• The Mar Menor: Action at last to save a dying sea

    The largest permanent saltwater lagoon in Europe is very sick, says 71-year-old campaigner Isabel Rubio, and what is so sad is that the devastation has been caused by human greed. For the people living and working near the Mar Menor, “it is as if we have suddenly found ourselves living next to a garbage dump,” she says, fighting back tears. The devastation of the lagoon is one of the greatest ecological collapses in Europe, in what was once one of the most beautiful areas of Spain. Rubio has lost hope that the protected body of water that juts out into the Mediterranean in the south-east of Spain will be restored in her lifetime, but says she will fight “to her last breath” in the hope that one day it may be healed. As a child, Rubio would spend her summers swimming in the crystal-clear…

  • View from Brussels: Killing the EU’s sacred cows

    Not so long ago, the EU was unsure whether or not to bail out one of its own member states – Greece – during the very worst of the financial crisis. In the end, help came with severe austerity measures attached and bred anti-EU sentiment across the country. It quite rightfully prompted many Brussels-watchers to conclude that the EU is crippled by its own institutional architecture and too turgid to get anything meaningful done. Countless other decisions made in the following years only confirmed that analysis. Lately, that conclusion is failing to hold water. Yesterday, EU leaders said that they would spend €500 million of the bloc’s security budget on weapons and supplies for Ukraine. This is the very first time that Brussels will fund arms support for a non-member that is currently…

  • Unions call for regulation to protect workers from surveillance technology

    According to research conducted by the TUC, most workers say they have experienced surveillance in the past year and overwhelmingly support stronger regulation. The computer scandal that saw some sub-postmasters wrongly jailed must be a turning point on uncritical use of worker-monitoring tech, the union organisation said. “The Post Office scandal must be a turning point,” said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady. “Nobody should have their livelihood taken away by technology.” The TUC also warned technologies could lead to widespread discrimination, work intensification, and unfair treatment if left unchecked. “Employers are delegating serious decisions to algorithms, such as recruitment, promotions, and sometimes even sackings,” O’Grady said. The TUC said surveillance can include…

  • Smart city benefits will rely on public confidence

    A ‘smart city’ is a connected, reflexive and adaptable jurisdiction that can prepare for and respond to citizens’ needs rapidly and precisely. It doesn’t even have to be a city as such; we might also call it ‘joined-up local government’. With so many opportunities to improve city and local government services, smart cities will continue to grow and be embraced across the United Kingdom. The trend towards truly smart cities has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has highlighted how connectivity and collaboration between organisations of all kinds are of vital importance to people’s welfare. As city operations continue to increase in complexity, it is imperative for the various organisations that make up a jurisdiction – including councils, health and emergency services – to improve…

  • Siemens unveils easy-to-deploy, sustainable EV-charging concept

    The industry-first sustainable charging solution enables quick installation at scale and easy expansion and maintenance to help meet the growing demand for EV-charging infrastructure, the company claims. The new VersiCharge XL concept (UL standard) was created to electrify new or existing parking lots and building structures quickly and efficiently by using a modular, scalable design made in partnership with Nexii Building Solutions using their proprietary, sustainable building material with low-carbon footprint. The solution, which resembles a modern-day fuelling station, was developed in late 2021 and installed in only three days at Siemens’ research and development hub for Electrical Products and eMobility solutions in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA. The product was rapidly developed…

  • Samsung snaps up most-shipped smartphone slot for 2021

    Apple, which has fewer handset models than its competitors, had consistently ranked first and second in previous quarters. Since Samsung's Galaxy A12 was first released in the fourth quarter of 2020, quarterly shipments from 2021 have consistently exceeded 10 million units, according to Omdia, despite occasional production shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India and Vietnam. On an annual basis, the Galaxy A12 recorded a total of 51.8 million units in 2021. This is Samsung's first model to have exceeded 50 million in a year with a single model and ranked first in terms of shipments among more than 1,000 smartphone models shipped worldwide. As competition with Chinese companies intensifies, Samsung has been strengthening its mid- and low-end lineup, integrating the low-end J series…

