Even when they moved from the Rimouski college to the Université du Québec à Rimouski, a group of students continued to carry out a wide-ranging ecology project in the field of electrical engineering. Three years ago, spurred on by the call of the inventor of a Quasiturbine motorcycle (pneumatic motor), they started to design a zero-pollution motor for the future vehicle they named La Rimous. The innovative characteristic of this clean motor lies in the use of liquid nitrogen, a natural component in the air and, more precisely, in the conversion of this gas into energy. In order to build the first prototype of a nitrogen evaporator, they were able to obtain the collaboration of local participants and two grants, one of which was Canada Economic Development's fund to stimulate economic creativity. They even won four first-place prizes at the third edition of the Quebec competition for regional entrepreneurship held last year. Although other researchers have succeeded in producing this type of energy, the Rimouski residents may just be the first to create a nitrogen-propelled motor thus proving the creative potential of the regions. A concept which is most certainly exportable.
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At the Université Laval, the work of the VIA Agro-Écologie group has obtained a visibility which does not seem to be diminishing. Established by a committee of students from the Agriculture and Food Science Department, the team aims at heightening awareness within the university community and the general public of durable development, especially by promoting recycling. In concrete terms, this was done through the sale of reusable coffee cups to students as well as a composting project for kitchen waste carried out on the campus and supplied to the Van den Hende demonstration ecological garden at the Université Laval. By showing documentaries, presenting thematic workshops, holding discussions and lectures aimed at the general public, VIA Agro-Écologie has also prompted the emergence of new partners in the environmental sector. Finally, an on-campus documentation centre run by some ten volunteers offered over 1000 books, periodicals and video cassettes dealing with, among other things, durable agricultural procedures, environment protection and ecological gardening.
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The 15th colloquium of AMEUS (Association de la maîtrise en environnement de l'Université de Sherbrooke), entitled L'Écologie industrielle: Une approche au développement durable, organized by 18 graduate students, was innovative in that it took an interest in a current issue in the field of government strategies to combine economic development with environmental protection. In touching on the themes of waste recycling, the synergy of sub-products and eco-efficiency, the organizers were able to demonstrate that industrial ecology is a future solution for the economy. True to its tradition as a well-attended event, this edition attracted almost 300 participants from academic circles and the private and public sectors, including Minister André Boisclair, as well as from different Canadian provinces and even the United States and Europe. Furthermore, the event succeeded in achieving the colloquium's usual goals of supplying a platform for the different environmental actors while at the same time contributing to the training of future decision-makers and managers.
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