Environment

I’ve titled this post, ‘environment,’ for two reasons. The first reason is that, over the course of the past two days, we began to explore the issues of environment, sustainability, and the Southwest of England, the theme of our Fulbright UK Summer Institute (UKSI). The second reason is that we also had the opportunity to explore the physical environment of the Southwest in an appropriately physical way.

Yesterday, we started the morning off with some breakfast before meeting Professor Clive Sabel, a professor in Human Geography at the University of Exeter. The itinerary we were given for the Fulbright week simply said that we would “stop off” at Dartmoor before heading onto the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health (ECEHH) in Cornwall, where we would stay overnight at the University of Exeter’s Tremough campus.

“Stop off,” we did.

An example of a tor

Professor Sabel took us on a journey through Dartmoor’s forests and streams. But before we get to that, a little background information is probably in order. Dartmoor is a national park, though that designation means something quite different than it does in the U.S. Professor Sabel explained to us that since the UK has been settled for much longer than the U.S., and has therefore experienced much greater amounts of manmade impact, national parks are not so much the preservation of ‘pristine wilderness,’ as they are in the U.S., so much as the preservation of their current state, which, while beautiful, is not pristine. Therefore, people are allowed to live and farm in Dartmoor, which would be unheard of in a U.S. national park. Dartmoor is famous as the setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles as well as for its ponies and sheep, which range freely over much of the park. Dartmoor is also known for its tors. Tors are rocky outcroppings that appear on the tops of hills. They were formed from volcanic activity and eons of erosion and weathering. Dartmoor was once completely forested, but its trees were felled for farming and shipbuilding, leaving the wide open moors and exposed tors that visitors see today.

When we first arrived in Dartmoor, we took a hike through one of the region’s forested areas. We passed a few farms on our way to the river, where we planned to have a quick swim to cool off. Dartmoor does not have a high elevation, but we still had a difficult – correction, I should say difficult for me, since I am extremely out of shape – series of climbs up from the valley over rocks and tree roots. As you can see from the pictures, it was quite beautiful.

A section of the river we swam in, a little upstream

When we reached the river, which was extremely clean – substantially cleaner than the rivers in the U.S. – we all went for a swim, except for me, since, in addition to being out of a shape, I am and probably always will be, a lousy swimmer. I sort of awkwardly tripped over rocks in the water while I watched the others jump into the river with no problem whatsoever. It was still fun and a great way to cool off (the weather continues to be hot) and I’m glad I explored something that was far out of my comfort zone.

One of the many ponies we saw in Dartmoor

After we had hiked our way back to the car, we drove through Dartmoor towards Cornwall, where the ECEHH is located (more on that later). On the way, we saw ponies! Small ponies, big ponies, fat ponies, skinny ponies, brown ponies, white ponies…I think you get the idea. There were A LOT of ponies. Dartmoor ponies are semi-feral. They are allowed to range across the moors for most of the year. Once a year, farmers round ponies up in ‘drifts’ to separate the ones to be sold and for veterinary check-ups. Most of the ponies roaming Dartmoor are mixed-breeds or Shetlands. The rare, pure-bred Dartmoor pony is usually not allowed to mingle with mixed-breed Dartmoor ponies so as to keep the bloodline pure. For information on Dartmoor and its ponies, visit: http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index

We stopped to get lunch not long after we had seen the ponies. Some of us tried Cornish pasties (native to Cornwall), which are sort of like a pie filled with meat or vegetables. They were very good and quite filling. Then it was onto the ECEHH.

