September 16, 2024
The Smart Prosperity Institute is proud to be part of uOttawa’s Institute of the Environment, which offers graduate courses in environmental sustainability. In line with our mandate to support and promote the next generation of researchers, we invited this year’s cohort of Master’s of Environmental Sustainability students to share their upcoming research projects, in their own words.
This blog post is the first of our 2024 Graduate Student Spotlight series, featuring forthcoming projects from Kyla France, Océanne Poirier-Joanette, Nidhi Gupta, and Ridwan Abdulaziz.
Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have maintained a reciprocal relationship with the land, using fire to promote biodiversity, mitigate wildfire risk, and maintain their culture. Yet, colonization along with a slew of fire-suppression policies hindered the ability for Indigenous Peoples across the globe to use both fire and their knowledge to manage their land.
Now, as wildfires grow in intensity and severity – partly due to climate change – there are increasing calls from scholars, governments, and international organizations alike to mobilize Indigenous Knowledge to mitigate the impacts of these disasters. Through a document analysis and examination of case studies from Canada, Brazil, Australia, and the United States, my research identifies benefits to mobilizing Indigenous Fire Knowledge, potential mechanisms for its revitalization, and remaining barriers to its inclusion in fire management. Most importantly, my paper will produce recommendations unveiling how Indigenous Knowledge can be further mobilized in the Canadian context of fire management.
My work in Emergency Management at Indigenous Services Canada inspired me to pursue this research. As wildfires disproportionately impact Indigenous Peoples in Canada, I believe that they should play a central role in fire management. This research is an avenue to amplify Indigenous voices and highlight how Indigenous Knowledge can contribute to the broader field of disaster risk reduction.
Many marine mammals in Canadian waters are listed under the Species at Risk Act due to threats such as vessel strikes, ghost gear, and noise pollution from various industrial activities. To address these issues, the Marine Mammal Regulations (MMR) under the Fisheries Act, along with other measures, have been implemented to balance sustainable industrial activities with the protection of marine mammals. One key MMR measure is the establishment of a minimum distance between vessels and spotted marine mammals, known as a setback, which was instituted in 2018. This research project will conduct a literature review to evaluate whether the current setback distances are aligned with the latest scientific findings and if they are optimal to protect marine mammals in climate-changing Canadian oceans.
My research project looks to investigate the current climate surrounding fossil fuel divestment commitments in Canada. Specifically, the divestment commitments made by Canadian universities, usually as a result of rigorous petitions and protests. In order to meet aggressive emission reduction targets, divestment from fossil fuel companies has been a common request from student bodies, faculty and administration at universities globally. As a result, many institutions have announced commitments to divest university funds, commonly endowment funds, from fossil fuel holdings.
I am looking to apply an accountability framework to these universities, to understand how effectively they are holding themselves accountable to these commitments. Five of Canada’s largest universities with commitments to fossil fuel divestment are being examined on four areas: transparency, responsibility, responsiveness, and financial disclosure. This includes reviewing the university’s reporting, announcements, and media (as well as third-party reporting) to determine how effectively a university is engaging in the process of fossil fuel divestment. I hope to create an assessment process that can be used for fossil fuel divestment advocacy groups and university stakeholders to determine the progress made by institutions in Canada. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of Canada’s largest institutions, with the intention to advance the understanding of the fossil fuel divestment process.
The aviation industry plays a critical role in the global economy but is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, representing around 2.5% of global anthropogenic emissions. My research focuses on the comparative life cycle environmental impacts of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) against conventional jet fuels in commercial flights. My research will analyze various SAF production pathways and their feasibility within Canada, considering greenhouse gas emissions, resource utilization, and potential policy interventions required for scalable adoption.
I aim to conduct a review of comprehensive life cycle assessments (LCAs) of SAFs and conventional jet fuels to identify the most sustainable and economically feasible pathways for the Canadian aviation sector. My research will also explore policy frameworks and incentives that can support the transition to SAFs, addressing current gaps in supply-side production and regulatory support. By focusing on the Canadian context, which holds vast renewable resources and a strong commitment to sustainability, my study intends to provide actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of SAFs in commercial aviation.
To explore last year’s student research projects, click here. Learn more about the uOttawa Institute of the Environment on their website.
©2024 Smart Prosperity Institute. All rights reserved.
Contact us:
info@smartprosperity.ca | 1 Stewart St (3rd Floor), Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5