News and Views             NCW

From the

Science and Technology Policy Committee         Issue No. 13     July 2007

News and Views reports topics discussed at the meeting but also includes information on these subjects received after the meeting and a summary of reports brought to the meeting but unable to be discussed due to insufficient  time.

A joint meeting of the Consumer and Science and Technology committees

It has long been recognised that the interests of some of the NCW policy committees overlap, perhaps particularly  Consumers, Health, and Science and Technology‘.  On 11^th June the Consumers and Science and Technology groups held a joint meeting, but not until each had held its AGM.

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Science and Technology AGM

Annual Report:  The Committee had been fortunate to have three excellent speakers at its main meetings.  Professor Janet Lord a leading researcher into ageing spoke of her work, the aim of which is to extend the period of healthy life. Professor Alison Murdock, Director and Founder of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the Centre for Life in Newcastle told of the research work taking place with stem cells – the problems, the difficulties and the great potential for treatment of disease and even organ replacement. But the time scale for the results being available to patients is still uncertain. How the public views this research is important and whether the regulations will enable or hamper research. At our final meeting in June Laura Russell and Lucy McKenzie addressed the committee about climate change and global warming and how Woking was leading the way regarding taking positive action.

At the 2006 NCW Conference, the S&T committee was responsible for 2 major resolutions being passed – the removal of Aspartame from all food and drink and, with the Health committee, the importance of rainwater harvesting and grey water facilities in new buildings.

Members had responded to 7 Government consultations and represented NCW at many external science and/or technology meetings.

Treasurer’s Report:  The statements showing payments and receipts were circulated and accepted. Travel and speakers expenses were the main outgoings.  NCW representatives receive expenses for attendance at some outside meetings but not all.

Election of Officers.  No nominations for new office holders were received.  Joan Wall continues as Council Member, Sylvia Owen [SO] and Patience Purdy [PP] as Co-chairmen and Hazel Prowse [HP] as Secretary.      

PP thanked everyone for coming and participating in discussions, giving reports and making the meetings lively, informative and enjoyable.

SO circulated a quiz sheet she had produced for the Soroptimists on how green we were as individuals. She requested feed-back.

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Food Standards Agency

NCW having had policy since 1998 asking for folic acid to be added to bread or flour to reduce the number of babies being born with spina bifida or neural tube disorders was pleased to see that the FSA was now recommending this action.  The FSA recommendation is not finalised but according to information received at the FSA Chief Executive’s consumer stakeholder meeting [02-07-07] it would be the addition to some breads  – not yet identified but definitely not wholemeal - and the amount to be added would not be sufficient for intake during pregnancy; a supplement would still be required.  A few NCW members remain unconvinced as to the wisdom of this mandatory addition. 

Following last year’s resolution NCW is continuing to press the FSA to recognise the adverse effects of the artificial sweetener aspartame and the possibility of it being a carcinogen or affecting the foetus.  SO and PP met with the FSA Chief Scientific Officer, Andrew Wadge, [15-06-07] to discuss our different views.  The FSA declare it to be safe because the FDA in the US and the EU allow it in all food and drink and following the approval given by committee consisting of independent scientists looking at certain peer-reviewed research papers on the subject.  However, the FSA now advises that it should not be used in baking.  Aspartame breaks down on heating, storing in liquids and on ingestion. There are a great many peer-reviewed scientific papers on the safety of aspartame and many of them report doubts as to safety. 

NCW has produced a report following the meeting with Dr Wadge [15-06-07] and the FSA CE’s meeting [02’07-07].  [It is obtainable be e-mail from PP].  PP & SO had a letter published in the Newcastle Journal on the removal of all suspect additives from food. Aspartame is not the only additive causing concern. JB suggested NCW should  contact  the Health Protection Agency and the Food and Drink  Federation.

A meeting on the FSA ‘Simplification Plan’ was also attended; its aim is to reduce bureaucracy, thus increasing compliance, but without lessening food safety.

Vaccination  [SO]

Vaccination continues to be a controversial subject.  SO reported on a meeting at the Centre for Life in Newcastle on this subject. Immunity, the ability of a human body to protect itself from infectious diseases, can be innate [digestive juices, defending cells and the physical barrier of skin] or acquired by either active or passive means.  Passive immunity comes via the placenta to the child and is short lived, while active immunity comes from a reaction to a natural disease or its artificial equivalent, vaccination. Questions are being asked about the numerous vaccinations at different ages, starting at 1 month old, now given to babies.  Should vaccinations be mandatory? Some children do react adversely, but some serious diseases [e.g. poliomyelitis] have been eradicated.  One of the organisers when asked her view said perhaps what we were all thinking “it should be mandatory for all children - except mine”.

