step towards divestment despite the entire university voicing their support is not MacDivest’s responsibility. MacDivest only intends to keep pushing the university to recognize the facts of climate change and that the climate crisis is here to stay. This sit-in also demonstrated to the Mac community and students how intensely tied the Board of Governors are to the fossil fuel industry and how removed they are from the sentiments of the university, with many Board members such as Chair Bradley Merkel having decades of history at major fossil fuel corporations such as Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil.
“The involvement of fossil fuels and those who have a stake in it should be separated from an institution that brings in students and is about a ‘brighter world’ and a brighter future. McMaster needs to live up to its saying and it should actively try to also have a stake in creating that brighter future,” said Egbeyemi.
Board of Governor’s Secretary Andrea Thyrett-Kid was not available to comment on the situation when contacted.
The Sil will continue to monitor the development of divestment at Mac.
C/O Marcus Spiske
Imagine contributing the least to climate change, but being affected by it the most
By: Hadeeqa Aziz, Contributor
The climate crisis: you’ve heard about it, you see it everywhere in the news and maybe sometimes you just can’t escape its widespread acknowledgment – that’s a good thing. Yet, despite the media’s best efforts to spread information about it, the climate crisis continues to get buried under other, seemingly larger and more “urgent” issues such as the pandemic.
What most individuals fail to understand is that global climate change is perhaps the most time-sensitive issue that we’re facing. At the moment, you and I may not be directly experiencing the effects of climate change, but I promise you that others are. In particular, marginalized groups such as Indigenous communities are often the first to face consequences of climate change due to their close relationship with the environment.
Indigenous communities are generally the most affected by events such as extreme weather conditions, depletion of natural resources and water contamination. Direct consequences have resulted in restricted access to traditional areas for resources like medicine and food and forced relocation or displacement.
If that wasn’t enough, climate change effectively exacerbates the pre-existing issues Indigenous peoples face, such as economic and political marginalization, discrimination, unemployment and human rights violations.
This is ironic, to say the least. Although Indigenous communities face the greatest threats from climate change, they contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions.
The larger issue is that, although we know climate change does not affect everyone to the same degree, many proposed solutions seem to assume exactly that. We’re advised to ditch the cheeseburgers, receive passive death glares upon requesting a straw at Starbucks and penalized if we don’t use compostable coffee cups. Though changing small habits like these can definitely have an impact when done on a larger scale, it’s rather unfair to single out individuals, especially Indigenous peoples, for not complying.
Veganism is not feasible when it may be a struggle to put food on the table, conserving water would be difficult when there’s limited access to it and contemplating the purchase of a metal straw seems silly when there’s no cup to stick it into. See the pattern? Developing eurocentric solutions for an intersectional problem is simply classist, racist and will not get the job done.
What’s more is that most of these short-sighted solutions may not be applicable to Indigenous groups to begin with. Asking a community that has relied on animal husbandry for thousands of years without depleting wildlife populations or inflicting permanent harm to the earth to suddenly go vegan is a questionable approach. Meanwhile, industrial agriculture and capitalism’s insistence on competitive factory farming is slowly but surely demolishing our planet.
Want to know who popularized the idea of individual carbon footprints in the first place? It was none other than British Petroleum, which is currently the sixth largest polluter in the world. Go figure.
All this being said, some Indigenous communities may very well be capable of and have the means to apply these changes to their lives. Better yet, let’s pretend for a second that these changes are feasible for everyone and executed on a sizable scale. According to the International Energy Agency, in one of the biggest pandemics, carbon emissions have only dropped by eight per cent. What does this tell us? When the world supposedly shut down and individual impacts significantly decreased, the effects of climate change didn’t follow very far. We continue to promote individual contributions without looking at the bigger picture.
So what exactly does this bigger picture look like?
Let’s take a young start-up located on the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation reserve just south of Hamilton, for example. They work in proximity with local Indigenous partners to develop projects such as wind farms, sustainable fishing for companies and sustainable forest management programs through which they’ve created carbon offsets. These offsets can then be used to help large businesses reduce their environmental impacts.
