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Neil Hutchinson presents "Changing Pollutants - Changing Approaches - A Retrospective"

When:
Thursday, March 8, 2018
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Where:
Biosciences Complex
Room: 1120
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Description:

Neil Hutchinson presents "Changing Pollutants - Changing Approaches - A Retrospective"

I have been working as a water quality scientist since 1976 and have observed changes in the nature, the geographic scope and sources of the pollutants and problems that have emerged and been tackled in that time. We have moved from an awareness of highly toxic synthetic pollutants being discharged from relatively few sources to non-toxic pollutants (some of which, like phosphorus and carbon dioxide, are essential to life) being discharged on a planetary basis. As our pollutants of concern become less toxic, the management complexity required to address them becomes more complex and involves more people and more levels of organization. There has also been a recurring theme of scientific enquiry, blissful ignorance or denial and predictions of economic mayhem until scientific persistence galvanizes public attention, politicians are forced to act and the environment responds. These will be illustrated with several examples which lead to our failure to address the problem of climate change. 

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