woodchurch science

at last the problem of discarded chewing gum may soon be over. chemists have invented a completely biodegradable type of chewing gum that washes away within a week. revolymer claims its product is easier to remove from pavements, shoes and carpets than gums currently on sale.

a british-led team of scientists has won eu approval to seek to make nuclear fusion, the physicist’s dream, a reality. nuclear fusion has the potential to solve the world’s energy crisis with carbon-neutral technology by harnessing the process that drives the sun. so far, decades of research have generated little more than hype. the energy needed to stoke the vast temperatures at which such reactions can occur still outweighs the energy they produce, and supposed breakthroughs such as “cold fusion” have turned out to be false dawns. physicists joke that they have been predicting the technology is “30 years away” for the past 30 years. read more here. to read how nuclear fusion works you could also visit this site.

george bush, finally alert to the threat of climate change, has come up with a brilliant solution - or is it? certainly mr blair thinks so, calling it a ‘triumph’. this just in from the white house.

the latest hard-hitting report on the impact of global warming from the UN is released today, with evidence that key findings were ‘watered down’ to suit the americans, russians, chinese and saudi arabians. surely these governments don’t have an agenda? anyway the ipcc (250 top scientists) have issued further stark warnings about the future of the environment.

channel four have an excellent five minute guide to global warming on their news site.

two uk climate researchers say some of their peers are “overplaying” the global warming message. professors paul hardaker and chris collier, both royal meteorological society figures, have voiced concerns. they say some researchers make claims about possible future impacts that cannot possibly be justified by the science. the pair believe this damages the credibility of all climate scientists. but both men hold the mainstream view on climate change - that human activity is the cause. but they think catastrophism and the “hollywoodisation” of weather and climate only work to create confusion in the public mind. they argue for a more sober and reasoned explanation of the uncertainties about possible future changes in the earth’s climate. lots more here, here and at the royal metereorological society website.

climate change is nothing new, it’s been going on for millennia! john tyndall was the first scientist to suggest that gases in the atmosphere had some climatic significance. tyndall’s experiments showed that molecules of water vapour, carbon dioxide and ozone are the best absorbers of heat radiation and that even in small quantities these gases absorb much more strongly than the atmosphere itself, a phenomenon of great meteorological importance. he concluded that among the constituents of the atmosphere, water vapour is the strongest absorber of radiant heat and is therefore the most important gas controlling the earths surface air temperature. he said that without water vapour the earths surface would be “held fast in the iron grip of frost”. he later speculated how changes in water vapour and carbon dioxide could be related to climate change. all in 1859! read more about his life here

…to get global warming fixed according to dr david king the governments chief scientific adviser. more than 17 years have passed since the kyoto agreement and what’s happened?
read his article here

february 2006 resources for 9g4
humans blamed for climate change
how greenhouse effect works
climate change in graphics
q&a: climate change

flue gas desulphursation systems are used to remove sulphur dioxide. “wet scrubbers” are the most widespread method and can be up to 99% effective. a mixture of limestone and water is sprayed over the flue gas and this mixture reacts with the SO2 to form gypsum (a calcium sulphate), which is removed and used in the construction industry.




most fuels contain carbon and/or hydrogen and may also contain some sulfur. the gases released into atmosphere when fuel burns may include carbon dioxide, water (vapour), carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. particles may also be released. sulfur dioxide causes acid rain, carbon dioxide causes global warming, and particles cause global dimming. sulfur can be removed from fuels before they are burned. sulfur dioxide can be removed from the waste gases after combustion, for example in power stations. look at the pictures in the montage above and discuss the issues.