The researcher Xavier Querol Canceller was awarded as Doctor Honoris Causa by the University Jaume I (UJI) in Castellon. In the ceremony celebrated last friday, 16th April, the professor of Chemical Engineering of the UJI Eliseo Monfort has acted as his sponsor. The award ceremony has been chaired by the rector of the university, Eva Alcón; the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig; the deputy rector for research and transfer, Jesús Lancis, and the general secretary of the UJI, Cristina Pauner.
In the seua laudatio, the professor of Chemical Engineering of the UJI, Eliseo Monfort, highlighted the values that Querol represents for the university community due to his scientific principles, training capacity and personal sacrifice, in addition to his social commitment and vocation of public service, manifested in a great social implication in the current environmental issues.
Then, the new Doctor Honoris Causa, gave a lecture entitled «Contaminació atmosfèrica: d’on venim i on anem» in which, in a didactic way, he explained what are the causes of the current atmospheric composition and what is the harmful human influence.
Xavier Querol commented that «during the 500 million years of the Earth, the oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide levels have been intensely attested to the fluctuation of geological emissions and embornals» and that during Anthropocè (meitat del segle XX ) “the influence of humans on the Earth has produced important changes in the biogeochemical balance of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere”.
In the second part of the lectio, Querol talked about air quality. Even though he feels optimistic because there are options to reduce the current levels of pollution, especially in the case of road traffic, he is worried due to the limited time left to react. It seems that the greenhouse gases “will keep increasinge, which will lead to a problematic climatic scenario if I do not act right now” , he concluded.
