The Green Review

Wildfires – a concern for sustainable development

Autumn Downey

Posted: July 6, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT

Category: News



Current wildfires are wreaking havoc on the environment and people in Canada and neighbouring countries. Spread and intensity are greatly influenced by climate change and human actions. These factors contribute to wildfires' broader impact, expenses, and consequences on communities and ecosystems.Environmental ImpactsWildfires affect ecosystems in complex ways. While controlled fires can contribute to preserving biodiversity and encouraging regrowth in some forests, uncontrolled and severe...

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How the Menstrual Health Society used the Student Sustainability Fund

Kate Palmer

Posted: March 8, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST

Category: Opinion , News



The Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) provides students at UNB Fredericton with hands-on learning and experience in a fast-growing sector. The projects by students and their partners help cultivate a culture of sustainability on campus and allow students to make a meaningful impact in their community. The Menstrual Health Society recently utilized the SSF to purchase sustainable menstrual health products for the UNBF community. In their entry, they provide an overview of their society, the...

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17 Rooms

Jacqueline Nsubuga

Posted: January 3, 2023 8:30:00 AM AST

Category: Questions , News


What are the 17 Rooms? 17 Rooms is an initiative founded by The Rockefeller Foundation and The Brookings Institution to help organizations advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The 17 Rooms process utilizes brainstorming and collaboration to create practical solutions for the SDGs. The first global flagship took place in 2018, where global leaders convened to advance the SDGs globally. Since then, higher education institutions have joined in similar efforts to...

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UNB Sustainability's Summary of New Brunswick's Climate Change Action Plan

UNB Sustainability

Posted: December 12, 2022 1:30:00 PM AST

Category: Questions , News



The University of New Brunswick's Sustainability summary of New Brunswick’s ‘Pathway Towards Decarbonization and Climate Resilience New Brunswick’s Climate Change Action Plan 2022-2027’. A Climate Change Action Plan is a widely used tool to establish objectives for mitigating human impacts and adapting to climate change. The revised plan uses the 2016 Climate Change Action Plan: “Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy” as the foundation. The 2022 plan is...

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Sustainability Dictionary

UNB Sustainability

Posted: November 30, 2022 3:40:00 PM AST

Category: Questions , News



Your go-to guide for commonly used climate change and sustainability terminology. Adaptation vs Mitigation: Adaptation is making changes to better withstand future impacts. Mitigation is making changes to prevent climate change impact. (i.e., building seawalls to protect against erosion (adaptation) vs reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the severity of climate change impacts (mitigation)).Anthropocene: Unit of geologic time defined by human impact on the planet. ('Anthro' means...

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How and why to mend your clothing

UNB Sustainability

Posted: November 2, 2022 12:05:00 PM ADT

Category: News , Questions



Fashion companies, like most, work by supply and demand. So, reducing our consumption is the simplest solution to the fast fashion crisis and a cultural attitude shift in how the industry works. Thus, it is essential to have a balance between sustainability and fashion. Due to high demand and cheap production, modern clothing has a short lifespan. The more people buy, the more waste is sent to landfills annually. To be a part of the change, we must redefine how we treat our possessions and...

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What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

UNB Sustainability

Posted: October 2, 2022 10:00:00 AM ADT

Category: Questions , News



The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations member states in 2015, consist of 17 goals that provide a shared blueprint for a more sustainable and equitable world. In addition, each goal has specific targets and indicators to help monitor progress towards achieving them.The SDGs address the most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges in developing and developed nations. Even though over 190 countries have adopted them, it is essential to note that...

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Coming Back Sustainably Round II

UNB Sustainability

Posted: September 2, 2022 9:50:00 AM ADT

Category: News


As we prepare for the new school year, UNB Sustainability wants to continue encouraging community members to engage in more sustainable actions. Here are the pillars we use to guide you toward a more sustainable return to campus this fall. Bring your own Plastic pollution has been recognized as a pressing environmental issue worldwide. More specifically, single-use plastic. Research shows that plastic does not fully degrade. Instead, it breaks into smaller pieces known as microplastics,...

