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Substances that created hole in ozone may account for half of Arctic warming, U of T researchers find
The substances responsible for creating a massive hole in the Earth’s ozone layer may account for nearly half of Arctic warming over a 50-year period, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Toronto.
The research, published in Nature Climate Change, highlights how ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are a significant and unrecognized source of 20th-century Arctic climate change.
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U of T student creates renewable energy information hub for Canadians
A University of Toronto student is bringing together homeowners and solar panel installers in an attempt to increase the use of sustainable energy systems in residential homes across Canada.
Rylan Urban, a second-year student in the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, launched Energyhub.org a year ago and has since helped broker over $1 million in residential solar sales across five provinces.
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U of T researchers turn McDonald’s deep fryer oil into high-end 3D printing resin
Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough have, for the first time, turned waste cooking oil – from the deep fryers of a local McDonald’s – into a high-resolution, biodegradable 3D printing resin.
Using waste cooking oil for 3D printing has significant potential. Not only is it cheaper to make, the plastics made from it break down naturally unlike conventional 3D printing resins.
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From U of T to UN: Undergraduates attend COP25 climate talks in Madrid
Along with the world leaders, reporters, activists, Greta Thunberg and academics, six University of Toronto undergraduates travelled to Madrid earlier this month to observe the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP25.
For the students, it was an opportunity to see international decision-making up close and learn how concepts they talk about in class, such as the UN sustainable development goals, come up in debate.
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U of T researchers develop sponge that removes oil from water
University of Toronto researchers have developed a new strategy to remove tiny oil droplets from wastewater with more than 90 per cent efficiency in just 10 minutes. Their secret weapon?
A sponge.
“Oil extraction operations such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, produce nearly 100 billion barrels of oil-contaminated wastewater each year,” says Chul Park, a professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
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Halting climate change means a world without fossil fuels – not merely curbing emissions: U of T researchers
A new study by two University of Toronto researchers is proposing a different way to think about tackling climate change – one that shifts focus away from emissions reductions in favour of eliminating fossil fuel energy altogether.
The research is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
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