
Plant trees to control climate change
Scientists at an international conference said on [November 30] that climate change was a global phenomenon that could only be controlled by planting more and more trees. This was stated in the concluding session of the first international conference on Conventional and Modern Approaches in Plant Sciences (CMAPS 17), organised by the Punjab University Department of Botany at Faisal Auditorium.

Mercury decline in seabirds due to diet, not emission controls
For 47 years, biologists have plucked eggs from seabird nests along the British Columbia coast. Many of the eggs were collected from remote rocky islands surrounded by some of the world’s roughest seas.
In all, they collected 537 eggs from six species, including ancient murrelets, rhinoceros auklets and double-crested cormorants. Now these eggs are revealing new information about the way mercury finds its way into the ecosystem.

Master blender behind world famous Northern Harvest rye
Some might see it as a quirky career path, to be sure, that leads one to an occupation in which their job — essentially — is to sip on whisky.
Joanna Zanin Scandella’s job title is an enviable one.
The -educated Zanin Scandella is, officially, a master blender, an elite standing in the nomenclature of the alcohol industry. One does not just seek the wanted ads for a job as a master blender — they aspire to it.
Health experts raise concerns over cannabis drinks and lack of details from Ottawa
Unlike alcohol, which kills bacteria and toxins, Lawrence Goodridge argues, integrating cannabis in the place of alcohol may require a very different production process. “Because cannabis is a plant, there are certain concerns -- like the possibility of pesticides used in production, or the type of fertilizer used, or the potential presence of heavy metals that could be toxic to humans,” the food safety expert explained to BNN in a telephone interview.

La pollution est une tueuse en série
Un décès sur six lui est attribuable chaque année […] « C’est la première fois que l’on conclut que la pollution environnementale est une cause si importante de décès », souligne le professeur Niladri Basu, chercheur à l’Université , qui a participé à l’étude publiée hier par la revue Lancet en partenariat avec l’Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU).

The taste of the wines of California will be affected by the fire
Although it does not destroy the vineyards, the smoke may well make the grapes unusable, warns David Wees, professor at the faculty of Agriculture of . “The biggest problem, it is the fine particles that settle on the fruits and stick on the skin,” he says.
Siver Times

Le goût des vins de Californie sera affecté par les incendies
Après plus d’une semaine de brasiers, les flammes continuent de dévorer les vallées de Napa et Sonoma, sur la côte nord de la Californie, d’où sont issus les meilleurs crus américains. Plusieurs exploitations, parfois centenaires, ont été totalement ou partiellement détruites. D’autres sont toujours couvertes d’un épais nuage de fumée.

Why are the leaves on Montreal's trees so green in October?
Unseasonably warm September could be cause of slight delay in leaves changing colour, professor says. According to Jim Fyles, a forest ecology professor and director of the Morgan Arboretum, our city's trees have remained green a bit longer due to higher-than-average temperatures.
Read more

Mac Community comes together to bake pies
by Kathy MacLeanOver the summer a group of Mac staff members got together to kick around ideas for an activity that would bring the Macdonald community together at the start of the school year and would tie to Macdonald’s motto “Mastery for Service.” Once the seed was planted, it didn’t take long for the theme to emerge - #MacShares. The first #MacShares event – Apple Pies – was held on Monday, September 25th.

Brain food: Kindergarteners get head start with nutrition education at EMSB
Heartening to see the good work Macdonald grads Sylvie Beaudry (FdSci'88), Giuliana Di Quinzio (Nutr'00) and Pamela Yiptong(Nutr'09) are undertaking at EMSB to help children develop healthy eating habits.
...During her 29 years in the public school system, dietitian Sylvie Beaudry [(FdSci'88)] has played a role in encouraging thousands of students to develop healthy eating habits.

La viande qui saigne notre budget
Matthieu est chef cuisinier dans un restaurant montréalais, et sa famille en est la preuve vivante. Dans ce foyer où il y a 5 bouches à nourrir, voilà près de 4 ans que la viande ne s’invite plus dans les assiettes qu’une fois par semaine. […]
«Nous pouvons pratiquement nourrir 4 personnes avec des œufs pour ce qu’il en coute de donner une portion de contre-filet de bœuf!», observe Pascal Thériault, agronome et économiste à l’Université .

L'Arboretum Morgan propose une foule d'activités sur l'écosystème forestier à Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Situé sur le campus MacDonald de l'Université à Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, à la pointe ouest de l'île de Montréal, l'arboretum Morgan, une réserve arboricole et écologique de 245 hectares, propose une panoplie d'activités pour régénérer le corps, éveiller les esprits fatigués et intéresser les néophytes curieux tout autant que les connaisseurs à l'écosystème de la forêt et à son formidable réseau d'échange.
Tree removal near the John Abbott College Memorial Field
Some of you may have noticed trees being felled near the John Abbott College Memorial Field. While we never want to cut trees down, nature sometimes leaves us no choice. Four of the trees being taken down this week are rotten oak trees, which pose a safety hazard, and another four are ash trees infected with the emerald ash borer that has been wreaking havoc on Montreal Island in recent years. All the trees being removed are being replaced. Other trees will get a significant pruning.
CFI grants to boost research projects
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced a total investment of $52 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund for 220 new infrastructure projects nationally. Among the 51 universities across the country with funded projects, leads the pack with an impressive number — 23 projects totaling $4.2 million — in this latest round of the funding competition.

Des pistes pour optimiser la production de petits fruits
(Une collaboration de Valérie Gravel, agronome et professeure adjointe en horticulture durable, Université )
« L’été au Québec est, pour plusieurs, synonyme d’abondance de petits fruits. La production locale de ces « super fruits », de plus en plus reconnus pour leurs bienfaits sur la santé humaine, fait face à une demande croissante. »