  • Why EV chargepoint operators need a best practice approach to cyber security

    The UK government’s unveiling at the COP26 climate change event in Glasgow last November of a new electric-vehicle (EV) chargepoint design developed by PA and the Royal College of Art brought EVs into sharp focus. A rapid scale-up in adoption of EVs will result in an explosion of new entrants to the chargepoint market to meet demand. But there’s a risk that the rush to meet net-zero timelines could leave cyber security as an afterthought. The infrastructure will likely be targeted by cyber attackers who will look to disrupt services for financial gain or simply impact national transport systems. PA established a set of cyber-security best practices to ensure that the design it developed with the Royal College of Art meets secure-by-design principles. These best practices draw on standards…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • AI could worsen healthcare inequalities for UK minorities, study finds

    In a new paper, they provide several key recommendations including improving diversity in the AI industry and academia, and developing legislation and regulation to reduce bias in data and the systems that harness them. While data-driven technologies like AI can be utilised as powerful tools to diagnose and treat diseases such as skin cancer, they could inadvertently worsen the health inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups if current challenges such as “biased algorithms, poor data collection and a lack of diversity in research and development are not urgently addressed”, the paper said. The findings were based on reviews of academic literature and policy evidence to identify the issues and opportunities for AI and data-driven technologies to improve the health and care of minority…

  • Major UK salad supplier on trial in Spain for environmental crimes

    Magistrates are prosecuting G’s España, a subsidiary of UK firm G’s Group, along with 36 other agricultural companies for the alleged use of illegal desalination plants, which they argue has contributed to the ecological collapse of the Mar Menor, the largest permanent saltwater lagoon in Europe. G’s España supplies salad to supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, Asda, Lidl and Co-op. The company has 6,000 hectares of farmland in Murcia, Spain, where it grows fresh vegetables such as lettuce, radish and celery to keep UK supermarket shelves stocked in the winter. It imports more than 400 lorry-loads' worth of produce every week. In 2021, the company made sales amounting to more than £500m. Of almost 40 companies being investigated for “crimes against the environment…

  • Death by robot: automation increasing mortality rate for US adults

    The study found evidence of a causal link between automation and increasing mortality, driven largely by increased 'deaths of despair' such as suicides and drug overdoses. This is particularly true for males and females aged 45 to 54, according to the study. Researchers also found evidence of increased mortality across multiple age and sex groups from causes as varied as cancer and heart disease. Public policy, including strong social-safety-net programs, higher minimum wages and limiting the supply of prescription opioids could help blunt automation’s effects on a community’s health, the researchers concluded. “For decades, manufacturers in the United States have turned to automation to remain competitive in a global marketplace, but this technological innovation has reduced the number…

  • Sponsored: Tap into powerful continuous learning, for one and all

    The all-digital, all-electric world we live in poses new challenges for how we work. New technologies require engineers to redevelop their skills while changing regulations require constant monitoring and applied understanding. At the same time, customers are asking for the latest solutions. And, with critical requirements for sustainability and netzero efficiency alongside the need for robust cybersecurity, successful power professionals are constantly seeking ways to further their knowledge and upgrade their skills. With digitalisation, electrification and energy efficiency a priority across myriad industries, the need for highly skilled electric and power talent is essential. Skills will ensure economic growth while meeting the sustainability ambitions to secure our future. Take the…

  • China ramps up coal-based steel and power plants despite net-zero goals

    When mapping new coal power and steelmaking projects from 2021, CREA discovered that China is investing in more new projects than the rest of the world combined. Construction was started on 33GW of new coal power plants in 2021, the most since 2016 and almost three times as much as the rest of the world put together. The body said that once completed and operational, these projects will emit as much CO 2 annually as Florida, the third-highest emitter among US states. After accounting for plant retirements, which slowed down from 2020, China’s coal power capacity continued to increase while the rest of the world’s continued to fall. The coal power and steel sectors are China’s two largest emitters of CO 2 , and there is no sign of investment in coal-based capacity being scaled back yet…

