[ensu] Wed March 2 and upcoming IES Environmental Studies Seminars

  • From: ENSU <utorensu@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: ENSU Listserv <ensu@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 14:58:12 -0500 (EST)

Institute for Environmental Studies 
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SEMINARS
(Abstracts for March 2 and March 9 seminars are below)
******************************************************

WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 4:00 p.m. 
Room 2093, Earth Sciences Centre 
(Huron & Bancroft; Geology section of building; 
north of College St., east of Spadina Ave.) 
  
"POLLUTANTS WITHOUT BORDERS: GLOBAL ORGANIC
CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT" 
(Abstract below)

FRANK WANIA, Assistant Professor, Department of
Physical and
Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at
Scarborough

No registration required; all are welcome.

For more information, please contact  
Mona El-Haddad, Series Coordinator (416-978-6526;
m.elhaddad@xxxxxxxxxxx) 

Please visit www.utoronto.ca/env/seminars.htm for
abstracts and 
updates.
************************************************************************
ABSTRACT (Wed March 2):
More than ten years ago, relatively high levels of
persistent organic
pollutants in polar regions, specifically the Canadian
Arctic, were
hypothesized to be caused by the processes of global
fractionation and
"cold condensation".  Since then, numerical models of
chemical fate and
transport in the global environment have aided in
gaining a 
quantitative
understanding of these processes and of the
controlling chemical and
environmental characteristics.  More recently, a
continental scale
network of passive air samplers in North America has
allowed us to
scrutinize both model results and our understanding of
contaminant
transport over long distances.  This talk will explore
how the
combination of fate simulations and large scale
distribution
measurements can be used to gain mechanistic
understanding of (i) the
global fate of a highly mobile organic contaminant
after world-wide
elimination (alpha-HCH), (ii) the compositional shifts
that contaminant
mixtures undergo in the global environment (PCBs), and
(iii) the long
range atmospheric transport potential of various
pesticide chemicals.
In a forecasting mode, model calculations of an
"Arctic Contamination
Potential" can identify the attributes that make a
chemical prone to
reaching elevated levels in remote regions, and lead
to a 
classification
of organic chemicals based on four types of global
transport behaviour.
Future research will investigate other situations
leading to 
contaminant
amplification.
************************************************************************
****

REMAINING SEMINARS THIS TERM:

WED MARCH 9, 2005, 4:00 p.m.  
BETH SAVAN, Director, University of Toronto
Sustainability Office;
Senior Lecturer, Innis College Environmental Studies
Program, U of T
"STUDENTS DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY: ENERGY CONSERVATION
AND THE KYOTO
PROTOCOL COME TO U OF T" 
(Co-hosted by the new U of T Sustainability Office)
In the fall of 2004, the University of Toronto
established a
Sustainability Office dedicated to reducing energy use
and greenhouse
gas emissions on campus.  During its first six months
of operation, the
Office has established a strong presence on campus and
developed a 
draft
plan for how to achieve significant energy savings. 
Enthusiastic
undergraduate participation has led to a number of
student-led 
behaviour
change campaigns on campus.  Several of these exciting
initiatives will
be described, and the draft Strategic Plan for the
Office will be
outlined, in the hope that audience members will
contribute suggestions
to strengthen the Plan and to help the Office meet its
ambitious goals.
For more details, please visit
http://www.sustainability.utoronto.ca.

WED MARCH 30, 2005, 4:00 p.m.
CHARLES CACCIA, Former M.P. for Davenport and Minister
of the
Environment
"Politics and the elusive goal of sustainable development"

______________________________________________________________________ 
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

Other related posts:

  • » [ensu] Wed March 2 and upcoming IES Environmental Studies Seminars