How McMaster is transforming our campus into a living laboratory for sustainability
Planting an entire forest, one tree at a time. Promoting the use of fossil-fuel-free energy sources. Teaching others how to incorporate sustainable practices into their day-to-day lives. Finding practical ways to help reverse the effects of climate change.
These are just some of the things McMaster’s students, researchers and staff are doing to improve the health of the planet, today and every day.
This Earth Day, we’re thinking about climate change and planetary health – what is happening, who it impacts and what we can do.
Here are some of the ways our community members are leading the charge for a cleaner, greener future.
Sustainability research at McMaster
PhD student enlists citizen scientists and Stanford AI researchers to study fish in Georgian Bay
Growing up, Danielle Montocchio had gone on family camping trips around Georgian Bay. And once she learned about wetlands, it was clear what she wanted to study and protect.
Analysis: New technologies could de-acidify the oceans – and even remove carbon dioxide in the process
In the effort to combat the catastrophic impacts of global warming, new electrochemical technologies might be able help our oceans and the atmosphere, writes chemical engineering professor Charles-Francois de Lannoy.
“This is a time and place for humanities to step out of the shadows and to shine”
Five researchers from the Faculty of Humanities discuss the importance of Earth Day and how their work intersects with social challenges and the environment.
Even microbes felt the impact of ancient climate transitions
Researchers at McMaster traced the impacts of ancient ecological transitions down to the microbial level, finding even bacteria and single-celled organisms changed as the climate around them shifted at the end of the last ice age.
How health care can help save our frail planet
Myles Sergeant, an assistant clinical professor known for his climate advocacy and initiatives, talks about the dangers of climate change, the power of individuals and the health care sector to drive sustainable change, and his hope to save our “frail planet.”
Analysis: Nuclear energy would be a clean win for remote communities
As Canada and the world strive to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, greater use of nuclear power – especially small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro reactors – is key for Canada, writes McMaster president David Farrar and associate vice-president, nuclear, Dave Tucker.
Humanities and Engineering researchers team up to address climate change impacts on Black communities
The weight of the world is not always distributed evenly, especially when it comes to the climate crisis. That’s why McMaster researchers Ingrid Waldron and Zobia Jawed lead workshops that help racialized community members recognize the ways in which climate change affects their lives, and empower them to act.
Analysis: E-fuels can play a huge role in Canada’s journey towards a net-zero future
Engineering researcher Keena Trowell writes that renewables and e-fuels could be instrumental in Canada’s green transition – and that the cited impediments may not be true barriers at all.
Nanoscale research might help convert CO2 waste into usable products
Think of it as recycling on a nanoscale. Chemical Engineering Professor Drew Higgins and postdoctoral fellow Ahmed Abdellah used extremely powerful magnification equipment to study how synthetic materials that catalyze and convert carbon dioxide break down.
Read more about McMaster’s Sustainability Strategy here