Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.

In 2010, the University of Ottawa (hereafter, UO) banned the sale of single-use water bottles. UO decided that the sale of this product ran contrary to their commitments to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This ban has been adopted by several institutions, locally and globally. However, there is still demand for portable water that operates within the boundaries of sustainability. I developed H2Ottawa at UO, through my internship with the Office of Campus Sustainability (hereafter, OCS). The goal of H2Ottawa is to bring portable water to the UO community without compromising the institution's allegiance to sustainability. To do this, we are selling multi-use, metal water bottles in vending machines and select cafés on campus, for the same price one would expect to pay for single-use bottles ($3.00) . I have used a Living Action Research approach, as defined by Mc Niff and Whitehead (2011) to document and analyze the planning, conceptualization, and implementation of this project. For the purpose of this research, I consider that the UO adopts the mentality outlined through Ecological Modernization Theory (hereafter, EM). In short, EM argues that sustainability can be achieved within a capitalist society. I will use a green-Marxist lens to position the critical analysis of this project. Here, it is argued that we cannot ‘buy our way out of trouble’, meaning that a revolution is necessary to achieve a sustainable society. I will argue that as an institution, the UO makes its goals towards sustainability compatible with a corporate understanding of environmental responsibility. This thesis aims to answer: how does the UO implement sustainability initiatives in a way that complies with the value-set of the university, while also satisfying community expectations? I have found that the UO implemented H2Ottawa to provide students with access to potable water, and to augment their reputation. Considering that this project is the first of its kind, its adoption reinforces UO’s commitments to sustainability and innovation. Research findings will be of use for future students, as I present challenges involved in the conceptualization and implementation of sustainability-motivated initiatives within the Canadian university context.

A Portuguese clay (BRN) from the North East city of Bragança was collected and characterized in terms of health treatment and applied towards the preparation of nanocomposites with Polylactide (PLA). The silt-clay fraction of BRN is mainly composed of smectite with less illite, kaolinite and other minerals. The physicochemical properties are applicable for the topical applications and are mainly influenced by smectite. With the hazardous elements present, further bioavailability tests should be conducted. PLA nanocomposites with BRN and Wyoming montmorillonite SWy-2 (MMT) were respectively prepared through the solution casting method with ultrasonic stirring and using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the surfactant. The X-ray diffraction patterns show the exfoliated structures in most samples. Thermal gravimetric analysis reveals the increased thermal stability of the nanocomposites. The complexes were also characterized by nitrogen adsorption, infrared analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance for comparing the differences between BRN and MMT.

Intervention design ( M.Sc. (N)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Ottawa, 2007. / Copyright date: 2008. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ottawa, 2008. / Includes bibliographies.