What Is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of species on Earth ranging from fungi and bacteria to plants and animals. Biodiversity plays a central role in maintaining balance in the Ecosystem. For example, plants absorb Carbon as a nutritional element. Then, herbivores consume plants, carnivores eat herbivores, and bacteria help dead matter decompose, which enriches the soil with nutrients necessary for the plants.
Over the past century, our rapid technological advancement has come at a substantial cost to biodiversity. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), "More than 41,000 species are threatened with extinction. That is still 28% of all assessed species". Due to the lack of easily measurable regulations, natural resources have been extracted and managed following a profit-maximizing strategy, with little regard for the ecological implications. Such an approach often leads to habitat loss- the #1 cause of biodiversity loss.
Why Should We Care?
Loss of biodiversity leads to disruptions in vital cycles, including the Carbon cycle. These disruptions affect the chances of survival of other species, soil fertility, and climate change. Already, the number of displaced individuals affected by climate change has climbed and will continue to increase further in the near future.
What Do We Do To Support COP 15 Action?
The Montreal Art Center and Museum Building, originally the Caledonian Iron Works Company Building, was built between 1875 and 1879 in the Montreal district, later known as Griffintown. The building was constructed primarily using Douglas-fir from British Columbia. It is known for its highest strength-to-weight ratio, for which Douglas-fir is considered to be one of the most important and valuable timber species of Western North America. We have been committed to preserving our unique patrimonial building in sustainable ways. In the restoration of the building and design of the new rooms, we were able to reuse the original Douglas-fir wood and up-cycle a variety of different materials ranging from vintage frames and curtains to pieces of furniture.
Montreal Art Center and museum is open 365 days a year to our 50 resident artists who work in their studio spaces. In other words, a sizable amount of our energy consumption comes from light. Therefore, we have changed fluorescent lighting to LED lighting that is up to 80% more energy efficient, has a longer life span and does not contaminate the environment with any toxic materials when disposed of.
Furthermore, the founder of the Montréal Art Center and Museum, Allan Diamond, has been restoring various artworks and giving them a new life at the Art Center and Museum. We take on these initiatives in order to reduce waste and our Carbon footprint, use what we need and leave more space for wildlife.
As our building has survived for over 140 years, our not-for-profit organization is committed to sustainable development in every way possible. Please, reach out to us through the "Contact Us" form to suggest more sustainable practices and ideas.
Last but not least, the Montreal Art Center and Museum welcomes the visitors of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP)15 and will provide 20% off our Museum Tours, Movies, and other in-house events from December 7th to December 19th, 2022. Please, use the SUPPORTCOP15 discount code at the checkout to redeem the promotion.
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