Jim, Jo & Huw at Air Pollution 2015

Last week, Jim Longhurst, Jo Barnes & Huw Brunt attended the 23rd International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution 2015 in Valencia, Spain. Jim & Jo, as conference co-chairs, presented the keynote and invited presentations respectively, while Huw presented on his PhD research on air quality management and public health. The conference was very well attended with 90+ delegates registered and a very interesting range of presentations from across the field. The conference proceedings are also now published: Longhurst, J.W.S.,   Capilla, C., Brebbia, C.A.  & Barnes, J. (Editors) (2015). Air Pollution XXIII. WIT Press, Southampton and Boston. pp466, ISBN: 978-1-84564-964-7. 

New publication

Following the recent Air Pollution 2015 conference, the proceedings have been published. Professor Jim Longhurst & Dr Jo Barnes are co-chairs and editors of this publication.

 

Longhurst, J.W.S.,   Capilla, C., Brebbia, C.A.  & Barnes, J. (Editors) (2015). Air Pollution XXIII. WIT Press, Southampton and Boston. pp. 466, ISBN: 978-1-84564-964-7.

Soapbox Science Success

Jo was one of 12 female scientists (though the only one from UWE) selected to participate in the Soapbox Science event in Millennium Square in Bristol yesterday afternoon. Blessed with warm sunshine and an engaged and interested audience, the event was a huge success and a lot of fun! The aim of Soapbox Science is to raise the profile of women in science, however Jo's primary goal was to raise public awareness about air pollution. Armed with a arsenal of props, an hour's worth of spiel and the mandatory white coat, Jo talked, atop her box, about what air pollution was, where it came from and what it did to us, as well as getting the audience to think about how they could reduce their own exposure as well as reduce their emissions. Given that Bristol was selected for European Green Capital status in 2015 in part for its track record on air quality management, it was apt that this subject seemed to strike such a chord with the public.

New paper for MOT project accepted

Tim and Jo have just had a paper accepted by the prestigious journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. The paper, co-authored with Prof. Jillian Anable at Aberdeen University, Prof. Eddie Wilson at Bristol and Dr Sally Cairns at TRL sets out methodologies for the spatial analysis of emissions from private car usage using annual vehicle test data. Maths work has been funded by the EPSRC under the RCUK Energy Programme with DfT and DECC as project partners. It is expected the paper will be available online within a couple of months.

Tim takes MOT and Disruption to France

This week (1st-6th June), Tim will be attending the ECEEE Summer Study near Toulon in France, where he will be giving presentation on the MOT project and running a workshop on the Disruption project for over 480 energy efficiency experts from across Europe and beyond.

Tim Talking About 'Behaviour' and Energy at Reading University

On 28^th May, Tim gave a seminar to the School of Construction Management and Engineering at Reading University on his work on energy consumption and ‘behaviour’.  The talk covered a range of work from his DECC Fellowship, Follow on Fund (4 Dimensions of Behaviour), the Disruption and MOT projects and his recent work for the Committee on Climate Change.

DEMAND Transport and Fuel Poverty Workshp

His week Tim is representing the MOT and Disruption projects as an invited participant to an DEMAND Centre workshop on Energy-related economic stress at the interface between transport poverty and fuel poverty.

http://www.demand.ac.uk/events/event/workshop-energy-related-economic-stress-at-the-interface-between-transport-poverty-fuel-poverty-and-residential-location/

ClientEarth success at the Supreme Court

On Wednesday the 29^th of April the UK Supreme Court voted unanimously that the UK Government has failed to secure compliance with EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide concentrations within certain zones under Directive 2008/50/EC. As such, they have been ordered to submit new air quality plans to the European Commission, no later than the 31^st December 2015.

 

This judgement sends a strong message that harmful levels of air pollution are unacceptable and must be addressed promptly. The AQMRC are pleased with this result and we look forward to the anticipated consultation period later in the year.

 

Congratulations to ClientEarth on this hard-won case!

Ben interviewed for Made in Bristol TV News

Air pollution has been covered widely in the media during the last week or so due to a period of particularly poor air quality affecting much of the UK. This period of poor air quality was as a result of contributions from industry and agriculture on mainland Europe, some contribution from Saharan sand and significant proportions of local emissions. Although the South East and East of England are experiencing the highest levels, Bristol has also been affected. To this end, Made in Bristol TV interviewed Ben and discussed this pollution episode and its potential impact on Bristol and its residents. The interview will be broadcast at 6pm and 9pm tonight (10^th April) on Made in Bristol TV News.

Congratulations to Ben Williams on defending his PhD

Congratulations to our newest recruit Ben Williams on passing his viva at the University of Portsmouth on Monday 30^th March (subject to minor corrections). Ben’s PhD is on the ‘Source Apportionment and Dispersion Mapping of Fugitive Dust using Directional Passive Monitors’. We look forward to the publications from his thesis and their subsequent impact.

