February 21, 2012
Hold the salt: coastal drinking water more vulnerable to water use than climate change
Posted February 21, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 21, 2012
2012-02-14-OTHER
Human activity is likely a greater threat to coastal groundwater used for drinking water supplies than rising sea levels from climate change, according to a study conducted by geoscientists from the University of Saskatchewan and McGill University in Montreal.
Grant Ferguson from the U of S Department of Civil and Geological Engineering worked with Tom Gleeson from McGill’s Department of Civil Engineering to examine data from more than 1,400 coastal watersheds. What they found was that with the exception of very flat coastal areas that can be inundated with sea water – rare in North America – most coastal aquifers are relatively unaffected by rising sea level.
What does appear to affect these aquifers is humans pumping water from wells for drinking, domestic use and irrigation.
“The bulk of the research in recent years has focused on climate change effects on coastal groundwater but increases in water demand could be more important,” Ferguson says. “This is particularly true in growing coastal cities and towns where groundwater is often an important water supply.”
Aquifers are geological formations such as sand or gravel that are saturated with water, much like a sponge. Wells draw fresh water from these aquifers, which are then recharged through surface water such as rain and melting snow.
Coastal aquifers, however, are bordered on one side by seawater that can start to migrate into the formation – and into wells – if too much fresh water is drawn out. Similarly, rising sea levels can cause seawater to enter into the formation. To date, only problems related to pumping have been documented in Canada.
“Coastal aquifers are very vulnerable to increased water demand so we have real policy opportunities,” Gleeson says. “We can reduce consumption of groundwater in coastal areas or manage groundwater use wisely.”
It is estimated that one billion people world-wide live in coastal areas, and many are dependent on ground water. In Canada, about 25 per cent of people rely on groundwater, with some areas almost totally dependent on the resource.
The paper, “Vulnerability of coastal aquifers to groundwater use and climate change,” was published online February 19 in Nature Climate Change. The research was made possible in part through support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Gleeson is a CIFAR Junior Fellow.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Robin
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca
Katherine Gombay
McGill University
(514) 398-2189
katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca
February 17, 2012
University of Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Centre celebrates new name and community involvement
Posted February 17, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 17, 2012
2012-02-13-WCVM
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) medical centre celebrated its new name and its extensive role in community animal health care during an open house at the University of Saskatchewan February 17.
The original WCVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital officially became the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) after the U of S approved the name change in September 2011.
When the WCVM opened its hospital in 1969, its main goal was to give veterinary students practical clinical experience. But over the past four decades, the building has dramatically grown in size and in purpose. The WCVM centre recently completed a major expansion and upgrade of its facilities, and it now provides western Canadians with a range of general and specialized clinical services.
“Our new name better reflects the facility’s roles as a centre of excellence for veterinary education, clinical services, and research in Western Canada,” said Dr. Douglas Freeman, WCVM dean. “The Veterinary Medical Centre is now internationally recognized for its clinical services, its involvement in animal and human health research, and its extensive community outreach.”
For example, the WCVM and the Saskatoon SPCA work together on several initiatives including a spay-neuter program to control the number of unwanted animals in the city.
“It is very rare to have a relationship that benefits multiple parties,” said Tiffiny Koback, shelter director of the Saskatoon SPCA. “This is one of those affiliations that has a positive impact on our adoptable animals, adoptive families, senior veterinary students and our community as a whole. We feel privileged to be part of such a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“These community partnerships benefit everyone,” said Dr. Klaas Post, acting director of the VMC. “Our senior veterinary students gain additional surgical practice time and enriched training before graduation while the SPCA has more success in finding homes for spayed and neutered animals.”
Post added that the WCVM has also partnered with Saskatchewan livestock producers so senior students gain hands-on experience with vaccinations and pregnancy examinations in large herds of cattle and horses.
As well, WCVM faculty members and students regularly participate in spay-neuter clinics that are held in northern Saskatchewan communities.
Located on the U of S campus in Saskatoon, the VMC is an integral part of the WCVM — the regional veterinary college for Western Canada. The WCVM is a Canadian centre of veterinary education, expertise and research with nearly 450 students enrolled in veterinary and graduate degree programs.
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For more information, contact:
Myrna MacDonald
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 291-9950
sm.ridley@sasktel.net
February 16, 2012
University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team unveils nanosatellite prototype
Posted February 16, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 16, 2012
2012-02-12-OtHER
The University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team (USST) unveiled their new nanosatellite prototype this morning at a special event in Convocation Hall.
The USST is in the process of designing, building and launching a nanosatellite into space. They have had some help from past members of the team, faculty and staff from across campus, and they have even struck an agreement with the United States Naval Research Laboratory to collaborate on the scientific mission of the satellite.
“Having senior researcher and world-leading expert, Dr. Paul Bernhardt, from the United States Naval Research Laboratory collaborate with the USST on our payload mission data will provide us with invaluable opportunities now and well into the future,” said USST President Aarya Shahsavar.