  • Navigation tools may be directing drivers to shortest but more dangerous routes

    Comparing the safest and shortest routes between five metropolitan areas in Texas – Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Houston and Bryan-College Station – including more than 29,000 road segments, the research team from Texas A&M found that taking a route with an 8 per cent reduction in travel time could increase the risk of being in a crash by 23 per cent. Researchers Dominique Lord and Soheil Sohrabi designed a study to examine the safety of navigational tools. They collected and combined road and traffic characteristics, including geometry design, number of lanes, lane width, lighting, average daily traffic, weather conditions, and historical crash data, to analyse and develop statistical models for predicting the risk of being involved in crashes. The study revealed inconsistencies in…

  • North Sea oil exploration should be scrapped in favour of net zero, climate experts say

    The body, which advises the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets, has urged business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to take this into consideration when considering the creation of a potential “checkpoint” system for new oil and gas licences. The system would ensure that any further exploration would be compatible with the UK’s climate objectives. “We encourage the government to set stringent tests to the licensing of exploration. Equivalent tests should also apply to later development stages, such as consenting of production,” the CCC said. Last year, a trade body representing the UK’s oil and gas sector called on the government to invest more in new oil and gas in order to reduce the amount it is forced to import from other countries. But the UN’s Environment Programme later warned…

  • Fogged glasses problem wiped out with ‘self-cleaning’ plastic coating

    Created by scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, the durable coating is made from a thin double-layered silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide film. Anti-fogging sprays and wipes are popular products among spectacle or eyeglass wearers, especially since mask-wearing became a widespread practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. Anti-fogging coatings are also used in solar panels, windshields and displays or lenses that are used in humid environments. However, current solutions in the market, such as anti-fogging sprays and wipes, are only temporary as they cannot withstand washing and must be reapplied regularly. In addition, they are prone to surface contamination by dirt or bacteria, which means replacement or maintenance is necessary. Co-principal investigator…

  • Airbus starts testing hydrogen plane propulsion for low-carbon aviation

    The programme’s objective is to ground and flight test a direct combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen, in preparation for entry-into-service of a zero-emission aircraft by 2035. The demonstration will use an A380 flying testbed equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks prepared at Airbus facilities in France and Germany. Airbus will also define the hydrogen propulsion system requirements, oversee flight testing, and provide the A380 platform to test the hydrogen combustion engine in cruise phase. Hydrogen planes have so far proven difficult to bring to market due to the complexities of the engine needed as well as storing such volatile fuel on an aircraft within a tanker that is not too heavy to prevent the plane from becoming airborne. Using hydrogen for aviation is also only climate friendly…

  • Energy sector methane emissions significantly underreported, study finds

    The report calls for enhanced monitoring efforts and stronger policy action to drive down emissions of the greenhouse gas which is roughly 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, albeit with a shorter lifespan for its effects. Methane is responsible for around 30 per cent of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, and quick and sustained emission reductions are key to limiting near-term warming and improving air quality. The energy sector accounts for around 40 per cent of methane emissions from human activity and these emissions grew by just under 5 per cent last year. However, this did not bring them back to their 2019 levels and slightly lagged the rise in overall energy use, indicating that some efforts to limit emissions may already be paying off. “At today…

  • Engineering more socio-economically diverse than other sectors, report finds

    The study from the Sutton Trust and the Bridge Group found that just over one in five (21 per cent) professionals in engineering are from a low socio-economic background, which is higher than doctors (6 per cent), journalists (12 per cent) and professionals in law (13 per cent) – although still lower than the workforce as a whole (29 per cent). One potential reason for this is that engineering jobs “are far more geographically spread” than other professions, and in particular are less centred in London and the South East. Previous research by both the Sutton Trust and the Bridge Group has highlighted unequal access to many leading professions, with young people from poorer homes often facing barriers to get a foot in many industries. The report suggests that other sectors should look…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Renewable energy storage projects handed funding boost

