Dave Risk, PhD

Dave is an emissions measurement scientist whose research helps reduce greenhouse emissions – through instrumentation development, use of chemical tracers, and computation. Dave is well known for his ability to carry out large-scale field studies. Past work has seen FluxLab students and technicians using truck- and aircraft-based measurement to establish levels of methane pollution from oil and gas production at thousands of oil and gas facilities in western Canada, and from oil production platforms off Canada’s east coast. More recently Dave has been overseeing a large-scale measurement program documenting landfill methane emission levels at over 100 sites from coast-to-coast to establish mitigation opportunities and to help inform the development of new regulation. Dave maintains a footprint in other areas of industrial emissions management, including Carbon Capture and Storage projects where he has continued involvement in the monitoring programs at Aquistore and Weyburn. A soil scientist by training, some of Dave’s favourite projects involve documenting methane and other emissions from thawing permafrost and polar terrain. Dave is always interested in moving important expertise into the world and is co-founder of two successful Canadian-based companies called Arolytics, and Ecosense. Outside of work, Dave can be found playing outdoors and traveling with his family, riding some sort of bike, or (slowly) restoring another Land Rover.