It’s funny how, despite facing the harsh consequences of issues created by multinational corporations, Indigenous community leaders are at the forefront in designing innovative solutions to combat climate change. Indigenous communities protect and nurture 80 per cent of the earth’s biodiversity but instead of giving them a seat at the table, we'd rather focus on metal straws.
C/O Ro's Shaded Lenz, Instagram
After spending all of September breaking barriers, Mac Divest is back and here to stay
It is no secret that the climate is changing before our very eyes. From increasing heat waves in the summer to a predicted violent winter, the typical weather patterns of our past are slowly ceasing to exist. "Climate doomer-ism,” a nihilistic belief in the irreversibility of the climate crisis is becoming increasingly common as people become desensitized to a slew of time sensitive statistics. This mentality can especially be seen when natural disasters hit other countries. After all, what is there to do as one individual, when a disaster of epic proportions appears to become more and more of a reality?
Organization and mobilization are the philosophies adopted by McMaster Divest, a campus-based climate advocacy group dedicated to ending McMaster’s $40 million in investments in fossil fuels. Mac Divest is funded by the Ontario Public Interest Research Group. The group does the necessary research, policy, and protest organization work to facilitate conversations around divestment in order to encourage the university to divest. Fall 2021 has been significant for Mac Divest, who after a summer of campaigning, have been tirelessly protesting McMaster’s investment decisions through murals, speaking with those in charge, expanding the goals it addresses and coordinating actions to address the climate crisis with local grassroots organizations.
“Divestment is ridding McMaster of all of its investments in fossil fuels . . . Divestment is becoming more and more likely to happen at McMaster since many prestigious universities, states, provinces [are] divesting. Given Mac’s prestigious reputations, we are hoping divestment becomes a reality here as well,” said Maymoon “Moon” Bhuiyan, a material sciences student extensively involved with Mac Divest.
In addition to striving towards its long-term divestment goals, Bhuiyan and his co-executive of Divest, arts and science student Adeola Egbeyemi, are actively coordinating protests, speaking at protests, voicing solidarity and cooperating with Hamilton climate organizations.
“We do direct action work such as speaking events, protest by art and of course support divestment campaigns across Canada. McMaster Divest is one of the bigger movements, as we grew very fast. We want to lead by example and so getting McMaster so close to divesting shows solidarity with the work of other universities as well,” explained Bhuiyan.
Bhuiyan and other McMaster students have been arranging a series of protests to not only put pressure on the McMaster community, but also policymakers in Hamilton. Bhuiyan believes that protesting and making establishments uncomfortable with their environmental decisions is crucial to passing legislation in favor of mitigating the climate crisis. This rings true now more than ever as policies and awareness surrounding climate change are on crossroads of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Currently, Mac Divest is working with other environmental clubs across McMaster and Hamilton to urge the City of Hamilton to sign the Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty, a treaty designed to end all new investments and production of fossil fuels. Bhuiyan hopes pushing against the municipality will pressure Mac to consider divestment.
Photo C/O: Maymoon Bhuiyan, @bhuiyanmymoon , Instagram
Photo Caption: Bhuiyan stands at Hamilton City Hall at the “Canada Is On Fire” protest.
Sept. 8 marked the day of the “Canada Is On Fire” protest led by Mac Divest and Hamilton 350 at Hamilton City Hall. Bhuiyan spoke at city hall, urging officials to sign a policy decreasing their use of fossil fuel consumption to varying responses. While Some city officials were reluctant, divest saw success after compelling Matthew Green, a New Democratic Party member of Parliament to sign with other politicians present at the protest.
On Sept. 24, Bhuiyan organized the Hamilton Climate Strike march with his friend Felicia Mikrogianakis, a material sciences student at McMaster who works with Fridays for Future Hamilton, an international youth-led climate organization started by Greta Thunberg. The march had over a hundred attendees despite only a week of advertisement, demonstrating that the climate crisis is not brushed aside by Mac students, or the Hamilton community at large. It is gaining traction.
