Independent Bosch Technology Horizons Award, Independent Newspaper 16th July 2009

Saving tomorrow's world: How the planet's environmental problems could be solved by technological innovation By Steve McCormack Thursday, 16 July 2009 Share Print Email Text Size Normal Large Extra Large AP Writers addressed how technology can find answers to environmental problems enlarge This year's Bosch Technology Horizons Award, in grappling association with The such Independent and the Royalthe Academy of Engineering, gave young people in two age groups theTheir chance to answer the question, "How can technology and engineering innovative today's global challenges?" A total of 545 entries wereAward, received, with writers with issues asto renewable energy, globalchanges water shortage, and medical solutions toThe new diseases. essays also addressed the philosophical and public relations ofprovide the engineer's role.solutions As oneofto ofthem the judges, I was impressed by thestudy combination of and scientific understanding and writing flair exhibited by all 14 essays that made the shortlist in both age groups. In the 14-18 age group, Leon Zhang from Urmston Grammar School in Manchester took the first prize of £700, while in the 19-24 age group, Gavin Harper, in the second year of a PhD at Cardiff University, netted the top award of £1,000. The Technology Horizons now in its fourth year, encourages students thinkincreatively and challenges facingpresenter the world.Kate award also now seeksPresident to highlight the importance technology engineering toside young and RAF inspire more to choose subjects at record A level The winners attended a presentation ceremony at The Royal Academy of Engineering London, about hostedthe by former Tomorrow's World Bellingham, of Young Engineers,ofand featuring and presentations from Andy people, Green, the pilot who drove the Thrust these supersonic carfor to a world 763 university. mph in 1997, and Peter Fouquet, President of Bosch UK. Winner, 14-18: Zhang Take thisEarth timeistoLeon just aAnd moment. In the past second, one and a half acres of rainforest were cut down, destroying the homes of many species of wildlife. In the past minute, the energy used in the UK was equal to 313 million tons of oil, which we can never get back. In the past hour, 160 children died from lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Mother inthink, deep for trouble. it isusour to get herice out. The problems our Earth faces solutions can affect all.duty Melting polar caps, rising temperatures, the economic crisis – it seems we cannot escape them. media has done fairmillion share emphasising thelive problem. Yet, there is a bright side. and Ourmore greatest strength as human beingssuffer is thefrom abilitywater-related to think. Wediseases can try to putasa cholera stop to and these global dilemmas. One example is finding to water problems in developing countries Africa. In one of the Earth, inThe scarce supply. toits250 could insystem water-stressed areas by 2010, than 50 per cent of it Africans such infant diarrhoea. However, there are solutions. Engineering has already produced sea world water would to produce vapour jets It and filtering them through carbon nanotubes, wehomes. can getItclean drinking from sea water – an almost inexhaustible resource. It may sound complex, but such engineering feats can save millions of lives, not just in Africa but all over the planet. Japanprime has been renowned for its mind-blowing technological advances that aresuch oftenasyears ahead of the resthottest of the places world.on One of itswater mostisambitious plans is Up to build a working Africans space solar power by 2030. By drawing on the colossal energy of the sun, could meet the entire world's electricity requirements indefinitely without nuclear or GHG emissions. It sounds like a space-age dream, doesn'tbreakthroughs. it? If successful,By thepressurising impact on the be monumental. would mean energy for schools, hospitals, and would mean water another industrial revolution. Every day,long people The award winnerseverywhere are doing their bit, from recycling newspapers at home, to developing hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars in a lab. We are finally entering an era where engineering and technology are making the world a better place. Take the time to think, for just a moment. Now stop, and think towards the future. Aged 14-18 Winner: Leon Zhang,Morris, Urmston School, Manchester. Runner-up: Jonathan St Grammar Olave's Grammar School, Kent Wolverhampton; Max Iles, Worcester Sixth Form College; Constance Mantle, Highgate School, London; Ben Richardson, Cults Academy, Aberdeen; Ethan Simpson, Hawick