As a reminder, ECEHH stands for European Centre for the Environment and Human Health. ECEHH is located in Truro, Cornwall and is part of the University of Exeter Medical School. There, we met with Professor Lora Fleming, the Director of the ECEHH and a certified occupational and environmental health physician and epidemiologist, and Dr Will Stahl-Timmins, a graphic designer who specializes in the presentation of information and graphics. Over tea and biscuits, we had the opportunity to see some of Dr Stahl-Timmins’ work. He distills large amounts of scientific data and esoteric jargon into visual presentations designed to convey the information to non-specialists, such as policymakers and the general public. One award-winning presentation explained what happens to pharmaceuticals after people use or dispose of them (it can be seen here – it’s the third and last one down: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6119/514.full). It’s hard to explain his work and how well it presents scientific data in mere words because it’s so visual. So, why don’t take a look, yourself? Dr Stahl-Timmins’ blog can be found here: http://blog.willstahl.com/

The ECEHH is highly interested in interdisciplinary work, hence the fusion of graphic design and scientific data described above. The ECEHH often finds it has to use different methods to explain scientific data to different groups of non-experts. In areas such as climate change and pharmaceutical use, which is a large component of the ECEHH’s research, clear explanations are critical for getting policymakers and the general public on board with new programs that improve environmental sustainability.

Aside from our visit to the ECEHH, discussions with Dr. Sabel in the various car rides around Devon and Cornwall opened our eyes to different paths toward environmental sustainability and the challenges they face. This is probably no better represented in the UK than in the windmill.

Windmill farms are clean sources of electric energy. The Southwest of England is a prime spot for these energy-generating behemoths due to its climate and geography. However, there has been immense push back in this region, with residents complaining that they ‘ruin’ the landscape and generate too much noise when situated near houses. There are also questions of how efficient they are. There are similar complaints in the U.S. as well as concerns for bird populations, but I think these issues are largely rather inconsequential. Aesthetics are a rather shallow reason to prevent the proliferation of renewable resources and while I can’t speak to this personally, I’d imagine living near a windmill is comparable to leaving near a highway, which is something to which you can completely adapt (I’ve known several people who have). The concern for bird populations is more legitimate, but it seems to me that windmills are no worse than other forms of fuel we currently use. After all, power lines can, and do, fry birds. And we all know what havoc oil spills can wreak. As far as efficiency is concerned, windmills are still developing. All technology starts off rather inefficient and then grows and progresses as more people invest in and develop it (just think of how far the computer has come). It just needs a chance. This is why the EECHH’s work is so critical in explaining to non-experts just how important it is to live sustainability and why certain small trade-offs and sacrifices need to be made. Energy is not free. Every time we turn on a light switch, the energy needs to come from somewhere, and we too often forget where that somewhere is.

Visit the EECHH’s website at: http://www.ecehh.org/

Wind isn’t the only source of alternative energy. We’ve all heard about solar panels and solar farms (another growing – and controversial, trend in the UK), but have you ever imagined getting your electricity from the power of the waves?

I hadn’t, until I was preparing to come to the UK.

A wave device being tested in Falmouth Harbour

After a lovely dinner at an Indian restaurant in Falmouth (no exploding food this time, thankfully) and a short stay overnight at Exeter’s Tremough campus in Cornwall, we headed back to Falmouth Bay to visit FaB Test – the Falmouth Bay test site where wave device developers can test their machinery in a sheltered environment that is close to port. It is hoped that wave energy will be more popular with residents since it is offshore, quiet, and invisible. As we learned from Falmouth Harbour commissioners today however, there are still critics out there, particularly fishermen who want access to the test site. There are also concerns, again, with how the devices will affect birds and other marine life. Wave energy is still in early stages of development, but it looks promising and should silence aesthetically-minded critics. We got to take a look at a test device ourselves aboard the boat Killigrew. This device is currently generating energy, but the energy is not being stored anywhere. It is simply being ‘tested’ as the name FaB test implies and this will provide vital data to the private company which owns the machine as well as to the University of Exeter, which is conducting research in renewable hydraulic energy. It is hoped that after the testing phase is finished, a newer, more advanced working device will be transferred to the Wave Hub and connected to a power grid. 

For more information on FaB test and Wave Hub, visit: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/renewable-energy/research/research-interests/offshore/hydrodynamics/falmouthbaytestsitefabtest/ and http://www.wavehub.co.uk/

We ended the day with a visit to the beach on the northern coast of Cornwall near the city of Newquay. The unusually warm weather made it an absolutely perfect end to an exciting two days. I think I’ll let the story of this trip tell itself in pictures.

Next stop: Embercombe and the Heart of Leadership programme!