 

 

Air Quality in the media

Air quality has featured heaviliy in the media this month, thanks in part to some excellent coverage from the BBC, sparked by their School Report. BBC News School Report gives UK secondary school students the opportunity to make and broadcast their own news. In February 2015, students from Oasis Brightstowe Academy, near Shirehampton, investigated their exposure to air pollution on their commute to and from school. AQMRC's Dr Jo Barnes advised on the monitoring and data analysis and was invited to participate in a number of interviews for TV and radio:

• Recorded radio interview with BBC Radio 4 Costing the Earth (3 Feb 2015)
• Recorded interview with BBC Radio Bristol (9 Feb 2015)
• Recorded TV interview with BBC Point West (12 Feb 2015)
• Recorded TV interview with CBBC Newsround (12 Feb 2015)
• Recorded interview with BBC World Service (12 Feb 2015)
• Live telephone interview with BBC Radio Bristol (23 Feb 2015)
• Live studio interview with BBC Points West (23 Feb 2015)
• Recorded TV interview with Made in Bristol (26 Feb 2015)

Many of these are available on the BBC iPlayer but here are a few additional links:

• BBC School Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/31608825
• BBC World Service: http://t.co/XyXSMD1CAW
• BBC Radio 4 Costing the Earth: http://t.co/KfaO9Rj6GH
• CBBC Newsround: http://t.co/pBhwvEjOvY
• BBBC Radio Bristol Breakfast show podcast http://tinyurl.com/n6sz5fn (40:00-44:00 and 1:42-1:46)

Jo Interviewed for BBC Radio 4's Costing the Earth

This morning Jo was interviewed by the producer of BBC Radio 4's Costing the Earth on air quality in Bristol and the potential legacy of the Green Capital year for air pollution. The programme will be featured on February 24th.

Jo attended Public Health England Air Quality Event

Yesterday Jo attended the Public Health England 'Air Pollution and Pulic Health' stakeholder workshop. The purpose of the meeting was to help develop a Public Health England programme in support of national and local government to reduce mortality attributable to air pollution. The meeting was well attended by around 100 delegates from national and local governement and academia, primarily from air quality, public health and transport backgrounds.The workshop provided an opportunity to get wider feedback on the draft PHE work programme on air pollution for 2015/16 developed in conjunction with the PHE's Air Pollution and Public Health Advisory Group on which Jo also sits. Details of the meeting can be found online: https://www.phe-events.org.uk/hpa/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=179225&ef_sel_menu=1416&eventID=458&eventID=458 and the presentations can be viewed here: https://www.phe-events.org.uk/HPA/media/uploaded/EVHPA/event_458/Onsitenew.pdf

Tim Running York Council Workshop

On Friday 30^th January, Tim, along with Prof. Greg Marsden and Dr Caroline Mullen of the Institute for Transport Studies in Leeds, ran a workshop for York City Council transport planning department.  The workshop explored the concept of ‘Flexi-Mobility’ that has been developed from the 3.5 year EPSRC project “Disruption: Unlocking Low Carbon Travel.

 

For more information on ‘Flexi-mobility’ and what it might mean for sustainable transport policy see our engagement website here http://www.fleximobility.solutions

 

New Publication on Cycling and Social Practice Theory

Tim and David, along with colleagues Fiona Spotswood and Alan Tapp from the Bristol Social Marketing Centre, have just had a new paper on Cycling and Social Practice Theory published in Transport Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour

 

The paper is Open Access and can be downloaded here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847814001776

Abstract

Despite significant national and local efforts over the last decade to stimulate uptake of cycling in the UK, levels of cycling (particularly utility cycling) remain at around 2% of journeys. Understanding of cycling behaviour and subsequent development of interventions has typically been undertaken using an individualist approach, often relying on psychologically based models of behaviour. This paper argues that Social Practice Theory (SPT) may be a valuable addition to practitioner’s toolboxes by providing an alternative means of understanding the complex dynamics between the elements that constitute the practice of utility cycling, allowing it to be considered as a social issue, rather than focusing solely on individual behaviour. This is demonstrated within the paper by the use of SPT to reanalyse quantitative and qualitative datasets that explore views and experiences of both cyclists and non-cyclists. Therein, the practice of utility cycling is described according to its three elements; materials, meaning and competences and the potential benefits of this approach are discussed; particularly its ideological shift away from ‘victim blaming’ and its natural support of interdisciplinary intervention design.

 

Tim and David at UTSG

Tim and David have been at the 47th Annual Conference of the University Transport Studies Group this week presenting work from the Disruption project.

Tim was presenting the project's Green Paper on 'Flexi-mobility' (for mor details see http://www.fleximobility.solutions

David was presenting work from his PhD on 'Social Practice Theory and Sustainable Mobility' looking at the implementation of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Tim at Act Travelwise Conference

On 9th December, tim will be presenting the work of the Disruption project on 'Flexi-mobility' at the Act Travelwise annual conference in Birmingham.

DECC Workshop on Behaviour

On Tuesday 2^nd December, Tim has been invited to participate in a workshop organised by the Department of Energy and Climate Change on ‘behaviour’.

The Climate Change Committee

Tim was invited to participate in a workshop organised by the Committee on Climate Change on Thursday 25^th, to help develop a framing for incorporating ‘behaviour’ into the 5^th Carbon Budget.  The workshop was attended by a range of social scientists and looks set to be the start of a long and interesting process!

Tim presents 'Flexi-mobility' to Bristol City Council

On Tuesday 25^th November, Tim presented the work of the Disruption project around the concept of ‘Flexi-mobility’ to Bristol City Council transport team.