Conservative Party Women’s Policy Group:   [SO}

NCW’s S&T was invited to attend a meeting of this group in Stockton on Tees as the topic was the need for more women in science careers.   There were encouraging stories of women setting up businesses whilst confined to their homes having had a baby, but the difficulties are great.  There is need for greater support – the Home-workers who had put forward a successful resolution at conference last year were also there. – and of course better science education for all, but particularly girls.

Aircraft Carrier Design [HP]

This was the subject of a talk to the RAE on how the two proposed 65.000ton warships are designed - in advance of future approval of the £4bn build programme.  Much is taken from other areas, such as flat-packs of cabins for the 1500 crew, while some legacy equipment is needed to cope with existing and older aircraft; the rule of thumb is to keep new kit to not more than 25%.  There is no virtual model of the whole ship because of the number of changes expected, but there are computerised dry-runs of loading procedures.

Nuclear Fusion [HP]

Dr Ed Moses of the Lawrence Livermore Labs near San Francisco told the RAE about the building [about the size of 2 UK football pitches] that housed a huge system of mirrors to focus the u-v light from 192 lasers onto a 2mm [yes, 2 millimetres] diameter beryllium ball filled with a mix of tritium and deuterium, the heavy isotopes of hydrogen.  This should concentrate the energy sufficiently to cause nuclear fusion, and hence through a heat exchanger generate some GW of electricity.  Not only is it all done by mirrors, but the Be ball is made by the 4000-year-old lost wax method.

Shale/tar Sands and Shale Rock.  [BK]

The price of oil and new techniques for its extraction from tar sands and shale rock, have opened up new viable sources of oil particularly in Canada [Alberta] and the United States of America [Colorado and Utah].  [In 2006, Royal Dutch Shell plc increased its reserves by 150% largely due to this new source.] Concern has been expressed at the environmental impact in Alberta – removal of trees, decreased river flow and disturbance of wildlife over large areas - and high energy requirements.   

Stem Cells.

Following our talk from Alison Murdock on this subject it was interesting to find the BBSRC and MRC had initiated a ‘Public Dialogue on Stem Cells’ funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills’ [DIUS} Sciencewise scheme, to determine the science, ethical and social issues of stem cell research.  The work was being undertaken by OPM [Office of Public Management].  PP representing NCW attended the first meeting at which the findings of a desk--search were distributed. Details of the project can be found on: http.//www.bbsrc.ac.uk/society/dialogue/attitudes/Welcome.html 
An updated version of the desk study is on:   (http./www.bbsrc.ac.uk/society/dialogue/attitudes/stemcells/07_07_05_stakeholder_meeting.html)

Environment [BK]

The protection of the environment remains a concern.  Why does the Government’s Climate Change Bill make no mention of the damaging nitrous oxide from the manufacture and use of nitrogen fertilisers? Global travel is considered a threat to biodiversity and public health by causing the spread of alien species and diseases to new habitats. On the plus side researchers have found 700 new species in the waters around Antarctica.

Light Relief -  Another Alien Story [PP] [Author Unknown]

Many will recall that on July 8 1947, witnesses claimed that an unidentified flying object, with aliens aboard, had crashed just outside Roswell, New Mexico. What you may not know is that in the month of March 1948, nine months later, George W Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Condoleeza Rice and Dan Quale were all born….   

Useful Information. [SO]

Two useful booklets, one on additives and one on chemicals, are available from Foresight, The Association for the Promotion of Pre-conceptual Care. Mrs B Barnes, 178 Hawthorne Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 2UY  Price £2.50 each + 35p p&p, OR £5.00 for both P&P free.   If you order, please say you are NCW.   

This report was compiled from reports by Beryl Kemp, Sylvia Owen, Hazel Prowse and Patience Purdy.

Date of next Meeting

Following the excellent attendance at the S&T meeting in Darlington – including several members from other regions – there was some discussion on future meeting being held there. However, the next meeting will be at 36 Danbury Street, London on 12th November 2007  

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Afternoon Session:

Climate Change and Carbon Reduction.

Laura Russell & Lucy McKenzie

Project Managers, Energy Centre for Sustainable Communities.

Laura Russell started by introducing herself.  She did a degree in Geography at Nottingham University followed by a Masters in Environmental Management and then worked as a Local Authority’s Climate Change Officer. She is now Project Manager at the ECSC working with Local Authorities to help them with Climate Change and Carbon Reduction.  Lucy McKenzie obtained degrees in geography and eonomics at Auckland University in New Zealand.   Their main current work covers fuel poverty, such as getting people to take up government grants, energy efficiency and renewable energy and working with planners, developers and businesses to provide strategic support and help them meet their targets.

