Air Pollution 2009 - Call for papers

Wessex Institute of Technology, UK are calling for papers for presentation at the Seventeenth International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution. The conference will be held in Tallinn, Estonia on 20-22 July 2009.

Topics for presentation are:
- Air pollution modelling
- Energy and air quality
- Air quality management
- Urban air management
- Effects of air pollution on ecosystems
- Emission studies
- Historical air pollution and forensic studies
- Monitoring and measuring
- Global and regional studies
- Aerosols and particles
- Climate change and air pollution
- Indoor air pollution
- Environmental health effects
- Policy studies
- Techniques for atmospheric pollutant reduction
- Pollution prevention
- Pollution in developing countries

Click here to view the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements etc.

EU Policy news alert

The latest EU policy news alert thematic issue is on air quality and emissions trading. Click here for more details on the monthly issue and to find out more about the new alerts.

Simon to be ambassador for UWE at the Bristol Festival of Nature

Simon will be part of a team representing the University of the West of England at the Bristol Festival of Nature on 7-8th June 2008. The team will share the research tent with the University of Bristol where they will showcase some of the excellent environmental projects and research undertaken by both universities.

AQMRC bids farewell to Jo

After two years with AQMRC Jo is on her way home to NZ. Jo has made a big contribution to our work and we will miss her. Everyone in AQMRC wishes Jo well. Before returning home Jo is bravely taking to the roads of France and Italy and cycling from the Atlantic coast to Sicily. We wish her well on this exciting journey and look forward to getting postcards from along the route.

AQMRC submits 5 papers for Air Pollution 2008 conference

The AQMRC team have submitted 5 papers for the Wessex Institute of Technology Air Pollution 2008 conference, to be held in Skiathos, Greece, on 22-24 September 2008.
The paper details are as follows:

"The Development and Operation of the United Kingdom’s Air Quality Management Regime"
J.W.S. Longhurst, J.G. Irwin, T.J. Chatterton, E.T. Hayes, N.S. Leksmono and J.K. Symons

"Exploring the impact of shipping on coastal air quality: Is there a local air quality problem?"
J.K. Symons, S.T. Baldwin, T.J. Chatterton, E.T. Hayes, N.S. Leksmono, J.W.S. Longhurst

"Air pollution and management in the Niger Delta - emerging isues"
M.A., Fagbeja, T. Chatterton, J.W.S. Longhurst, J.O. Akinyede, and J.O. Adegoke

"Integrating local air quality and carbon management at a regional and local governance level: a case study of south west England"
S.T. Baldwin, M. Everard, E.T. Hayes, J.W.S. Longhurst, J.R.Merefield

"Are environmental health officers and transport planners in English local authorities working together to achieve air quality objectives?"
A.O. Olowoporoku, E. T. Hayes, N.S. Leksmono, J.W.S. Longhurst, G. P. Parkhurst

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.