“Dr. Bernhardt’s work with the satellite based CERTO and CITRIS platforms, the HAARP installation in Alaska and Space Shuttle will provide us with vital expertise as we design, build and launch Saskatchewan’s first nanosatellite,“ added Shahsavar.
The first step in the mission occurs next week as the USST will be sending off a group of their teammates to Ottawa February 19. The members will be presenting the design of the USST’s nanosatellite to a panel of judges at the Canadian Space Agency's David Florida Lab as part of the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge. If they are successful in the competition, the USST will have the opportunity to build their satellite and launch it into orbit to conduct its mission.
The USST is comprised of students and alumni dedicated to the development of the next generation of space technologies. Since forming in 2005, the team has achieved international success working on various projects, including the opportunity to compete four times in NASA’s space elevator competition (most recently in 2009) and an international competition in Japan in 2010.
This year’s team is made up of 40 U of S students from the College of Engineering, Edwards School of Business, the Department of Computer Science, and other disciplines from across campus.
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For more information, contact:
Mark Ferguson
University Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1851
m.ferguson@usask.ca
February 13, 2012
U of S solar power research gets $492,000 boost
Posted February 13, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 13, 2012
2012-02-08-OTHER
Developing cheaper, tougher solar cells is the goal of University of Saskatchewan chemistry researcher Ron Steer, who today was awarded $492,000 from the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) under their Strategic Projects Grants program.
“Solar energy represents the ultimate source of ‘green’ power,” Steer said. “The available global supply represents about 10,000 times the world’s current combined electrical generation capacity.”
Harvesting this abundance is a challenge. The best solar cells, such as those used in spacecraft, are about 40 per cent efficient, while typical consumer-level photovoltaics deliver, at most, about 12 per cent. Both are still much too expensive for widespread use in solar energy farms. Organic (carbon-based) solar cells are considerably cheaper, but also much less efficient and too fragile for commercial use. It is here where Steer and his colleagues hope to make progress.
Steer and his team, which includes Ian Burgess, Tim Kelly, Matt Paige and Rob Scott, are working to improve organic photovoltaics – known as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) – by letting them use more of the sunlight that hits them. In particular, they have discovered a way that could allow DSCs to use near-infrared light—those same rays that we feel as warmth on our skin on a summer’s day. More than half of the sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s surface as infrared light.
“Developing clean energy and the technology to allow us to harvest it are some of the challenges being addressed in our signature areas of research,” said Karen Chad, U of S vice-president research. “Outstanding work such as Dr. Steer’s is key to our strength in this area.”
The team is also working on the problem of durability. Organic photovoltaics are brittle and don’t last long. By incorporating extremely tough materials such as carbon nanotubes, they hope to create solar cells that are cheap, durable, and deliver more energy.
Steer’s leading-edge work in organic photovoltaics is the product of more than three decades of fundamental, curiosity-driven research. A physical chemist in molecular spectroscopy, he leads the Photovoltaic Research Group. He was named a U of S Distinguished Chair in 2011.
Steer’s group is one of 70 scientific teams at universities across the country supported in this latest round of funding from NSERC, collectively representing an investment of more than $32 million over three years. Teams are working in a wide range of areas, including environment, information and communications technologies, manufacturing, and natural resources and energy.
“We received a large number of very high-quality submissions, and the peer review committees evaluating them were impressed with the excellence of the research teams, the importance and potential impact of the proposed research, and the strong support from partners,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca
February 09, 2012
New Uranium Export Agreement with China Offers Environmental and Economic Benefits
Posted February 09, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 9, 2012
2012-02-07-OTHER
The Prime Minister’s announcement today of an agreement with China on Canadian uranium exports means that Saskatchewan can make a valuable contribution to reducing the global carbon footprint, while increasing opportunities for jobs with our wealth of uranium resources, says the head of the Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation (CCNI).
“It is very encouraging to see that nuclear energy will be part of the mix for fast-growing China, displacing some of the energy production that would otherwise mean more coal burning,” said John Root, interim director of the new CCNI, recently established by the Saskatchewan government at the University of Saskatchewan.
“This choice will reduce the future load of carbon dioxide and pollutants released to the air we all share.”
Under existing regulations, China is prohibited from purchasing Canadian yellowcake (Uranium U3O8). This new agreement will help Canadian uranium companies substantially increase exports to China but will call on the Chinese government to verify that Canadian uranium is being used for appropriate civilian purposes.
“This agreement supports China’s energy needs while contributing to the use of clean, reliable energy in China,” Root said. “For people in China and the rest of the world who are striving to reach Western standards of living, we need to figure out how to sustainably produce about five times the energy that is consumed in Europe and North America.”
As well, increased extraction activity in Saskatchewan will continue to require the most advanced knowledge to support industry and northern communities in addressing environmental challenges.
The new CCNI will help find technological and policy solutions to these pressing challenges, while placing Saskatchewan among global leaders of nuclear research, development and training.