Climate Change [Laura Russell] The facts and figures were shown, plus pictures, to demonstrate the causes, the evidence of and  the extent of global warming - and its effects in Britain.  Our spring flowers are blooming earlier, the number of frosty days each year are decreasing and the length of the growing season is increasing. Some dates were shown for flowers, NCW asked if they were available for cereals and other food crops and also raised the question of whether the lives of insects necessary for pollination were changing.  [A slide about rainfall said ‘Summer rainfall is decreasing over much of the country’.  2007 has upset the trend] [Ed’s note July 2007] 

Britain’s production of CO2, from both industrial and domestic sources has already fallen from 1970 to 2004, mostly because of the change from coal to gas-fired power stations.

The Policy Context    There is quite a change in the UK programme which came out in March 2006. It covers mitigation , and adaptation.  Mitigation is basically reducing carbon and green house gas emissions.  Adaptation is acknowledging that there will be some inevitable changes and that we will need to adapt to live with these changes - such as prepare for flood risks and build houses, roads etc that will withstand greater temperatures etc.  Also we should acknowledge that it will be warmer and see what industries could benefit from this. As part of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act [June 2006],  the Secretary of State is to publish an energy emergency measure report by August 2007 and every LA must take note of it when exercising its functions.  Currently there is a DTI consultation on ‘Guidance to Local Authorities in England and Wales on Climate Change Mitigation and Fuel Poverty’

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/localauthorities/policy/consultations/

An Energy white paper came out recently. It covers climate change and secure energy supply and also energy efficiency and fuel poverty.  Regarding energy efficiency the government says all utility companies will have to issue ‘smart meters’ within the next decade.  Smart Meters show, continuously, the energy is being used in you house. They have been found to be effective.  By 2011 the government intends to phase out all non-energy-efficient light bulbs.

The government has announced a scheme to help those suffering from fuel poverty. To adequately determine who these people are, there is a need to share data – the Data Protection Act has caused problems even between Council departments.  Utility companies will be charged with assisting vulnerable customers by installing fuel efficiency aids.  The ‘Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change’ commits Councils to acknowledge climate change and produce a climate change policy. [200 Councils have signed it - has yours?]

Reducing Carbon  [Lucy McKenzie] We can reduce carbon emissions by being lean, green and clean.  We can be lean by taking care [e.g. turning off lights] and installing energy efficiency measures [e.g. loft and cavity wall insulation etc], green by using renewable energy [e.g.solar] and clean by producing it more efficiently [e.g. Combined Heat and Power]; if we use less power, there are less CO2 emissions.  Most of the measures to make us ‘lean’ would reduce running costs and have health and environmental advantages, thus benefiting us all.  [HP suggested tariffs should rise with amount used, not the opposite.]   [The Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, freephone 0800-512-012, can help with information on services and grants. Grants are available for loft and cavity-wall insulation and for energy efficient boilers.]

There was much discussion about the economic benefit of replacing ‘working’ boilers with new more efficient condensing ones which are reputed to have a shorter life. The disadvantage of living next-door to these new boilers which discharge horizontally into one’s house or garden was emotionally described.  Should there be a new regulation  to prevent this problem?

Technologies for being ‘green’  Solar panels can be either thermal, using the heat of the sun to provide hot water, or solar PV [photo-voltaic] to convert the sun’s energy to electricity. A 2mx2m panel costs about £4-5k and a 4mx2m solar PV panel £6-7k can produce about 1kw peak. A solar thermal panel can provide up to 100% of hot water demand during the summer and 40% during the winter.

There are also wind turbines ranging from 1kw to greater than 1Mw and heat pumps.  Some ‘green’ technologies [e.g. heat pumps]  are  more conveniently and more cost effectively installed in new buildings or during major refurbishment.  Social housing developers have to conform to higher standards in this respect.

Woking – A Case Study.   

The Council’s strategy covers all the above points as well as the related ones of waste, transport, natural habitat management and procurement. Its town centre already has a CHP system; a new block of six council flats has a smaller version as well as PV roof tiles. Since 1990, the Council has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from its own property by 91,270 tonnes [or 77.4%] a year. 

The Council has recognised the importance of :-

Ø  working with the community and businesses and getting their support,

Ø  all its departments considering climate change issues when making plans and decisions

Ø  implementing new technologies in all new-build including rainwater harvesting and grey-water re-use.

Ø  sustainable and renewable energy projects of all sizes.

Woking’s Climate Change Strategy is summed up as:-

Ø  three overarching themes, the reduction of CO₂ emissions, adaptation to climate change and promotion of sustainable development and

Ø  seeking to achieve 60% reduction of CO₂ equivalent emissions by 2050 and 80% by 2100. 

It seems to be well on the way.

[Copies of the Speakers’ slides are available from PP for those who were unable to attend]