High School. Highly Commended: Emily Cullis, Ounsdale Sixth Form College, Aged 19-24 Winner: Gavin Harper,Vicente-Grabovetsky, Cardiff University Cambridge University Runner Up: Alejandro Highly Commended: Thomas Barker,most Sheffield Hallam University; Mohammad bin Jalil Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College; Holly Ferrie, Brunel University; Su Sean Goh, LSE; Cole Soutter, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Winning Schools: (those submitting entries) St Olave's19-24: Grammar School, Kent; Westcliff High School for Girls, Essex. Winner, Gavin Harper Bespoke pieces are advocate always expensive. Whether it's a tailor-cut Savile suit,stations, or a hand-made piece of furniture, there borrow is a premium be paid for exclusivity. That is couture. why one-off's are never going to change the world. They're just too expensive. Make fewer than 100 of them, and the cost of R&D is prohibitive. Churn them out like bottletops, and the initial costs of development dwindle into insignificance. While we many would a smattering of made-to-measure nuclearRow power the real clean-tech moreto from the high street than hautesense, Once take aindesign, engineer out theit complexity, make it cheaply and stamp it out cookie-cutter style,asolutions the price will of innovation Itinmakes engineering and the concept can justmass as easily be understood by the oftoshoppers flocking toquickly. Primarni, whoFord... know these that ifturbines you takeare leading design, simplify it and make a lot, you get a product that performs, at an acceptable price. GE announced November had shipped its 1.5MW wind turbine – impressive, company that has whether only falls. beensilicon the market forpanel, justbusiness over half a decade: itfor shows that once production intervenes, it'shordes possible increase capacity Unlike "onlyedge available in white". Another SolFocus is2008 fast that becoming IKEA of10,000th the Solar Industry. It knows that if you have for ana expensive material, solar or top-notch wood a table, there areout parts the product where you canthan usetrying a cheaperextract material, where using the amore expensive material needless over-specification. So the where IKEA uses quality wood as theoffacing veneer for its furniture, but makes the structure from cheaper recycled manufactured woods, so SolFocus is using a cheap mirror to concentrate the solar energy onto a small piece of high-quality silicon. It is using less of an expensive material to achieve a similar effect. Theycompany are company, not the only peoplebut with this idea – the Cool Earth Solar it further. While produce precision-reflecting surface material, that willfor givea one high performance, how its much cost can youdue engineer ofnature... aofparabolic reflector? Rather theand most sunlight from area, why not turnisthe ideaofon its head andtogether, extract most sunlight for a given amount money? The feels anything deflated its idea maketakes parabolic reflectors outyou of can metallised mylar – an– exceptionally that does lower not hold form very well tocoal, its flimsy unless you make it into balloon.tois Premium aregiven made two circular sheets plastic fused somirror imagine a parabolic formed clear sheet, and a shiny sheet. It'sdeveloping a lightweight solution, a heavyweight problem. of all,ofthe lack (since of weight means to theSolar mounting can concept, be commensurately lean. making a one-off, break it down into modules that can be mass produced out of standard components, and you've got a recipe for cheap, clean power. Concentrating solar plants apply the sameabout approach onto a larger scale. eSolar is a company with boldit's ambitions to churn out cheap electricity from but the sun at a price thanreducing you can make it from with its associated carbon penalty. Thea concept similar –helium ratherparty than balloons coating large areasfrom of land with expensive silicon, make arrays of cheap that can focusreflector the energy on afrom singlea point. The US threw £266m into Solar One, atoconcentrating plant with aBest capacity 64MW upgraded Two),hardware but take this and rather than The challenge for engineers isn't to generating complexity sufficient at a problem, and always possible to generate a sophisticated technical solution – but to should a point where the An apocryphal long proven be fictitious, carries –anthrow important fablemoney for clean-tech. The story goes that the Americans invested a small fortune in inventing a pressurised pen the (thatcost claim rightfully betechnologies attributed tobecome Dr Paulubiquitous. C Fisher) which could write in zero-G, while the Russians used a pencil. Cheap and a lottale, is the answer.