Climate action: Transforming research into climate solutions
Climate action: Transforming research into climate solutions
This publication is made possible, in part, with the support of the Research Support Fund.
Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation
In this edition of Innovation, I invite you to learn how our faculty are addressing the critical issues facing our society today while working towards a greener tomorrow.
Steven N. Liss, PhD
Vice-President, Research and Innovation
In Our Community
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Cultivating better bylaws to support biodiversity
The UN notes that biodiversity is the strongest natural defence against climate change. Professor Nina-Marie Lister, founder of TMU’s Ecological Design Lab, knows first-hand that naturalized yards and habitat gardens are one of the easiest ways to take climate action at home.
Intersection
A guide and a warning: Mapping and predicting climate change impacts
The impacts of climate change are acutely felt in the Arctic and Northern Canada. Data from geography professor Dave Atkinson’s 20+ years of remote sensing and in-person collection shows alarming changes to these environments and water sources due to global warming.
Making waves in wastewater: Charting a more sustainable future
Wastewater treatment processes produce large amounts of difficult-to-measure greenhouse gases. TMU civil engineering professor Elsayed Elbeshbishy recommends emerging technologies that deliver precise data because climate action plans are greatly hindered without it.
Idea to Innovation
Advancing biodegradable alternatives to plastic
Plastic waste can take hundreds of years to decompose. Professor Ehsan Behzadfar of TMU’s The Creative School is developing an alternative to plastic wrap made from biodegradable natural materials.
Under the Microscope
Plastics in the wild: Understanding their impact on infectious disease dynamics
As climate change worsens, ecosystems are becoming more stressed. TMU chemistry and biology professor Janet Koprivnikar finds that organisms’ disease dynamics worsen when plastic pollutants are added to the mix.
Urban Futures
Optimizing energy use with digital twins
Buildings’ heating and cooling systems use a lot of energy and create high carbon emissions. Architectural science professor Jenn McArthur uses digital twin technologies – virtual models of physical systems – to cut heating consumption without costly renovations.
Policy & Perspective
Designing elderly care networks in a climate-challenged world
As Canada’s population of older adults grows quickly, their vulnerability to climate change requires urgent action. Business management professor Mahsa Madani-Hosseini's innovative solution of care networks for the elderly addresses their unique needs during disasters while considering governmental budget constraints.
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An international law-based approach to the climate emergency
According to the United Nations, climate change’s harmful effects threaten fundamental human rights. TMU law professor Christopher Campbell-Duruflé examines Canada’s policy response to the 2015 Paris Agreement and recommends ways to make it more accountable.
