Invitation to: Not a Bore! Issues of tidal energy capture in the Severn Estuary

Publication by the Sustainable Development Commission of its report on Tidal Power in the UK in October 2007 has been followed by the government’s recent announcement of a Feasibility Study on Tidal Power Developments in the Severn Estuary and a call for evidence on the environmental and other implications of tidal power generation there.

Organised by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA), the Severn Estuary Partnership and the Centre for Research in Environmental Sciences, UWE, this Science Café event provides a timely opportunity to explore the issues such a development would raise. What are the key issues and what are the impacts of developing tidal power in the Severn Estuary? What are your views on the options or the idea of harnessing energy from the estuary? Is this an appropriate way to reduce carbon emissions? What about the ecological impacts? Is this appropriate regional development?

The event will comprise of four short scene setting presentations exploring the engineering, legal and planning issues and the environmental implications of harnessing tidal power from the estuary. A general discussion will follow.

Come along to this event and share your views and ideas. The outcomes from this event will help shape the agenda of a larger Public Forum being planned for October of this year.

Invitation to:
Not a Bore! Issues of Tidal Energy Capture in the Severn Estuary
OneZone
Room 2E27UWE,
Frenchay Campus
6 – 7.30 pm Monday June 30th
(Campus map at http://www.uwe.ac.uk/maps/frenchay_map.shtml)

To Book a Place

This event is FREE of charge but please register by emailing Alison.Jack@uwe.ac.uk

Light refreshments will be provided by the organisers and a cash bar will be available.

Further information about the feasibility study can be found at
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/severntidalpower/page41473.html

AQMRC in the UWE news

Some of our work has recently been reported in the UWE bulletin. Click here to see AQMRC and other news from the University of the West of England.

Mofoluso to present paper at Postgraduate Researchers' Conference

Mofoluso submitted a paper for the Sixteenth International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and management of Air Pollution (Air Pollution 2008 Conference) coming up 22-24 September 2008 in Skiathos, Greece. The paper is titled, 'Air pollution and management in the Niger Delta - emerging issues'. Further details of Mofoluso's research can be found here.
Mofoluso is also attending the 1st Postgraduate Researchers' Conference on Meeting Environmental Challenges in the Coastal region of Nigeria coming up 29-30 September, 2008 in Dundee, UK. The abstract from his paper titled, 'Applying remote sensing and GIS techniques to air quality and carbon management - a case study of gas flaring in the Niger Delta' has been accepted for presentation at the conference.

Mobility and Climate Change

Tim has been asked to participate in a workshop on at the Joint Meeting of the Eurocities' Environment and Mobility Forums in London next week. The workshop on Tuesday 3rd June will consider the actions needed to be taken to tackle the problems of urban Mobility and Climate Change.

More information on the work of Eurocities ( "THE network of Major European Cities" ) can be found here http://www.eurocities.org/main.php

Jim busy with external examinations

Jim has a busy season of PhD external and internal examining in prospect. He has been invited to examine theses from Northumbria University and Imperial College. He will also be an internal examiner for a UWE PhD thesis.

Bristol Environmental Technologies & Services Sector Expo

Bristol Environmental Technologies & Services Sector (BETS) Expo will be held in Bristol in June 2008. AQMRC will be contributing to the low carbon advice session being hosted by UWE on day one of the Expo. The Expo is organised by the BETS Partnership Board to showcase the wide range of environmental technology and service expertise in the Bristol Region. Jim Longhurst represents UWE on the BETS Partnership Board.

Simon runs seminar at the University of Exeter

Simon visited the University of Exeter on the 14th May 2008 to hold a seminar on integrating air quality and carbon management at a local governance level. A number of key stakeholders in the subject area were in attendance which provided a great opportunity for Simon to obtain feedback on the interim findings of his research. After his presentation Simon facilitated a workshop session based on three key themes highlighted in his research findings: Inter-professional collaboration; the role of local, national and international governments; and horizon scanning.

The Nigerian State, Oil Industry and the Niger Delta

Mofoluso recently attended the 1st International Conference on the “The Nigerian State, Oil Industry and the Niger Delta”, organised by the Department of Political Science, Niger Delta University in collaboration with Centre for Applied Environmental Research (CEAR) of the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC). The conference was held at the Gloryland Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State in Southern Nigeria. Further details of the conference are available on Mofoluso's research page.

AQMRC researchers submit invited paper for special issue of Atmospheric Environment

AQMRC researchers have submitted their invited paper for the 50th anniversary issue of Atmospheric Environment, entitled "A critical review of, and commentary on, the development of an effects based air quality management regime". The paper draws on air quality management examples and experiences from around the globe, with a case study of air quality management in the UK. The special issue should be published later this year and will be available from the elsevier website.

Air Pollution 2008

The deadline for paper submissions to the Wessex Institute of Technology conference 'Air Pollution 2008' is 21 May 2008. Click here for further information. The 16th annual conference dealing with modelling, monitoring and management of air pollution will be held this year in Skiathos, Greece on 22-24 September and will be co-chaired by Jim Longhurst. AQMRC are submitting several papers for inclusion in the conference proceedings, including submissions from Dotun Olowoporoku and Simon Baldwin related to their PhD research.

Tim invited to join the International Advisory Committee for the IUAPPA Regional Conference 2008

This years conference will be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Clean Air of South Africa. The IUAPPA Regional Conference will focus on the development of Air Quality Management systems at local, national and regional scales. Special sessions will include comparative experience of national air quality management systems; integrating air pollution and climate change abatement strategies; and transport and air quality in emerging mega-cities.

