Faculty in Air Pollution
| Faculty Member | University |
|---|---|
| Fauteux-Lefebvre, Clémence | University of Ottawa |
| Gilmore, Elisabeth | Carleton University |
| Hakami, Amir | Carleton University |
| Kruczek, Boguslaw | University of Ottawa |
| Tezel, F. Handan | University of Ottawa |
| Walker, Thomas | Carleton University |
| Zhang, Jason | University of Ottawa |
Air pollution claims millions of lives across the globe every year. In Canada, official government estimates put the number of lives lost prematurely to air pollution at more than 15,000 annually, amounting to a valuated societal cost of $120 billion (2016 CAD). Marginalized populations are shown to be exposed to higher levels of air pollution, giving air pollution a socio-environmental justice dimension. Air pollution is also closely linked with climate change, as they share similar sources and drivers.
Cleaning the air from harmful pollutants and man-made greenhouse gases is a costly undertaking, but we have learned that even more costly is inaction. We live in a period where sources of pollution are likely to change. As our economy decarbonizes, we hope to burn less fossil fuels and create less pollution from combustion. On the other hand, a warmer climate is likely to lead to elevated levels of harmful pollutants such as fine particles or ozone in the atmosphere, as well as increased pollution due to natural processes such as wildfires. Navigating the coming decades of transition in a manner that ensures healthy population and a sustainable future is essential and requires expertise.
Our graduate program prepares students to play an important role in tackling these societal problems. They learn to use a range of tools such as monitoring networks, sophisticated atmospheric models, and satellite observations of atmospheric composition to estimate the extent of pollutant concentrations and their impacts. They learn how air quality models and various analysis methods can be used to inform air pollution decision-making. They develop skills to tackle complicated questions, such as the effectiveness of various pollution control options, or design of optimal decarbonization pathways, or development of policies that address climate change, air pollution, and environmental justice in a coordinated manner. In short, they learn to be part of the solution to some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
OCIENE 