Grant: Alliance Grants

Climate change is having a significant impact on Canada and Canadians. In the summer of 2023 alone, we have seen record breaking wildfires causing air quality issues in several Canadian regions and major cities, as well as unprecedented flooding and severe weather events. It is thus important and urgent for Canada to lead the way in developing technologies and processes to mitigate the effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change, is a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat from the Earth's surface and traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Emitted primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is steadily rising, with a 50% increase since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 18th century. When it comes to carbon dioxide capture, an often-overlooked carbon sink is ocean water and natural waters. A recent study published in Science found that about 31% of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the ocean. As the levels of carbon dioxide continue to rise in our atmosphere, so too do the levels of carbon dioxide being dissolved in our oceans and other waterways. The goal of the partnership between Deep Sky and the Howarth lab at Concordia University is to develop materials for capturing carbon dioxide from ocean water and other natural waters.