“With the CCNI in place, Saskatchewan will be well able to generate and interpret knowledge in the nuclear domain, hold fact-based conversations and make informed decisions about nuclear science and technologies,” he said. “We will use nuclear facilities and methods to make positive impacts in medicine, materials, energy and the environment for decades to come,” he said
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For more information, contact:
John Root
Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation
(306) 966-7338
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
New U of S research chair to help reclaim oil sands land
Posted February 09, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 9, 2012
2012-02-06-OTHER
University of Saskatchewan geoscientist Lee Barbour has been awarded a $2.6-million industrial research chair backed by the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Syncrude to provide critical insights into the performance of reclaimed mining areas.
“Partnerships such as this allow U of S research to have a significant impact in our signature areas of research relating to challenges in energy, mineral resources, environment and water security,” said Karen Chad, U of S vice-president research. “Congratulations to Dr. Barbour on this achievement, and our thanks to Syncrude and NSERC for making it possible.”
Syncrude will provide half the funding for Barbour’s Chair in Hydrogeological Characterization of Oil Sands Mine Closure Landforms, investing more than $1.3-million over the five-year research project, with another $1.3-million provided by NSERC. In addition, Syncrude and the university will contribute more than $1 million through in-kind support.
“Syncrude’s commitment to responsible development includes continuous improvement in our environmental performance,” said Syncrude president and CEO Scott Sullivan. “This research will be a vital part of the information we need to reclaim landscapes that support a variety of healthy ecosystems.”
“Research is vitally important to an economically and socially sustainable oil sands industry. Successful reclamation of the land used for mining is a big part of that,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. “Dr. Barbour’s research will allow companies to accurately predict the behaviour of contaminants in groundwater and landforms, and adopt effective ways of limiting their environmental footprint.”
Barbour’s team will work with Syncrude’s environmental scientists, building on a successful and productive collaboration established over the past decade. The company will also provide on-site logistical support, as well as instrumentation, drilling, sample collection, transportation and data gathering.
“We will determine the magnitude, rate, pathway and chemistry of groundwater in the reclaimed oil sands mine landforms,” explains Barbour. “Our goal is to provide the information needed by oil sands developers like Syncrude so they can create new landscapes that are sustainable and support natural processes.”
Barbour, a civil engineer with more than 30 years of research and industrial experience in geo-environmental engineering, has led multidisciplinary research into the performance of reclamation soil covers at oil sands mine sites for the past 12 years. Barbour’s chair will provide training opportunities for two postdoctoral fellows, two PhD candidates, six masters students, two undergraduate students and two research staff.
The research field site will be located on two watersheds that are part of Syncrude’s 3,400 hectares of permanently reclaimed land at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake facility, 35 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
The project will also extend research into two new areas that are being reclaimed, including Syncrude’s 50-hectare watershed. This area features a 17-hectare fen pilot project, the oil sands industry’s first attempt at creating a wetland from the ground up, on land formerly mined and now in the process of being reclaimed.
The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among the Canadian Oil Sands Partnership, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Robin
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca
Cheryl Robb
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
(780) 717-9638
www.syncrude.com
February 07, 2012
U of S introduces new entrepreneur-in-residence
Posted February 07, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 7, 2012
2012-02-04-OTHER
Local life sciences business veteran Michael Chubb has been named Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EinR) for 2012 by the University of Saskatchewan Industry Liaison Office, in conjunction with the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Chubb will work with the colleges to uncover and evaluate commercialization opportunities.
“I‘m excited to be partnering with the university to work with promising researchers and students to commercialize their innovative technologies and to foster the entrepreneurial spirit,” Chubb says.
A native of Saskatoon, Chubb brings more than 15 years of international experience to the table, including business development, marketing, sales, general management and consulting. He currently leads Saskatoon Colostrum Company as general manager.
“We are very happy Michael will be sharing his vast expertise and experience to help these colleges’ efforts to build a more entrepreneurial environment,” says Glen Schuler, managing director of the U of S Industry Liaison Office.
The EinR Program aims to create collaboration among businesses and the university, and help commercialize U of S researchers’ know-how and technology.
Chubb will work in the colleges with researchers, professors, and students interested in the commercial potential of their technology. He will also encourage new thinking for research and how the outcome might have commercial potential.
“The College of Agriculture and Bioresources is pleased to host Michael as Entrepreneur-in-Residence,” says Graham Scoles, associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
“He will be working with our students and faculty both inside and outside the classroom, sharing his experiences, providing advice, and identifying opportunities for the commercialization of their ideas. He will also provide a link between the college and local industries.”
Dr. Baljit Singh, associate dean of research at the WCVM, explains that by sharing his business expertise with researchers, Chubb can help them develop their ideas from the lab bench to the market, where people can benefit.
"Through this innovative program, our researchers will be inspired to develop their ideas for new products, techniques and technologies," Singh says. "We look forward to working with our entrepreneur-in-residence and creating new links between the veterinary college and Saskatoon's business community.”
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For more information, contact:
Lorna Shaw-Lennox
Industry Liaison Office
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-7338
Email: lorna.shaw-lennox@usask.ca