Divest plans on holding a meeting with the McMaster University Board of Governors on Oct. 28 to vote on the divestment of fossil fuels. Chair of the board, Bradley Merkel, is the former ExxonMobil Director. As the Chair and with years of experience in fossil fuel industries, Merkel’s vote will be monumental to determining if McMaster is convinced to reorient its investment strategies.
“We will not endorse a partial divestment as divestment. We will continue to fight for full divestment, and we will get it soon,” said Bhuiyan.
Bhuiyan, an activist who specializes in racial justice, credits his experiences and learning to major activist movements prominent in his home state of New York, such as Black Lives Matter. He is determined to ensure Mac Divests’ goal expands beyond sole divestment and is inclusive of all social issues intrinsically connected to climate justice, namely racial climate justice.
Divest is expanding its long-term goals to collaborate with Indigenous groups, believing climate justice to be tied to Indigenous sovereignty.
Bhuiyan is currently working with organizations such as Greenpeace Hamilton and Hamilton 350 addressing the impact of Baffinland Iron Mines Corporations’ mining operations on Inuit land in Nunavut. Namely, Divest and Bhuiyan intend on opposing the expansion of these open iron ore mines proposed by ArcelorMittal, a steel conglomerate.
“This expansion will change everything. It will impact Inuit food security, safety, the Inuit way of life. We are currently drafting a letter to the next honourable minister of Northern Affairs and then the Nunavut Impact Board to voice on university support to stop this expansion,” said Bhuiyan.
On par with its new mandates to further racial climate justice, Divest is also currently involved with the International Coalition of Human Rights in the Philippines to address Canadian investment of fossil fuels in the country. Divest is focusing on bringing to light the actions of two major Canadian mining giants OceanaGold Corp and TVI Pacific and their subsequent social and environmental impact on the Philippines.
“Many groups including the Filipino McMaster Student Association are speaking up. This is a big push against mining. Canadian mining in the Philippines is a perfect example of neocolonialism, where these large companies are making money off of the backs of people in the Philippines, while the people continue to suffer. McMaster is just giving executives to these horrible companies. There are two executives on OceanaGold with McMaster degrees,” said Bhuiyan.
Mac Divest intends to keep its momentum up with many other projects planned for the academic year. One of their main goals is to focus on increasing collaboration with the other environmental groups on campus.
Student Sustainability Ambassador Program connects sustainability student leaders to provide support and resources during COVID-19
C/O Bram Naus
The 2020-21 academic year was like none other, given the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and online classes at McMaster University. Despite the challenges, one program that helped students stay connected and build community during lockdown was the Student Sustainability Ambassador Program.
The program launched in October 2020 after discussions between McMaster Hospitality Services and the academic sustainability programs office recognized a need for greater collaboration between sustainability-minded student leaders.
“We noticed that student groups seemed to be running similar events, pursuing similar goals and tackling similar problems as other groups. We scanned campus and found more than 30 clubs focused on sustainability efforts . . . We saw an opportunity to support these groups in having an even bigger impact through collaboration,” explained Abbie Little, the community relations coordinator and experiential learning for the academic sustainability programs office.
"We noticed that student groups seemed to be running similar events, pursuing similar goals and tackling similar problems as other groups. We scanned campus and found more than 30 clubs focused on sustainability efforts."
Abbie Little, academic sustainability programs office
The program was implemented and run by hospitality services along with facility services and the McMaster Students Union. It was started with funding support from the McMaster Okanagan Special Charter program.
This funding was awarded in 2020 to SSAP as it focused on improving the health and well-being of the community, specifically by creating new engagement opportunities for students and empowering their leadership.
The SSAP’s mission is to support student leadership experiential learning while promoting personal and professional development in sustainability initiatives. SSAP outlined three objectives to achieve this mission: increase student awareness on academic sustainability, empower students to be leaders in sustainability through active learning and provide support in their projects and plans of action.
