Planet to cool is must

A proposal to combat climate change by utilising municipal waste netted a group of engineers from our London office top prize in a competition organised by IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers).

The ‘Cooling The Planet’ competition asked for teams to think of an idea that would help combat climate change either through a geo-engineering or mitigation solution.

The winning suggestion from Planet AECOM (as the team were named) proposed closing the carbon cycle by using Waste to Biochar and Hydro-Pyrolysis technology.

This would allow organic waste streams to be diverted from land-fill to a network of pyrolysis plants. The syngas produced in the process could then be used as fuel, whilst the biochar can be used in agriculture to enrich soils and sequester carbon stably in the ground.

Planet AECOM’s Peter Armitage said: “Our aim was to find a solution that didn’t create new problems so we considered the whole process and not just the hydro-pyrolysis technology.

“This idea uses proven technologies and could be integrated in the existing waste collection schemes and the existing petroleum infrastructure.”

The Faber Maunsell team had to present their idea to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers accompanied by a 20-page written report sent to the judges beforehand.

They were praised by the judges for their clear understanding of the whole process, passion for engineering and their infectious enthusiasm. Each team member received a winning certificate, £500 and praise from the IMECHE members.

Team member Fabia Pennington added: “It was very tough competition and we all feel very proud that the IMechE members chose our proposal.”

Climate change impacts on marine life in the Arctic and Antarctic

Broadly speaking, the most serious environmental impacts are certainly being experienced in the Arctic. Decreasing sea ice extent over the last 20 years, most significantly on the Pacific side but also on the Atlantic side, has been affecting all coastal systems. The ice is starting to melt and coastlines which were glaciated for long periods will not experience ice anymore. This is having a huge impact on the Arctic megafauna, such as polar bears, while the Antarctic, with the exception of the peninsular region, is much less affected, at least for the time being.

Turning to marine life, it's important to note that even though greater temperature shifts are being experienced in the Arctic the benthic life there has also previously been more exposed to a range of temperatures, making them more resilient to change. Antarctic benthic marine life will likely be more sensitive than their Arctic counterparts to temperature shifts if they start to be experienced more generally around the continent. The Antarctic continent is, however, currently less exposed to temperature increases in general, with the exception of the Peninsula, which extends further North and is the site of recent rapid glacial disintegration.