As people across the globe celebrate Earth Day tomorrow, we’ve compiled an environmentally friendly blog post about all the green research being conducted by Ontario university researchers.
Check out how these professors are working to protect our fine Earth.
What happens after an iPhone dies?
The lack of discussion surrounding electronic waste prompted Brock University professor Jennifer Good to look into it. Her study, “Creating iPhone Dreams: Annihilating E-Waste Nightmares,†examines media coverage of both iPhones and e-waste, comparing coverage from two time periods: 2007 and 2014-2015.
Good found the number of news stories about iPhones increased by 308 per cent from 2007 in 2014-2015, while stories about e-waste fell 44 per cent. Her study points to the concept of “symbolic annihilationâ€, where if something isn’t discussed in the media, it’s not important and doesn’t exist.
“When we think about the role of news and what we should be informed about, e-waste should not be getting symbolically annihilated from discussions about iPhones,†says Good.
Instead, discussions about e-waste should be all the more important as the shelf life of electronic devices becomes shorter and shorter.
Carleton’s FlareNet Project
The FlareNet Project at Carleton University aims to provide a quantitative understanding of flare-generated pollutant emissions, which is critical to enabling science-based regulations.
Led by Dr. Matthew Johnson from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the project hopes to provide accurate pollutant inventories, understandings of climate forcing and health implications, and strategies to minimize environmental impacts in the energy sector.
Further Reading:
- Brock University researchers discover a certain type of fungus could be a potential efficient and effective fertilizer.
- Led by Dr. Wanhong Yang, the University of Guelph’s Watershed Evaluation Group examines the cost effectiveness of agricultural conservation programs.
- A Ryerson University report details how Toronto can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Carleton University highlights its climate policy champions.
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