Sustainability Blueprints

Promotion for the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris has started, and its message is clear: the clock is ticking, and it's time to establish concrete steps to protect our world from a plethora of irreversible, catastrophic situations. As established by many world leaders and researchers, we can no longer view elements such as politics, economy and ecology, separately. A holistic view is needed to grasp the full reach and impact of our actions on the world around us, and organizations worldwide have been brainstorming, researching and establishing concrete steps needed to assure minimizing the impact of climate change on society. This article will focus on the organization of the Climate Change Conference, which is the main force behind the instigation of a call for action. The basics of civil engagement and the structuring agency of the United Nations will be covered, as well as an overview of the procedures that took place in Lima, Peru in 2014 and the ongoing work leading up to the anticipated Conference in Paris next November.

Small-scale sustainable habits can pave the way to large-scale sustainable living. Individuals are often overwhelmed by the idea of going green, but the transition is not as hard as it seems. Little actions taking place in our daily lives can have a great impact when considered by large audiences. Interested in using your money more sustainably? This list will give you a quick overview of elements to consider to use your money in an efficient budget-friendly and eco-friendly manner.

Mid-November, I attended the two-year anniversary of an ingenious Montreal-based company called Alvéole. At its heart is the goal of reconnecting people to local food production. They install beehives on rooftops, maintain them and harvest honey in some of the most active neighbourhoods of the city, demonstrating with ease what it is like to initiate an innovative, sustainable enterprise whose process offers sweet returns.

In his hosting speech, co-founder Alexandre McLean shared interesting insights into benefits of beekeeping. Due to the pollinating assistance of these insects, an Alvéole client was able to obtain seven times more raspberries in her garden throughout the season. Seven times. Can it get more exciting than that? I spoke with Alexandre Ferrari, who is working with the founders on an important new addition to Alvéole's range of services: complete rooftop gardens. We talked about productive food systems, honey making and the various ways Alvéole plans to reconnect individuals to nature.

Ben-Yam Barshi's connection to nature has always been strong. It can be understood as a natural process for him to turn his life's attention and energy to the greatest connection to have with it: symbiotic systems to facilitate sustainable living and organic food production.