Spring has sprung, and with it has come a flurry of bikes hitting the streets for the first time since the icy pavement drove them into winter hibernation. It also comes with numerous cars less than eager to have to share the road again, and maybe slightly out of practice with road etiquette. So, I come to you, in honour of new and seasoned cyclists alike, who find this unseasonably warm weather to be really greasing their chains, but are fearful of being derailed by aggressive motorists on the roads, to remind everyone of a few basic tips to keep cyclists safe on the road. Always signal . Make sure that you signal and brake properly and far enough in advance to respect the needs of cyclists on the road. Be patient. Cyclists are slower to start at intersections than cars, this does not make it okay to veer around them, instead just wait a moment. Remember good things come to those who wait. Look both ways before you open your doors . Car doors are a cyclist’s enemy. Opening yo...

Au mois de février et mars 2011, nous avons fait une étude dans la cafétéria à l’UCU. Il y avait 7 stations de recyclage, avec des petites affiches, et des trous semblables.  Nous avons trouvé que : En moyenne, 85 bouteilles sont jetés ou recyclé par heure*; En moyenne, 28 contenants compostable sont jetés dans la poubelle par heure; 67 % des gens ne trient pas leurs articles correctement dans la cafétéria; 84 % des articles emporté aux comptoirs par les employés sont mal-triés *tous ces articles étaient jetés à la fin de la journée, donc, même si le tri était bien fait, 85 bouteilles se faisaient jetés par heure. Cette étude a justifié l’achat d’une station de tri pour tous les types de recyclage, la vaisselle, les cabarets, etc. avec des grandes d’affiches simples et de la couleur. Suite à l’installation de la nouvelle station de recyclage dans la cafétéria à l’UCU.  Au mois de mars 2012, nous avons refaite l’étude sur la contamination. Nous avons trouvé que :...

Bonjour M. Ravignat, Je vous écris aujourd’hui pour vous exprimer ma déception concernant l’annulation des fonds fédéraux pour le programme Katimavik, ainsi que les autres coupures aux programmes environnementaux. Aujourd’hui, je suis encore une fois embarrassée d’être Canadienne. Je travaille au bureau du développement durable à l’Université d’Ottawa et nous avons toujours accueilli des participants du programme Katimavik; plus de 30 jeunes ont passé dans notre bureau depuis 2007. Comme vous le savez, les programmes écologiques sont presque toujours les derniers items sur la liste de fonds, et la première chose que l’on coupe lorsqu’il manque un peu d’argent (Table ronde nationale sur l’environnement et l’économie, le Protocol Kyoto…). Nous avons dû travailler extrêmement fort pour accomplir tous les projets, les nouvelles politiques, etc. écologiques à l’Université d’Ottawa. C’est très clair que nous ne pourrions jamais être l’a où nous sommes sans l’aide précieuse des parti...

I messed up once during the week I pledged to go waste free. I tossed my dental floss in the garbage can and it wasn’t until I was walking around campus with a container of orange peels to compost that I realized I hadn’t even thought if that floss was recyclable. After a quick investigation online I found out that floss is not recyclable, which makes sense since mine seems like minty-scented nylon. Turns out, lots of big-name floss actually contains polytetrafluoroethylene, the same stuff that coats non-stick cookware, and its production is pretty bad for the environment. Who knew? A friend of mine suggested using hair, but I really don’t think I’m up for that just yet. The internet did, however, abound with suggestions on what to do with my used dental floss. People wash it (the best method apparently is to soak it in a container with soap), and then they reuse it. Either as reusable dental floss or to wrap packages, to tie plants in their garden, slice delicate food, sew buttons...

WTF!?!?! I just finished reading the article "Katimavik Cuts..." from the Huffington Post ( click here to read ). I don't normally take many political stances but this is just too extraordinary to not talk about. The next federal budget could dictate the existence of the Katimavik program! If you know anything about our office you will know that Katimavik volunteers are the backbone of our operations. They literally make this place work. Without them.... actually I don't even want to think about that right now. Every time a new group of Katimavik volunteers start working for us, I give them the same speech. I tell them that "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" (thank you mister Thomas Edison). I tell them that anyone can have a good idea but making good ideas happen is what makes Katimavik so special. And "persperate" they do. Our participants are crucial to several of our programs. This past year we had Katimavik manage our Dum...

(water fountain at the University of Ottawa) So last week was World Water Day and I have to ask a question, what did you do to celebrate? I know what you are thinking, "World Water Day... Are you serious?" You know, on a level I definitely feel you. Sure, water is super important, but come on... why not start celebrating air, or sunlight, or language? We are pretty spoiled here in Canada when it comes to a lot of things and I think that water is at the top of that list. We so take it for granted that it is basically forgotten that people used to have to take staggered showers not even a century ago. We hear about things like drought in the Prairies, but it is an alien concept to most of us. If you want to flush a toilet, you don't even think twice. If you need water to drink, you go to a tap or buy it at a store. The idea that there was simply no more water does not compute in our minds. The one beautiful thing about water is that we still recognize that it is v...

click here to see the full image Polythene bags are very popular with both retailers and consumers. They are strong, lightweight, functional and hygienic means of carrying items. Though they are a modern convenience that we cannot do without, they are a menace. Around the world, this menace is showing its impact now. Not totally excluding the impact of other reasons like green house gases, pollution and deforestation, polythene has a much greater impact. As for me being an international student at University of Ottawa, I’ve come realise a lot of things. When I was a kid, we had this old age tradition to take our own shopping bags even for little stuff may be just fruits or vegetables. We would have exclusive bags, could be handmade or recycled or cloth that were beautifully painted or embroidered. I never understood why my grandma was always against getting any polythene bag home. As I grew older, finding out why a polybag was not good, I came across a lot of strange facts that ...