Melanie Baume - Catalyst

The Hidden Pains and Challenges of the Low-Carbon Transition

March 22, 2021November 10, 2021 Melanie Baume

The instalment of the infrastructure needed for large-scale sustainable energy projects threatens to give rise to further social and environmental damage due to the finite, non-renewable resources that they rely upon.

Candid – Episode 1: Eco-Adaptation Groove

March 9, 2021November 10, 2021 Alexander Taurozzi

Join our first Catalyst McGill podcast, Candid, for a discussion with Melanie and Alex about the climate change adaptation discourse.

How the International Community Has Failed the Uighur Minority

February 21, 2021November 10, 2021 Melanie Baume

According to Hu Lianhe, a Communist Party official, this ‘re-education’ campaign only targets petty criminals that are assigned to “vocational education facilities for rehabilitation and reintegration” . Yet, testimonies from individuals who have worked or been detained in the camps as well as leaked information report cases of human rights violations.

The Hazards of Disconnectedness in Climate Change Adaptation Discourse

February 5, 2021November 10, 2021 Melanie Baume

As Global North countries have taken the lead in instituting climate change policy and conceptualizing adaptation, their politics have not taken into consideration local and indigenous sources of information when shaping concepts like vulnerability and adaptation.

Challenging the International Response to the Refugee Crisis

November 11, 2020November 10, 2021 Melanie Baume

Thus far, the global response of most developed countries has been to funnel money into the international refugee support system, which provides humanitarian aid relief through the establishment of refugee camps. As these camps are short-term solutions, in most host countries, refugees lack the right to work or move freely. This might not have been a problem if the duration of their stay were short, however the conflicts from which refugees flee usually last indefinitely.

The Challenges of Humanitarian Aid in War Torn Yemen

October 18, 2020November 10, 2021 Melanie Baume

Despite ongoing United Nation-brokered negotiations for a ceasefire, a resolution appears to be far out of reach. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the living and economic conditions of civilians. With food prices continuously on the rise, a depreciating currency, and a lack of fuel across the country, standards of living have been deteriorating at an unprecedented pace.