Trinity Western University’s Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences and CSCA’s Vancouver chapter present an in-person and online seminar with Shane Durbach (Associate Professor of Chemistry, Trinity Western University) and Tim Stephenson (Science Teacher, Walnut Grove Secondary School). This event is funded by a Supporting Structures grant from Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford and CSCA.
Event details
Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: DeVries Centre (DeVries Auditorium), Trinity Western University 22500 University Dr, Langley, BC
Free and open to the public.
Seminar to be followed by optional activity: Community Cleanup (lunch included). See details below.
Learn more at the event webpage.
Plastic Particles of Hope
This seminar features two presentations. We will hear from Shane Durbach on plastic pollution and from Tim Stephenson on climate change education.
Shane Durbach on plastic pollution
Plastic pollution, estimated to reach 16 million tons by 2025, is a pervasive global problem that impacts marine life by various means: physical entanglement, ingestion, bio-magnification of chemical pollutants, etc. Single-use plastics, which are derived from non-renewable petroleum—e.g. grocery bags, drinking bottles, yogurt cups, etc.—are major contributors to plastic pollution due to their limited biodegradability. For instance, a recent report indicated that less than 11% of plastics are actually recycled in Canada, while close to 90% of single-use plastics are incinerated and/or disposed of in landfills, oceans, etc. So along with the development of renewable biodegradable plastics, nearer-term strategies are needed to find alternative uses for single-use plastics. This presentation will report on research being conducted by TWU in collaboration with the University of Regina to make composite pipe-liners from single-use plastics to prevent metal pipe corrosion.
Tim Stephenson on climate change education
Tim has been a teacher in Langley for almost thirty years. In that time he has earned a reputation for two things: being the only astronomy teacher and being a strong advocate for climate education. In 2017, he delivered a TEDx talk that focused on solutions to climate change. His conclusion was that the best solution is education. Just as the Moon landing in 1969 was a monumental event that galvanized the world, so is today’s climate crisis—something Tim refers to as the “modern-day Moonshot.” But in order to care, people need to know. As such, education is the key to a sustainable planet. In 2018, Tim was named a recipient of a Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.
Seminar to be followed by optional activity: Community Cleanup (lunch included)
Following the talks in the DeVries Auditorium, lunch will be served in the Pavilion (located across from the Mattson Center, precise location here) at 12 noon for those who would like to volunteer for a community cleanup. This cleanup will take place along Glover Road from 1:00–3:00 PM, coordinated with the Township of Langley.
TWU in the media
This week, Dr. David Clements writes in the Langley Advance Times about Dr. Shane Durbach's research in "turning various types of plastics into useable products so that even 'non-renewable' plastics might get a second chance." Read the article: Green Beat: Some hope for plastics in our future.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts University. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.