Downwind
of the Big Smoke - the impact
of air pollution from the Greater Toronto Area
on natural and agro-ecosystems
with
Dr. Tom Hutchinson
Trent University
At first glance, the environmental effects of air pollution generated
by automobiles and industry in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, might
seem to be a problem for Toronto alone. But that problem is now being
identified in places much further away, with air quality in rural areas
now often worse than in Toronto itself. Since 1995, Dr. Tom Hutchinson
has been studying the role of Toronto’s air pollution on vegetation
growing throughout central Ontario. Even in supposedly pristine forest
sites, this research has found direct damage to crops, as well as significant
interference in such fundamental processes as the decay of leaves and
in pollination. He will discuss the work that led to these findings, as
well as their social and economic implications.
Tom Hutchinson is a professor in the Environmental and Resource Studies
Program and the Department of Biology at Trent University. As a botanist,
he has been internationally recognized for his research on the effect
of airborne pollution on soils and plant life. He has also contributed
extensively to our understanding of the wide range of stresses that affect
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Besides teaching undergraduate and
graduate courses and editing a major scientific journal, he manages a
farm operation dedicated to rare breeds of domesticated livestock.
Simultaneous translation will be provided.
Co-Sponsors:
--the Speaker of the Senate, the Hon. Daniel Hays
--the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Peter Milliken
--Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE)
--NSERC
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 2002 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am
|
