How can average Canadians slow climate change? Live a low-carbon lifestyle – and tell everyone about it: U of T experts

Posted on September 27, 2019February 27, 2020 by Tony Gray

Tens of thousands of Canadians took to the streets Friday to call for action on climate change – part of a series of climate strikes that took place in cities around the world.

The strikes were inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and her sit-ins outside Sweden’s parliament. Thunberg, who led the rally in Montreal on Friday, was recently invited to speak at the UN Climate Summit where she delivered an impassioned speech that chastised political leaders for not treating climate change as a true global emergency.

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Prize-winning undergraduate research takes stock of U of T’s sustainability-related courses, groups and projects

Posted on September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 by Tony Gray

Rashad Brugmann says there’s been a “groundswell” of support for sustainability initiatives on campus – an apt choice of words considering one example lay right under his feet.

He and fellow University of Toronto students Nicolas Côté and Nathan Postma walked the narrow lanes between crops growing on Trinity College’s rooftop garden, including heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers and three kinds of eggplant.

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Climate change could impact omega-3 levels worldwide, U of T researchers find

Posted on September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 by Tony Gray

Climate change won’t just bring rising sea levels and more extreme weather — it could also impact your dinner plate.

A new University of Toronto study suggests that a warmer world will decrease the availability of a nutrient that is key to development and brain health. The study, published in the journal Ambio, investigates worldwide production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a naturally occurring essential omega-3 fatty acid. The group of molecules is needed for higher-level brain functioning and cognition, memory, eyesight, particularly at crucial stages in fetal brain development.

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University shows flexibility for students who want to attend climate action strike

Posted on September 24, 2019February 27, 2020 by Tony Gray

Several faculties and campuses across the University of Toronto are encouraging their instructors to be flexible if students wish to participate in a global climate strike on Friday.

Millions of people around the world are expected to take to the streets to call for action on climate change, having been inspired by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old whose protests outside the Swedish parliament have helped mobilize youth on every continent.

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The University of Toronto is a smoke-free campus

Posted on September 24, 2019September 27, 2019 by Tony Gray

After the Governing Council passed a new Smoke-Free Policy on December 13, 2018, the University of Toronto became a smoke-free campus. This policy reflects the University’s commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone in the U of T community.

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U of T Landmark Project to make St. George campus’s historic core greener, more walkable and accessible

Posted on September 19, 2019February 27, 2020 by Tony Gray

Big changes are being proposed for the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus.

The campus’s historic core, set in the middle of downtown Toronto, is set to undergo a transformation that would see it become greener, more accessible, sustainable and walkable.

Called the Landmark Project, the major revitalization initiative is expected to begin construction in spring 2020 and will be centred on Front Campus, Back Campus, King’s College Circle, Hart House Circle and Sir Daniel Wilson Quad.

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