Since its launch, SSAP has gained over 115 members in its private Facebook group, which allowed students to learn, collaborate and support each other’s sustainability initiatives.
The SSAP’s mission is to support student leadership experiential learning, while promoting personal and professional development in sustainability initiatives.
“Everyone that runs the program, as well on the faculty side, is very passionate and very supportive of everyone . . . It's been great meeting with them even throughout being online all the time,” explained Callum Hales. Hales is a member of this Facebook group and a sustainability minor student currently in SUSTAIN 3S03 working on a solitary bees project.
Crystal Zhang, another member of the SSAP Facebook group and sustainability minor student echoed Hales’ sentiments.
“I'm part of the Facebook group and I really enjoyed [it] because there are so many different initiatives and so much information . . . they always have a way [for students] to get involved and I really like that about the sustainability department and community,” explained Zhang.
“Everyone that runs the program, as well on the faculty side, is very passionate and very supportive of everyone . . . It's been great meeting with them even throughout being online all the time,” explained Callum Hales.
This year, Zhang was a part of a tree planting project in collaboration with local Hamilton organizations and with support from the sustainability department.
“They really helped us out a lot. [They] showed us the whole tree planting process, even without us actually being there,” explained Zhang, who was able to plant over 100 trees on campus with her team.
“I'm part of the Facebook group and I really enjoyed [it] because there are so many different initiatives and so much information . . . they always have a way [for students] to get involved and I really like that about the sustainability department and community.”
Crystal Zhang
Hales described SSAP and the sustainability courses in general to be insightful in broadening your perspective.
“It’s a very good way of bringing together a bunch of different disciplines [to see sustainability] from a multi-faceted view instead of like through a single lens,” explained Hales.
The SSAP is also open to all students across all disciplines and Hales believed that the SSAP program could be applied anywhere across campus.
Hales also encouraged all students to take part in sustainability groups. The student plans on incorporating sustainability in his future career because of the positive impact the student projects have had on him.
Zhang explained that sustainability projects have allowed her to develop critical thinking and writing skills.
“We are going through the climate crisis and I feel like what I’ve learned is really critically thinking about the decisions being made by people in power and where our world is going in terms of sustainability right now,” explained Zhang.
SSAP also hosted monthly Coffee and Collaboration Chats where students shared their ongoing ideas and connected each other to useful resources.
“Students in clubs share their plans and resources and have a discussion board [where they] can post about local and global sustainability topics and event opportunities which helps to form a sense of community. We also offer special project funding to individuals or groups looking for financial support to launch their sustainable projects in their own community,” said Little.
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“We have several goals we aim to achieve with the program and one of them is to provide educational workshops on topics that students want to learn more about . . . We heard from students that during the pandemic, they wanted to learn about ways they could be active members of their community from the safety of their homes,” explained Little.
Alongside these chats, SSAP provided educational workshops to help build students’ leadership skills.
One such event was the advocacy letter writing workshop held in February 2021, which was developed in collaboration with McMaster graduate Jamie Stuckless, who is an expert policy consultant, writer and transportation professional.
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The workshop included an overview of how students should structure their letters, what specific factors about the audience they should consider, what they should ask for in a letter and the differences between writing on behalf of an individual or a group.
“We looked through a few examples of advocacy letters and then put attendees in a few breakout rooms to practice writing their own advocacy letter on a given topic . . . The workshop was well attended and participants reported in a survey that they found it to be informative, fun and engaging,” emphasized Little.
Throughout the year, SSAP has been a place of community and collaboration for students, despite the pandemic.
“We hope that the impact of providing students with resources and tools will empower them to create positive change in their communities that will reach far and wide. The program itself is an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration, even when collaborating remotely,” said Little.
“We hope that the impact of providing students with resources and tools will empower them to create positive change in their communities that will reach far and wide. The program itself is an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration, even when collaborating remotely.”
ABBIE LITTLE, ACADEMIC SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS OFFICE
