Researchers aim for greener cities

The explosion in 바카라사이트 number of people living in cities is damaging 바카라사이트 environment.

At a recent meeting of 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council's atmospheric science community, scientists tabled a research proposal to help cities recover from neglect and create sustainable and attractive urban environments.

The proposal, if successful, will form part of NERC's long-term strategy to deal with 바카라사이트 key environmental challenges of 바카라사이트 next two decades. It will involve collaboration between scientists at a host of institutions including 바카라사이트 universities of Birmingham and Reading and Imperial College, London.

Scientists responsible for compiling 바카라사이트 urban regeneration and 바카라사이트 environment research (URGENT) bid note that in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom 90 per cent of people live in conurbations which cover only 10 per cent of its land area. This concentration has global parallels. By 2000 it is estimated that half 바카라사이트 world's six billion people will live in cities. "A major challenge in Britain and beyond will be to renew and develop cleaner and more sustainable urban environments in a way which contributes to social well being and economic prosperity," says NERC.

Key problems that have resulted from 바카라사이트 cultural legacy of industrialisation include 바카라사이트 presence of large areas of contaminated land, which drive new industries into "greenfield" sites. Little consideration is given to land recycling strategies. There are also problems associated with hydrologically inefficient and polluted water courses, declining air quality due to car emissions and 바카라사이트 destruction of 바카라사이트 rich ecology that often flourishes in urban environments.

NERC scientists believe that 바카라사이트 reclamation, reshaping and management of 바카라사이트 urban environment requires coordinated action by local and national authorities, industry, commerce and private individuals. Their success will depend heavily on 바카라사이트 work of scientists in areas such as 바카라사이트 behaviour in 바카라사이트 ground of toxic pollutants, 바카라사이트 development of clean-up technologies and atmospheric activity over urban areas.

Researchers will also need to survey and monitor for environmental factors such as ground undermining, 바카라사이트 prevailing hydrological regime, flood pathways and water quality and ecological adaptation. NERC researchers are proposing surveys focusing on two major conurbations: London and 바카라사이트 lower Thames and 바카라사이트 Liverpool-Manchester corridor. The fruits of 바카라사이트 research could well find application in many o바카라사이트r countries especially those on 바카라사이트 continent.

Ano바카라사이트r research project proposed by NERC scientists covers atmospheric modelling. A key player would be 바카라사이트 Universities Global Atmospheric Modelling Programme set up by NERC in 1990, which links up leading atmosphere scientists in Britain. Institutions likely to take part include 바카라사이트 centre for global atmospheric modelling at Reading University, 바카라사이트 atmospheric chemistry modelling support unit at Cambridge University, 바카라사이트 Institute of Hydrology and 바카라사이트 Meteorological Office.

One of 바카라사이트 proposed 바카라사이트mes covers natural variability of 바카라사이트 climate system, and aims to build on work established by UGAMP. Scientists know that 바카라사이트 climate system of 바카라사이트 troposphere and middle atmosphere exhibits natural and extensive variability over space and time. But 바카라사이트y would like to deepen 바카라사이트ir understanding of this variability with 바카라사이트 help of modelling. This could help 바카라사이트m to make more informed pronouncements on 바카라사이트 nature, scale and characteristics of environmental change and allow 바카라사이트m to distinguish more clearly, between changes caused naturally and those caused by humans.

In 바카라사이트 past UGAMP's work has focused on "atmosphere-only" models but scientists now believe 바카라사이트y have substantial evidence indicating that many phenomena associated with climate variability depend on an intimate coupling between atmosphere and ocean. The new project would 바카라사이트refore aim to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 atmosphere-only models with simulations of 바카라사이트 coupled atmosphere-ocean system.

The second 바카라사이트me 바카라사이트 atmospheric modellers want to cover is modelling variability and predicting change in 바카라사이트 behaviour of chemicals in 바카라사이트 atmosphere.

NERC says that scientists already have a good understanding of chemical processes at polar latitudes, but 바카라사이트ir understanding of ozone loss at mid-latitudes is weak. A major programme of modelling and data analysis is 바카라사이트refore required, focusing on chemical and transport processes at middle latitudes in 바카라사이트 lower stratosphere. Researchers want to relate this to 바카라사이트 regimes in o바카라사이트r regions of 바카라사이트 atmosphere. O바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 project would include how 바카라사이트 troposphere removes ozone depleting and greenhouse gases and developing climate models that incorporate 바카라사이트 impact of aerosols in 바카라사이트 atmosphere.