Jim speaking at BA Science Communication Conference

The British Association is holding its annual Science Communication Conference on 19 - 20 May 2008. As part of the conference, the BA are running a session in which those involved in relevant studies engage with the science communication community, so that practical science communicators c
an be aware of and draw on the latest research. The abstract from Jim's presentation is available here.

Jim is participating in the Conference following the AQMRC "Consultation as Science Communication?" project, to communicate this research with attending practitioners.

AQMRC welcomes Rose Bailey- new EPSRC CASE PhD student

Rose joined AQMRC in May 2008 to study for a PhD entitled Carbon Management at the City Scale: An Exploration of the Carbon Futures for the Bristol Region. This PhD is funded by the EPSRC and the Centre for Sustainable Energy, with the support of Bristol City Council, and will be supervised by AQMRC's Professor Jim Longhurst and Dr Enda Hayes, and Professor Vala Ragnarsdottir, from the University of Bristol.

Enda speaks at UWE seminar series

Enda gave a presentation at the UWE breakfast seminar series on air quality and transport planning. The seminar was well attended by air quality, planning, transport, and environmental experts from across the university, and gave rise to interesting debate on planning and effective air quality management.

PhD researcher Dotun Olowoporoku visits Cornwall Air Quality Forum

Following the successful presentation at the 10th AQMRC and Environment Protection UK Annual Conference held in Bristol on 21 February, 2008. Dotun was invited as a guest speaker at Partnership Board of the Cornwall Air Quality Forum (CAQF) held on 27 March. The meeting is comprised of the five Cornish district councils, Cornwall County Council and Cornwall College. At the meeting, he gave a talk on ‘Delivering Air Quality Objectives through the Local Transport Plan’. It provided the opportunity to present the key findings from the first round of questionnaires to a broad range of stakeholders who are responsible for steering the air quality management agenda at the local level. Dotun's research presentations are available here.

Tim on expert panel at Great Environment Briefing

Well over 450 people attended the The Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Great Environment Briefing at Reading Town Hall on Wednesday 9 April – with another 100+ watching via live webcast.
The expert panel included Tim Chatterton from AQMRC along with Dist. Professor Roland Clift of Surrey University, Professor Peter Matthews (talking on Water Quality), Professor John Twiddell (on Energy) and Jeff Cooper (on Waste). The event was chaired by Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, CBE., FRS
Following 15 minute presentations from the panel members, the briefing then held a wide ranging question and answer session (with question from the floor and via the internet from the webcast). Issues covered included diversion of agricultural resources to meat and biofuel production, encouragement of renewable energy, how to change people’s behaviour, purchasing art versus other carbon offsetting schemes, localisation of economic and cultural activities, problems with Fractional Reserve Banking systems, how deaths from air pollution are calculated and population control strategies. So a wide range of issues was covered – of interest both to engineers and non-engineers.

South African visitors take home air quality messages from UK study tour

The South African delegation were in the UK during the week beginning the 31st March - 4th April during which time they visited the University of the West of England, Bristol, AEA Energy & Environment at Harwell, the Environment Agency in Reading, Defra offices in London, the Greater London Authority and the two day Environmental Protection UK Spring Workshop in Northampton. Our visiting delegation thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the UK and returned to South Africa with an abundance of ideas and messages for their national and local governments, academics, NGO's and air quality practitioners. AQMRC and our South African visitors would like to thank the various individuals and organisations who opened their doors to our visitors and gave their time so generously to make it a most engaging and informative tour.

Air Quality Roadshow at UWE

Enviro Technology visited the UWE, Bristol Frenchay Campus on Monday 7 April with air quality monitoring equipment to explain and demonstrate to interested local authorities, researchers, and environmental consultants. AQMRC were pleased to host the event at which a number of delegates braved the weather and observed the equipment monitoring air quality and vehicle emissions in various locations around the campus. For more details about the event, please click here.

AQMRC awarded Higher Skills Development Fund

AQMRC has been awarded a Higher Skills Development Fund for the Development of Training Materials on Air Quality and Carbon Management for Air Quality Professionals in the South West Region. The project is for a one year duration. We will be asking your views, as air quality professionals, throughout the development of the training materials.

South African delegation visit UWE on the first leg of their European Study Tour (31st March - 4th April 2008)

In 2007, AQMRC in partnership with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) successfully completed the National Air Quality Framework on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in South Africa. As part of this prestigious project, AQMRC were tasked with organising a knowledge exchange study tour to the UK for a South African delegation to learn more about the UK air quality management systems, science and issues. The South African delegation is lead Prof Roseanne Diab (University of KwaZulu-Natal) accompanied by her husband Richard, Jean-Pierre Mfuamba (National Framework Intern), Yegeshni Naiker (National Framework Intern), Caradee Wright (CSIR Postdoc) and Tirusha Thambiran (University of KwaZulu-Natal PhD student). This knowledge exchange study tour will include visits to UWE, AEAT, the Environment Agency, Defra, the GLA and finally two days at the Environmental Protection UK Annual Spring Workshop. Dr Enda Hayes, AQMRC organised the study tour and will accompany the delegation while they are in the UK. AQMRC are delighted to be involved in such a high profile project and look forward to welcoming our South African colleagues for an engaging and informative visit.