Government Science & Engineering e-Newsletter
Friday, 28 October 2011
Dear Colleague
The days may be getting shorter and darker, and the temperature gradually tumbling down to a single digit; but it appears that life in the GSE community is as vibrant as ever.
In this issue, we present you with a number of great achievements across Government that makes us all tingle with pride as fellow GSE members and civil servants. Our congratulations go to the teams from Heritage Scotland, the Met Office and the Food and Environment Research Agency who have been shortlisted for the 2011 Civil Service Awards. Best of luck for the final sifting and award on 24 November.
On the subject of achievements, you will be pleased to learn that we are announcing the date of the next GSE Annual Conference when you will have plenty of opportunities to swap success stories, discuss common issues in small groups and even get up close and personal with departmental Chief Scientific Advisers! Please hold 7 February 2012 in your diary and watch this space for registration details.
A couple of reminders. Firstly, there are a few places left on the GSE Seminar on 10 November on becoming a Chartered Engineer, so we are extending the booking deadline to Friday 4 November. Please refer to September’s newsletter for further details. Secondly, there’s still an opportunity to sign up for the GSE mentoring scheme that we introduced early this month. As you may have noticed, quite a few departments are promoting mentoring for career and personal development and as GSE members we are privileged to have a scheme specifically tailored for scientists and engineers. To take advantage of the wisdom and experience of our volunteer mentors or to sign up as a mentor yourself, click here.
We always welcome feedback on all our services to GSE members. Please email us your thoughts at GSE@bis.gsi.gov.uk or open a discussion topic on our Linkedin page.
Contents
Articles
New Foresight Report on Migration and Global Environmental Change
The Foresight programme in the Government Office for Science published its latest report last week on Migration and Global Environmental Change. The two year study, commissioned by Sir John Beddington and led by a group of international academic experts, reveals that the major challenges associated with migration and environmental change have so far been underestimated.
The report’s main findings are that on top of the issues associated with people leaving environmentally hazardous areas, there will be two further global challenges:
- Millions will be ‘trapped’ in vulnerable areas and unable to move, particularly in low-income countries. Migration is costly, and with environmental conditions such as drought and flooding eroding people’s livelihoods, migration – particularly over long distances – may be less possible in many situations. This creates high risk conditions.
- People will increasingly migrate towards environmentally vulnerable areas. Rural to urban migration is set to continue, but many cities in the developing world are already failing their citizens with flooding, water shortages and inadequate housing. Preliminary estimates show that up to 192 million more people will be living in urban coastal floodplains in Africa and Asia by 2060.
However, the report also highlights that migration can transform people’s ability to cope with environmental change, opening up new sources of income which can help communities become stronger and more resilient. The report’s findings have implications for a broad range of policy areas well beyond the migration and environmental spheres. These include sustainable development, climate change adaptation, urban planning and humanitarian assistance. Foresight will be working with policy makers both nationally and internationally over the coming months on taking this work forward.
To read the report, click here.
Updates from the Met Office
- Ministerial Met Office visit
As part of an ongoing series of visits and events after the Met Office move to BIS, David Willetts (Minister of State for Universities and Science) visited the Met Office headquarters in Exeter last month to see first-hand the science and services that it delivers. In addressing staff, the Minister acknowledged the Met Office as a world-leading scientific organisation.
- Met Office Research News
A new facility has been launched on the Met Office website that provides in-depth articles on new activities and results from Met Office research and development. The content will be routinely updated with the very latest Met Office science news! You can access Met Office research news by clicking here.
New laboratory unveils latest computing solutions for military operations
A new laboratory which has had a direct impact on UK military operations has opened its doors to give an exclusive look at the work that continues to make troops safer. Located at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) Porton Down site in Wiltshire, the Information Superiority Experimentation Laboratory (ISEL) has facilitated a number of research projects in support of forces on operations. This month, illustrated through a variety of demonstrations and presentations, Dstl scientists showcased some of the work.
ISEL provides users from government, the armed forces, industry and academia with secure and flexible laboratory space, links to secure national and international network links, and access to subject matter experts from across Dstl including military personnel.
ISEL is used for Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (C4ISTAR) experimentation and also contributes to other activities ranging from military training to demonstrating equipment capability.
Dstl Military Adviser Commander Mike Toft said: “The images we see of operations tend to be of a physical nature: such as people, aircraft, ships, guns and explosions. However behind the hardware lies a vast data network which is absolutely vital to the battle-winning delivery of military effect. ISEL plays a key role in ensuring that this network is as efficient as it can be, and that new systems and applications are integrated effectively with minimal interruption to the front line.”
DSTL forges international alliance following sequencing success
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK MOD, has established new collaborative work with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in the USA and Centre d’études du Bouchet, part of the French Ministry of Defence following its international success and recognition for its application of high-throughput DNA sequencing technology to defence science.
DNA sequencing, the process by which a genetic code is ‘read’, has historically been a slow and expensive process. However, recent technological advances have now made this process significantly faster and possible at a fraction of the previous cost. The development of Dstl’s capability in this area began in 2009 with the acquisition of its own sequencing platform, the first of its kind in any UK government laboratory. The purchase of this instrument was funded by the Home Office, and has paved the way for a cross-government sequencing capability offering secure and high-confidence analytical support for the National Network of Laboratories.
Recent projects at Dstl in this area have included the sequencing of whole communities of microorganisms from environmental samples, such as aerosols or soil, to identify specific biological agents of interest and the sequencing and analysis of a Bacillus anthracis strain isolated from the 2009 UK heroin-associated anthrax outbreak.
Standards for Woodland Carbon Projects
The Forestry Commission’s Woodland Carbon Code, launched July 2011, sets out requirements for voluntary carbon sequestration projects in the UK encouraging a consistent approach and providing assurance to customers and investors about the carbon savings of projects. Projects use consistent and documented forest carbon prediction and measurement tools, developed by Forest Research. All projects will be certified by an independent body accredited by the UK Accreditation Service. Certified projects can display the Woodland Carbon Code logo.
To date 27 woodland creation projects covering 1,728 hectares appear in the Register of UK woodland carbon projects. Together, they are predicted to sequester 634,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over their lifetime (up to 100 years). Two of these projects are already certified and the other 25 are working through the process.
The UK Carbon Reporting Framework, launched in July, or a number of carbon companies can help match landowners to project sponsors. Investors now have a route to formally report the benefit of their investment via Defra’s new guidance on how organisations should report greenhouse gas removals and emissions from UK woodland planting.
Please contact Vicky West or visit Forestry Commission website for further information.
New Frontier: Engineers and the Global Energy Challenge, 24 November 2011
The Royal Academy of Engineering will run a lecture on the global energy challenge as part of its 'View from the top Lecture Series' on 24 November 2011.
Malcolm Brinded, Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering and Executive Director of Upstream International at Shell, and Hilary Mercer, one of the company’s most senior project directors, will describe how Shell brings to reality some of the energy industry’s most demanding projects by pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible and safely achievable.
The event will take place at 6.00pm for 6.30pm at Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G. For further information including registration, please download a flyer from the Academy's website.
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