Memorandum 140
Submission from the Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills (DIUS)
INTRODUCTION
1. The Department for Innovation, Universities
and Skills provides funding from the Science Budget to the Research
Councils, which are responsible for funding basic, strategic and
applied research and related postgraduate training across the
range of scientific and engineering disciplines, and has developed
a close working relationship with the UK engineering community
to meet the needs of this important sector to UK society.
2. The Research Councils are submitting
a separate memorandum on this to the Select Committee.
CURRENT AND
POTENTIAL ROLES
OF ENGINEERING
AND ENGINEERS
IN GEO-ENGINEERING
SOLUTIONS TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
3. Geo-engineering solutions to climate
change that refer to a diverse range of individual approaches
that have been floated that, broadly, would involve either taking
CO2 directly from the atmosphere or reducing the amount of sunlight
that is absorbed by the Earth's atmospheric system by increasing
its reflectivity, or "albedo".
4. Understanding of the science and potential
of geo-engineering options for mitigating climate change is currently
limited and there is not strong agreement in this area. In its
Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) highlights that the options put forward, to date,
remain largely speculative with little known about their effectiveness
and costs and with a risk of unknown side-effects.
5. Also, it is important to note that those
options proposed that could increase the Earth's albedo might
have the effect of reducing temperature whilst in place, but would
not affect other impacts from increased CO2, such as ocean acidification.
6. Nonetheless, the scale of the challenge
posed by climate change suggests that less conventional approaches
and technologies should continue to be explored, whilst the key
priority remains the development and deployment of technologies
to drive the urgent and radical shift required to a low carbon
economy. The transformation to a low carbon global economy represents
a major, long term challenge and, even at the most optimistic
stabilisation ranges suggested for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
the risks of dangerous climate change impacts remain. It is conceivable,
therefore, that some of those geo-engineering approaches currently
proposed, or others that may yet be put forward, may offer bridging
solutions to mitigate, probably to a limited extent, global warming
impacts over the period until stabilisation of emissions at a
"safe"[1]
level can be achieved.
BACKGROUND ON
INDIVIDUAL GEO-ENGINEERING
OPTIONS
7. Ideas considered in the Fourth Assessment
Report include:
- Ocean Fertilisation-This describes
stimulating the growth of phytoplankton, which, in turn, leads
to increased volumes of CO2 being sequestered in the form of particulate
organic carbon (POC). Growth is stimulated by "fertilising"
the ocean surface with a limiting nutrient to phytoplankton growth,
such as iron or nitrogen. It should be noted, though, that the
limiting factor will vary across the oceans-additions of iron,
for example, will only stimulate growth in around 30% of the oceans
where iron depletion prevails. The potential negative effects
of ocean fertilisation include the increased production of methane
and nitrous oxide, de-oxygenation of intermediate waters and changes
in phytoplankton community composition. This may lead to toxic
algae blooms and/or promote further changes along the food chain.
- Deflector System between the Earth and
Sun-The principle of this approach is to install a barrier
to sunlight between the Sun and the Earth which would filter/deflect
a pre-determined fraction of the incident solar radiation.
- Stratospheric Reflecting Aerosols-This
involves the controlled scattering of incoming sunlight with airborne
microscopic particles, which, once deployed, would remain in the
stratosphere for around five years. The particles could be:
(c) resonant scatterers; or
The implications of these schemes require further
assessment with regard to stratospheric chemistry, feasibility
and cost.
- Albedo Enhancement of Atmospheric Clouds-This
scheme involves seeding low-level marine stratocumulus clouds
with atomised sea water. The resulting increase in droplet concentration
in the clouds increases cloud albedo, resulting in cooling which
could be controlled. The costs of this would be less than for
schemes involving stratospheric aerosols, but the meteorological
ramifications need further study.
8. Defra's submission to the Committee will
provide a more detailed consideration of the individual geo-engineering
approaches floated, informed by the Department's polling of experts
earlier in the year.
PROVISION OF
UNIVERSITY COURSES
AND OTHER
FORMS OF
TRAINING RELEVANT
TO GEO-ENGINEERING
IN THE
UK
9. The HE Academy Engineering Subject Centre
does not have a comprehensive knowledge of the provision of Geo-Engineering
in the UK.
10. There are, though several UK Universities
that provide courses with a possible geo-engineering content and
the University of Durham (along with teaching) undertakes research
in geo-engineering.
11. The Institution of Civil Engineers,
the professional body for Civil Engineering, also has a number
of specialist knowledge groups, including geospatial engineering.
GEO-ENGINEERING
AND ENGAGING
YOUNG PEOPLE
IN THE
ENGINEERING PROFESSION
12. The Government recognises the important
contribution that engineers make to society and the role of engineering
in developing practical solutions to some of our most pressing
societal, economic and environmental challenges. But this view
is not yet shared by all sections of our society. In 2007, the
Engineering and Technology Board and the Royal Academy of Engineering
jointly published the findings of the first national survey of
public attitudes and perceptions towards engineers and engineering
and these revealed fundamental misconceptions of engineering among
young people in particular that could worsen the UK's shortfall
in engineers if it affects their future career choices.
13. Government policy on science and engineering
education, and on public engagement in this area, is mainly focused
on increasing the number of people coming through schools and
colleges with the right GCSEs and A-levels to enable them to study
science and engineering in Higher Education-then to pursue engineering
careers equipped with the necessary skills-and on improving public
perceptions of engineering. The Government, in partnership with
key delivery agents, has made major policy commitments in this
area-much has been achieved but there remains more to do (see
Departmental submission-with input from DCSF and BERR-to the first
tranche of written evidence, already published by the Committee:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/ENG%20Ev%20for%20internet.pdf).
THE ROLE
OF ENGINEERS
IN INFORMING
POLICY MAKERS
AND THE
PUBLIC REGARDING
THE POTENTIAL
COSTS, BENEFITS
AND RESEARCH
STATUS OF
DIFFERENT GEO-ENGINEERING
SCHEMES
14. There are various ways in which the
UK engineering community is helping to shape public policy on
issues with an engineering dimension and to encourage public engagement
with these issues. While not currently focused on geo-engineering,
these same mechanisms can readily be employed as Government policy
in this area develops.
15. The Royal Academy of Engineering is
a major source of authoritative impartial advice for Government
on issues with an engineering dimension. As the UK's national
academy for engineering, it provides overall leadership for the
UK's engineering profession, along with the engineering institutions.
The Academy's membership of 1,424 Fellows brings together the
UK's most eminent engineers from all disciplines.
16. There is a growing enthusiasm on the
part of the Academy, supported by the leading engineering institutions,
to work more collaboratively and with Government to better promote
the UK engineering profession. Regular meetings with the Government
Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministers and senior officials help
ensure that the engineering community has high-level input to
policy making in a wide range of areas.
17. Working closely with the main engineering
institutions, the Academy is co-ordinating the response of the
UK engineering profession to the public consultation, launched
by DIUS on 18 July, on developing a new Strategy for Science and
Society. The aim is to realise the vision of a society that is
excited by science; values its importance to our social and economic
wellbeing; feels confident in its use; and supports a well-qualified,
representative workforce.
18. The Academy is expected to provide its
own written evidence, but advises that geo-engineering, as such,
is not currently a focus for its activities-it regards geo-engineering
as being mainly at the "blue skies" stage. But the Academy,
together with the engineering institutions, will play an important
role as Government policy in this area is developed.
October 2008
1 Noting that even at current levels, some adverse
climate change impacts are unavoidable and will require adaptation
measures. Back
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