Trevor Price

Improving the Quantity and Quality of Attendance Data to Enhance Student Retention.

This article draws attention to local and global attendance monitoring in higher education. The paper outlines benefits of attendance monitoring for both the individual learner and university, and compares traditional paper‐based attendance monitoring systems with an electronic system piloted in the Business School and School of Technology at the University of Glamorgan. Typical problems associated with attendance monitoring are examined, and both attendance monitoring approaches are evaluated in terms of quantity and quality of data capture. Finally, student views on having attendance closely monitored are evaluated. This paper is of interest to anyone who uses attendance data, particularly for those who work in the field of student retention.

Preaching What We Practice: Experiences from Implementing ISO 14001 at the University of Glamorgan.

Purpose – To provide an overview of how environmental management systems (EMSs) are becoming sporadically employed within higher educational institutions.Design/methodology/approach – An overview of international developments in sustainable education and within UK universities. Focuses specifically on the University of Glamorgan, Wales.Findings – EMSs have been historically perceived as of little importance within most of the UK higher educational sector. Documents how the University of Glamorgan, Wales became the first university in the UK to have all of its operations accredited to ISO 14001.Originality/value – Provides a summary of a higher education institutions path to ISO 14001 accreditation.

UK Large-Scale Wind Power Programme From 1970 to 1990: The Carmarthen Bay Experiments and the Musgrove Vertical-Axis Turbines

This article describes the development of the Musgrove Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) concept, the UK ‘Carmarthen Bay’ wind turbine test programme, and UK governments wind power programme to 1990. One of the most significant developments in the story of British wind power occurred during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with the development of the Musgrove vertical axis wind turbine and its inclusion within the UK Governments wind turbine test programme. Evolving from a supervisors idea for an undergraduate project at Reading University, the Musgrove VAWT was once seen as an able competitor to the horizontal axis wind systems that were also being encouraged at the time by both the UK government and the Central Electricity Generating Board, the then nationalised electricity utility for England and Wales. During the 1980s and 1990s the most developed Musgrove VAWT system, along with three other commercial turbine designs was tested at Carmarthen Bay, South Wales as part of a national wind power test programme. From these developmental tests, operational data was collected and lessons learnt, which were incorporated into subsequent wind power operations.

James Blyth — Britain's First Modern Wind Power Pioneer:

The American, Charles Brush is often credited with being the first person to use a wind powered machine to generate electricity, which operated for the first time during the winter of 1887. However, earlier in July 1887, Professor James Blyth, a Scottish academic of Andersons College, Glasgow (which later became Strathclyde University) was undertaking very similar experiments to Brush, which culminated in a UK patent in 1891. Likewise the Dane, Poul La Cour, is known to have constructed relatively advanced wind turbines throughout the 1890s, which were also used to generate electricity which was then used to produce hydrogen. This paper investigates Professor Blyths life, seeking to understand his motivation to generate electricity from the wind and his association with contemporaries, including Lord Kelvin. The paper argues that it was Blyth and not Brush, who was the first to produce wind-powered electricity.

Harnessing hydropower: A practical guide

Macro and micro hydropower systems are described, along with a consideration of the technical and environmental problems involved. A case study, with Bargoed in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales as the proposed site is then presented, with some of the issues involved when choosing a specific hydropower-harnessing scheme discussed. In conclusion, a set of associated proposals, which would improve the Rhymney Valley in an environmentally- and socially-beneficial way, are described.

Role of constructed wetlands in environmentally-sustainable developments

Whilst discounting the likely, frequent widespread use of natural wetlands for liquid-effluent treatment within the UK, a brief history of the global development of constructed wetlands is given. The designs and types of flora and fauna used within UK-based constructed wetlands, are discussed. Then, a case study of the constructed wetlands used at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Gloucestershire, UK, highlights how constructed wetlands can be used successfully for decontaminating liquid effluent within the UK.

Wind-energy harnessing: Global, national and local considerations

A review of the global issues of wind-energy capture and use is given, along with a case for developing the wind-energy potential of part of the Rhymney Valley, South Wales. Such an energy-supply project should be incorporated into an integrated energy and environmental strategy for the region. This would not only yield benefits with respect to the local, national and global environments, but also aid in enhancing the quality of life for the Rhymney Valley region and its inhabitants.

Environmental impacts of air traffic

Environmental degradation caused by emissions from aircraft is likely to increase in severity with the growth of flying. Until recently, such emissions were considered to be insignificant, but during the last five years, this view has been reversed. The complexity of the effects of pollution in the atmosphere has now been realised, at least qualitatively. The known consequences of some of the main emissions are discussed along with current environmental legislation and pertinent UK Government policy with regard to aviation. Recommendations are given for some future UK transportation-by-aircraft policy objectives that would safeguard the future of our, as yet, relatively pollution-free skies.

The measurement of carbon performance of construction activities

Purpose – The purpose of this research project is to reduce the carbon emissions of construction processes by Measuring, Mapping, Modelling and Managing (4Ms) the carbon performance of construction activities. This particular paper presents the research work and major findings in the first two stages: measuring the carbon footprint of construction activities in building projects; and mapping the carbon emissions from construction activities.Design/methodology/approach – A hotel project in South Wales was selected as a case study where the carbon emissions from six categories of construction activities (i.e. management, operations, visitors, deliveries, plant and utilities) were monitored by using carefully designed data collection methods throughout the construction process. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were adopted to distil and map the emissions with construction activities.Findings – This study provides a benchmark for the carbon emissions from construction processes. The results ...

Improving the reliability of lfg-generation assessment tests

Brief (i.e. <4 weeks duration) pumping-trials have been used to indicate the economic and scientific suitabilities of landfills for landfill-gas (lfg) harnessing. Some of the challenges and proposed solutions are discussed. The methodology employed, results measured and conclusions drawn, based upon brief pumping-trials conducted at 12 different UK landfill sites, are presented.