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On a Break

Matt Bishop

Posted: April 11, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT

Category: News


Hello My name is Matt and I'm the Sustainability Engagement & Education officer at UNB Sustainability. Or at least I was... I have enjoyed my time at UNB, however, a new opportunity will be taking me to a new country and so, I will be moving on from this position. However, while UNB Sustainability takes the time to replace me, it means that we have no staff member to maintain and upload entries onto the Green Review - meaning that, until they hire a new Matt, there will be no new entries for...

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Nestbox Project

Campus as a Learning Lab

Posted: March 17, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT

Category: Programs and Updates , News


Campus as a Learning Lab integrates academic research and teaching, using the university as a sandbox to explore opportunities and test new ideas, reflecting on our successes and failures. At UNB Saint John, the course SOCS4501 (held in the Fall Semester) allows students to implement their ideas to improve campus sustainability. This is the story of the Nestbox Project by Jennifer Moore. It is becoming more and more common practice for heath-care professionals to prescribe nature exposure as...

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There’s Snow Place like UNB

Gina Alward, Strategic Marketing & Communications Office

Posted: December 15, 2021 3:00:00 PM AST

Category: News


UNB has taken a different approach to this year’s holiday video: After another challenging year, it's time to celebrate the end of the semester with some winter fun. UNB students want to kick off the holiday season how they imagined it, with skating, sledding, and snowman-building before they head home for their break. But alas, there is no snow! This UNB family comes together to create their own winter wonderland for all to enjoy. This fun, comedic, and heartwarming video offers some...

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UNIFarm Greenhouse

The UNIFarm Team

Posted: November 29, 2021 4:30:00 PM AST

Category: News , Programs and Updates


Students at the University of New Brunswick, and other institutions across Canada, are seeking to promote and embrace sustainability at an individual, university, and community level. Students are avidly growing succulents in dorm rooms and apartment windowsills, and many student societies are investigating avenues to brighten up community spaces with living plants and foliage. The desire to bring chlorophyll to university corridors and society spaces exists; however, no affordable,...

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UNB Fredericton recognized in 2021 Sustainable Campus Index

UNB Sustainability

Posted: November 12, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST

Category: News , Programs and Updates


When looking towards improving the Sustainability of UNB, we must firstly answer - how Sustainable are we? To answer this, UNB Sustainability looks to the STARS. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. The credits included in STARS span the breadth of higher...

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Sustainability Month 2021

UNB Sustainability

Posted: September 27, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT

Category: Programs and Updates , News


Celebrate Sustainability this October. The University of New Brunswick has a commitment to lead sustainability across Canadian universities while building an engaged ‘Sustainability’ community. Therefore, every year the UNB celebrates Sustainability by hosting an annual Sustainability Week in October. This year, as issues surrounding sustainability become larger, so does UNB’s celebration! Join us in celebrating Sustainability Month, throughout October, and follow along with...

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How Covid has Impacted UNB’s Impact on the Climate

Climate Change Officer - UNB Sustainabiltiy

Posted: September 8, 2021 12:00:00 PM ADT

Category: News , Programs and Updates


The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone over the past 18 months. With respect to the UNB community, the pandemic forced the shutdown of normal campus operations on both the Fredericton (UNBF) & Saint John (UNBSJ) campuses. While both campuses have now partially reopened at different levels, the impacts from this pandemic on the university have and continued to be far reaching. This blog entry will be highlighting some of those...

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Coming Back Sustainably

UNB Sustainability

Posted: August 27, 2021 1:00:00 PM ADT

Category: News , Programs and Updates


Covid-19 has impacted our lives in a way that would have previously been inconceivable. However, this time has shown us that we have the ability to make amazing changes. We added masks to our wardrobe. We mastered social distancing. We conquered virtual life. Now let’s make one more change. As life begins to get back to normal, we are in a unique opportunity to reset and decide what normal means. At UNB Sustainability we wanted to share some tips for how you can ensure that your return...

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Introducing the Green Review Blog

UNB Sustainability

Posted: August 18, 2021 1:00:00 PM ADT

Category: News , Programs and Updates


The University of New Brunswick (UNB) has set a mission statement to inspire and educate our community to become problem solvers and leaders in the world, undertake research that addresses societal and scientific challenges, and engage with our partners to build a more just, sustainable, and inclusive world. This vision to become a leader in sustainability requires a culture of sustainability, which in turn requires awareness. UNB Sustainability strives to increase this sustainability...

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