    Energy storage will be crucial as the UK transitions towards cheap, clean, domestically produced renewable energy. Maximising the potential of renewables will help lower costs in the shift to a greener energy system. The intermittent nature of renewables such as solar and wind power means that energy can be produced when it is not needed, such as during extended periods of high wind. However, as new technologies are developed, this energy can be stored for longer, helping manage electricity generation variations and increasing resilience, while also maximising value for money. Twenty-four projects based across the UK have been awarded the first round of funding through the ‘Longer Duration Energy Storage competition’, which is worth £68m in total. These projects will benefit from a share…

  • How renewables caused Scottish grid’s ‘double heart attack’

    In December 2017, a National Grid report ‘Performance of Phase-Locked Loop Based Converters’ [PDF] highlighted concerns about the ability of the billions of pounds of investment in HVDC interlinks being installed across the UK to transfer power in all circumstances. Since then, I have been questioning whether power companies – including those in Scotland – have solved the known instability risks. National Grid identified that these could emerge as a result of progressively increasing the use of renewables while simultaneously closing synchronous generation. Hunterston B nuclear power station’s last reactor, No 4, ran for the final time in January this year, further weakening the Scottish grid. The National Grid report concludes that “system strength will decrease in our transmission network…

  • After All: ‘Ukrainian Venice’, whose lifestyle must not be disturbed

    “How I want I might discover myself in Vilkovo There are canals, there are gondolas, gondoliers. To search out myself, to neglect, to snicker off sorrows...” Bulat Okudzhava When the world is staring down the barrel of a gun, even the most habitual and placid things start looking sinister. My native country – Ukraine – has been brutally invaded. It is not common knowledge, however, that the invasion did not begin last February when Russian tanks rolled into Donbas. It started eight years earlier with Putin – staged ‘local’ conflict in Eastern Ukraine, followed by the annexation of the Crimea and the massive escalation of recent weeks that has rightly generated fears of an all-out war; the first major war in Europe since 1945 and, possibly, a Third World War too. Far from a military…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • View from Washington: Web3 – where social engineering meets digital engineering

    Web3. How do we see it in engineering? Much of the community around it leans towards libertarian ideals. For them, the promise of a ‘decentralised’ internet that wrests control from ‘Big Tech’ has an obvious appeal. But it is hard to get beyond the ideas that many in the business see it as the next big chance to make a pile of money (both crypto and real), and that there is a great deal of FOMO – ‘fear of missing out’. Some big investors are on board, including Andreessen Horowitz, the VC fund part-founded by browser pioneer Marc Andreessen. The crypto sector is the most active, attracting an estimated $30bn from various sources last year. There remains fast-growing traffic in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), primarily used to buy all or part of a digital asset like art. Early-stage Web3 businesses…

  • Sony unveils its next-gen virtual reality headset – the PlayStation VR2

    The headset has been designed in a similar “orb shape” to the VR2 Sense controllers which were revealed by Sony last month. The circular design represents the 360-degree view that players will have access to in VR, Sony said. The Japanese gamesmaker conducted extensive testing to ensure a comfortable feel for a variety of head sizes including balancing its weight profile to feel as unobtrusive to the user as possible and making it lighter than the previous generation. Image credit: sony playstation Other features include an adjustable scope that places the scope area closer or further away from the face, a lens adjustment dial, so users have options to match the lens distance between their eyes to optimise their view, and a built-in motor to give physical feedback…

  • WWF calls for UN treaty to tackle plastic pollution

    The poll, which was conducted by Ipsos and saw over 20,000 adults interviewed across 28 countries, also found that three quarters of people would support a ban on single-use plastics entirely. Some 85 per cent of respondents want manufacturers and retailers to be held responsible for reducing, reusing and recycling plastic packaging. A system to partially incentivise this is already in place in the UK in the form of Packaging Recovery Notes, but that does extend globally. Latin American countries lead the poll, with 93 per cent of the region’s respondents calling for a global plastics treaty, followed by respondents in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. “We know people are extremely concerned about the growing plastic pollution crisis and in 2021, an estimated 140 million people globally…

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