SRA 20

"Save the WILD Bees: Assessing Mechanisms by which Flowers Determine Wild Bee Richnessc" There is much publicity around “saving the bees,” but this catch phrase is usually applied to honey bees. Wild bee species, and their declining numbers, are less often addressed. This research aims to help conserve wild bee communities on the Island of…

"The Environmental Burden of Concordia University's Cigarette Waste" Cigarette waste (predominantly butts) has been classified as the single most littered item in the world. Cigarette filters are produced from non-biodegradable plastic which contain up to 7,000 toxic chemicals. These chemicals, making their way into groundwater and waterbodies, have a severe impact on ecosystems. In Montreal,…

"Concordia's Events Approved Caterers Success Fostered by Sustainability Policies" The main purpose of this research project is to provide Concordia-approved caterers, which are all Small-Medium Enterprises (SME’s), a guidance towards sustainability-oriented policies so they can implement processes that benefit the Concordia community and the community at large, while capturing increased financial benefits. This research project…

"Laboratory Scale Biofilm Reactor for Nitrogen Removal from Wastewater" The relatively new field of chemistry, green chemistry, embraces and implements the notion of innovating and designing chemical products and processes that seek to mitigate and/or eliminate the use/generation of hazardous substances. The goal of my project is to eliminate the use of a hazardous substance,…

"Laboratory Scale Biofilm Reactor for Nitrogen Removal from Wastewater" The objective of this research project is to test a modern biological reactor, with respect to biofilm formation for nitrification and denitrification processes. Hence, the goal was to confirm if sufficient nitrogen removal from wastewater was achieved with a system developed in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory…

"CAPSolar" Electric vehicles, whether battery-electric, plug-in hybrids or neighborhood, all have three main problems related to their battery: a low energy density, which translates into low range, a need for long and frequent charging stops and a limited battery life leading to replacements coming in at a very high cost, both monetary and environmentally-wise. CAPSolar…

"Open-Access: Manufacturing a Sustainable Community and Energy-Aware Technologies" “Open-Access” is a multi-phase personal and course-based arts research for the development and diffusion of a series of energy-aware and DIY (Do-it-yourself) waste-repurposing tools centred upon the conceptualization of an organic open-design community driven by emerging sustainable practices. The project itself starts with the idea that the…

"Enhancing the VA Green Space Towards Sustainability while Creating a Living Laboratory" With the growing density of high-rise condo and office towers, The Fine Art’s courtyard has become one of the few green spaces left in the downtown core and on the Concordia campus. Both garden and courtyard are enjoyed by Concordia students, faculty and…

"Escaping the Social Economic Enclave? Examining the Solidarity Cooperative Model in Quebec" This master’s thesis examines the networking capabilities built into the solidarity cooperative model, its potential to mitigate the effects of capital on the social economy, and its emergence within Quebec’s unique socio-political context. A case study of a solidarity cooperative, The Hive Cafe,…

"Climate Futures: A Digital Mapping Project" This research project combines creative work with research to produce a critical future-mapping experience which imagines a potential Montreal. Instead of simply interpreting scientific projections like many climate maps, I will be gathering the thoughts and visions of community members active in Montreal’s Climate Justice movement. In interviewing 5-7…