These ongoing and related projects explore the topics of energy, climate change, and coastal and marine management in the UK, Europe and other regions of the world. Where relevant, comparisons will be made for these topics between these other regions and North America. This research focuses on Europe, and comparisons between the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic.
There are four main projects:
European Coastal and Marine Management and GIS Applications
Photo of Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland by MAK Muir, 2001.
As a result of EU and national regulation and growing public support, Europe is embarking on a systematic approach to coastal and marine management, that includes GIS applications. The first area to be explored will be using integrated management approaches and GIS analyses to reduce oil spills and pollution in European coastal waters.
Littoral 2004 Conference Description and Abstract
- Conference Abstract pdf file
- Conference Paper pdf file
Related Documents and Publications by Authors
Relevant Links and Websites...Coming Soon
Climatic change is being experienced in varying degrees in northern and southern of Europe, with observed and proposed changes in air and ocean circulation systems and rainfall patterns, and the possibility of greater and more extreme weather events. There are a variety of responses within Europe, at a regional and national level, to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change. One key aspect is energy uses and related environmental policies.
Image of Po River
from GEsource website
www.gesource.ac.uk/
Titian, 'Bacchus and Ariadne', 1520-3. London, The National Gallery.
Exploring agricultural crops and practices related to wine production to understand micro climate changes and its impact, this project will combine both historical perspectives and modern research and data. Historical patterns in grape production and wine production will be combined with current data and research and anecdotal local knowledge from grape producers and winemakers. The complex response of grape producers and winemakers to changing climatic patterns will be examined, as parties in the Meditterrean and northern Europe simultaneously adjust to changing climate conditions, EU and national regulation, and changing consumer preference. GIS technology will be used to investigate and illustrate key variables affecting the grape crops, growing patterns, and seasonal, temperature and moisture changes.
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Introductory brochure for Ariadne Project (May 18, 2004) pdf file
Related Documents and Publications by Authors
Relevant Links and Websites
Energy and environment issues are inter-linked, and increasingly addressed in an integrated way at the European, national and local level. In ongoing, this project explores economic and environmental opportunities between energy markets, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Marine and land transport, and related energy, environmental and impacts and measures are also considered. Finally, energy and environmental issues are considered in the context of economic measures under the UNFCC Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol (taxes/credits, tradable permits, joint implementation), with the goal of the overall reduction of greenhouse gases within Europe and globally.
Related Documents and Publications by Magdalena Muir
- Competitive energy markets and the implementation of the Climate Change Convention: Roles for renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions trading, presented at ENERGEX 2000 conference in Las Vegas on July 26 and 27, 2000.
Relevant Links and Websites
Further links coming soon .Parallels for Antarctica and the Arctic: Governance and Resource Management
Circumpolar Arctic map from AMAP website www.amap.no Antartica Treaty map from AMAP website www.amap.no
The Antarctica and the Arctic share unique climatic extremes and biodiversity, and histories of exploration. They have different political structures, but share common environmental and economic issues as the 21 Century unfolds. This project will review governance and resource management in these polar regions, focusing on coastal and marine areas, and suggesting means to mutually learn from and enhance practises in both regions.
Relevant Documents and Publications by Magdalena Muir
Further documents coming soon .
Relevant Links and Websites
The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that provides a mechanism to address the common concerns and challenges faced by the Arctic governments and the people of the Arctic. Iceland serves as the Chair of the Arctic Council from 2002 to 2004, followed by Russia from 2004 to 2006. The Member States of the Arctic Council are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States of America. The Arctic Council operates through AC Working Groups.
Antarctica
Treaty Secretariat
The Antarctic Treaty System is the whole complex of arrangements made
for the purpose of regulating relations among states in the Antarctic. At its
heart is the
Antarctic Treaty itself. The original
Parties to the Treaty were the 12 nations
active in the Antarctic during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58.
The Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 and entered into force
on 23 June 1961. The
Consultative Parties comprise the original
Parties and a further fourteen States that have become Consultative Parties by
acceding to the Treaty and demonstrating their interest in Antarctica by
carrying out substantial scientific activity there.
The primary purpose of the Antarctic Treaty is to ensure "in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord." To this end, it prohibits military activity, except in support of science; prohibits nuclear explosions and the disposal of nuclear waste; promotes scientific research and the exchange of data; and holds all territorial claims in abeyance. The Treaty applies to the area south of 60 ° South Latitude, including all ice shelves and islands.
Arctic Institute of North America
Created by an Act of Parliament in 1945, the Arctic Institute of North America is a non-profit membership organization and a multi-disciplinary research Institute of the University of Calgary. The Institute's mandate is to advance the study of the North American and circumpolar Arctic through the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities and to acquire, preserve and disseminate information on physical, environmental and social conditions in the North.
Scott Polar Research Institute
The Institute is a well-known and long-established centre for research into both polar regions. It is part of the University of Cambridge and is a sub-department of the Department of Geography. It has several research groups investigating a range of issues in both the environmental sciences and social sciences of relevance to the Arctic and Antarctica. The polar library, which includes the Shackleton Memorial Library, has comprehensive holdings of scholarly books and journals on polar research, with exceptional archival collections from the exploration of the Antarctic and Arctic. They so have extensive online resources, including bibliographic and other information.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. Based in Cambridge UK, it has, for almost 60 years, undertaken the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. BAS employs over 400 staff, and supports three stations in the Antarctic, at Rothera, Halley and Signy, and two stations on South Georgia, at King Edward Point and Bird Island. The Antarctic operations and science programmes are executed and managed from Cambridge, and rely on a wide-ranging team of professional staff.
The BAS research programme is planned on a five-year timetable. The current programme is described in the booklet Antarctic Science in the Global Context, 2000-2005 . There is a suite of nine programmes complemented by projects in the medical and environmental sciences and independent research activities. In addition the competitive Antarctic Funding Initiative provides access to Antarctica for BAS and NERC staff and the university community.
International Polar Year 2007-2008
The International Council for Science (ICSU) formally agreed to establish an International Polar Year in 2007-2008, and that ICSU will ultimately co-sponsor the IPY with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). To direct the development of an IPY programme, ICSU has established an International Planning Group. The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 will be an intense, internationally coordinated campaign of research that will initiate a new era in polar science. IPY 2007-2008 will include research in both polar regions, and recognise the strong links these regions have with the rest of the globe. It will involve a wide range of research disciplines, including the social sciences, but the emphasis will be interdisciplinary in its approach and truly international in participation. It aims to educate and involve the public, and to help train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders.