It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, February 09, 2024
With camera systems, nets and a deep-sea Robot on an Ocean Discovery Journey
International expedition MSM126 sets sail to explore deep-sea habitats around Madeira
“It is very likely that we will discover new species on this cruise,” says Dr Jan Dierking. The marine biologist from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is the chief scientist of the expedition MSM126 “Jellyweb Madeira” on the German research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN, which will set off tomorrow to explore the underwater habitats around Madeira. And his expectations are probably not too high, as the planned investigations will mainly focus on the deep sea, which is still largely unexplored. One reason for this is the extreme conditions: it is dark, cold and there is enormous pressure. Above all, the deep sea is deep. In combination, this means that sampling and observing deep-sea systems is extremely difficult.
During the MSM126 cruise, the international team of 22 scientists from five countries, including world-leading experts in various fields of research, will therefore use a wide range of state-of-the-art instruments and technologies, including remote sensing, camera systems, a deep-sea robot, oceanographic sensors and various nets, to shed light on deep-sea biodiversity and food webs.
“We will be using echosounders and towed cameras to map three areas around the island of Madeira,” explains co-expedition leader Dr Henk-Jan Hoving, “a deep-sea canyon, an extensive underwater plateau and a submarine ridge, from shallower depths of 50m down to 3000m”. The XOFOS (Ocean Floor Observing System) photo and video system will film and photograph the seafloor for mapping purposes. The deep-sea camera system PELAGIOS (Pelagic in Situ Observation System), equipped with a camera, light sources and sensors to measure environmental data, can be used day and night in the deep-water column to document organisms alive in their natural environment. Dr Hoving: “We hope to find layers with abundant and diverse life and previously undiscovered organisms and encounter underexplored habitats such as coral gardens or deep-sea reefs, and will then return to these areas for focussed sampling afterwards”.
For sampling, they have what Jan Dierking and Henk-Jan Hoving call the “Swiss army knife of marine research”: the ROV PHOCA, a remotely operated underwater robot that can dive down to depths of up to 2000m, and transmit live, high-definition video from the deep sea to the surface via a fibre-optic connection. It can be configurated with a variety of scientific instruments depending on the mission. During MSM126, it will be deployed both in open water and on the seabed. Floating in open water, a “slurp gun”, a kind of vacuum cleaner, will collect fragile gelatinous organisms – “a huge opportunity to bring up deep-sea species intact”. On the seabed, the ROV will sample sediments and benthic organisms including corals and sponges. It will also serve as a platform for experiments on so-called food falls, i.e. what sinks to the seafloor from the upper layers of the ocean. “We want to see how organisms in the open water are linked to the deep sea: Who eats whom, who competes with whom?” explains Dr Jan Dierking. “I am very excited to see what the eye on the seabed will reveal.”
A key question is what role gelatinous zooplankton, or jellyfish, play in the oceanic food web. Not much is known about this because jellyfish are difficult to study. They are very fragile and are difficult to capture intact in nets, so their importance in food webs is probably underestimated. “This group of organisms is very diverse,” explains Dr Henk-Jan Hoving, “some of them can grow to tens of metres in length. Some are predators, feeding on crustaceans, fish or other gelatinous organisms. Others rely on detritus, the dead and decaying material that is abundant in the water column”.
Improving our understanding of the food web of jellyfish, also known as the jelly web, is essential to our understanding of marine food webs. Dr Dierking explains: “The jelly web probably plays a crucial role in the processing of organic matter, because jellyfish can occur in large numbers, and when such a ‘jelly bloom’ dies, potentially a large amount of this biomass sinks. But for many regions, including Madeira, we don't know how much of it actually reaches the seabed or who feeds on it”. The contribution of the jelly web to the export of carbon to the deep sea could be significant.
On Madeira itself, the expedition is generating a lot of public interest. For example, there will be a live Q&A session on board for schoolchildren, who will be able to look over the scientists' shoulders as they work. Dr Dierking: “There is a big effort in Madeira to increase the knowledge of the deep sea in order to better protect it”. He hopes that the data gathered during the expedition will not only fill knowledge gaps, but also make a concrete contribution to the protection of habitats and biodiversity in the sea around Madeira.
The jelly web was the focus of the EU Horizon 2020 project GoJelly (coordinated by Jamileh Javidpour, University of Southern Denmark, in which GEOMAR was a core partner), which sparked the idea for the MSM126 expedition. Its results will now be exploited via the collaborations with partner institutes of the cruise, and will provide the foundation to pursue deep sea work with the Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation (ARDITI) Madeira in the future.
Expedition at a Glance:
RV MARIA S. MERIAN Expedition MSM126
Name: Jellyweb Madeira
Region: Central East Atlantic
Chief Scientists: Dr Jan Dierking, Dr Henk-Jan Hoving
Start: 09 February 2024, Funchal (Portugal)
End: 04 March 2024, Las Palmas (Spain)
Project Funding:
The expedition is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
HAVE SOME MADERIA M' DEAR
SCI-FI-TEK
Scientists just set a nuclear fusion record in a step toward unleashing the limitless, clean energy source
Angela Dewan, CNN Thu, February 8, 2024
Scientists and engineers near the English city of Oxford have set a nuclear fusion energy record, they announced Thursday, bringing the clean, futuristic power source another step closer to reality.
Using the Joint European Torus (JET) — a huge, donut-shaped machine known as a tokamak — the scientists sustained a record 69 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds, using just 0.2 milligrams of fuel. That’s enough to power roughly 12,000 households for the same amount of time.
Nuclear fusion is the same process that powers the sun and other stars, and is widely seen as the holy grail of clean energy. Experts have worked for decades to master the highly complex process on Earth, and if they do, fusion could generate enormous amounts of energy with tiny inputs of fuel and emit zero planet-warming carbon in the process.
The scientists fed the tokamak deuterium and tritium, which are hydrogen variants that future commercial fusion plants are most likely to use.
To generate fusion energy, the team raised temperatures in the machine to 150 million degrees Celsius — around 10 times hotter than the core of the sun. That extreme heat forces the deuterium and tritium to fuse together and form helium, a process that in turn releases enormous amounts of heat.
The tokamak is lined with strong magnets that hold the plasma in. The heat is then harnessed and used to produce electricity.
The experiment is the last of its kind for JET, which has operated for more than 40 years. Its last experiment — and new record — is promising news for newer fusion projects, said Ambrogio Fasoli, CEO of EUROfusion, the consortium of 300 experts behind the experiment. He pointed to ITER, the world’s biggest tokamak being built in southern France, and DEMO, a machine planned to follow ITER with the aim of producing a higher amount of energy, like a fusion plant prototype.
“Our successful demonstration of operational scenarios for future fusion machines like ITER and DEMO, validated by the new energy record, instil greater confidence in the development of fusion energy,” Fasoli said in a statement. A view of Torus Hall, where the JET tokamak machine lies. - United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
While fusion energy would be a gamechanger for the climate crisis — which is caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels — it’s a technology that’s still likely to need many years to commericialize. By the time it’s fully developed, it would be too late to use it as a main tool to address climate change, according to Aneeqa Khan, research fellow in nuclear fusion at the University of Manchester.
And myriad challenges remain. Khan points out that the team used more energy to carry out the experiment than it generated, for example.
“This is a great scientific result, but we are still a way off commercial fusion. Building a fusion power plant also has many engineering and materials challenges,” she said. “However, investment in fusion is growing and we are making real progress. We need to be training up a huge number of people with the skills to work in the field and I hope the technology will be used in the latter half of the century.”
The record was announced the same day that the European Union’s climate and weather monitoring service, Copernicus, confirmed that the world has breached a global warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius over a 12-month period for the first time.
Scientists are more concerned with longer-term warming over that threshold, but it is a symbolic reminder that the world is hurtling toward a level of climate change that it will struggle to adapt to.
Climate science shows that the world must nearly halve its greenhouse gas emissions this decade and reach zero net emissions by 2050 to keep global warming from spiraling to catastrophic levels. That means making a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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Fusion research facility JET’s final tritium experiments yield new energy record
EUROFUSION
IMAGE:
LOOKING INSIDE THE JOINT EUROPEAN TORUS TOKAMAK AT PULSE #104522 FROM 3 OCTOBER 2023, WHICH SET A NEW FUSION ENERGY RECORD OF 69 MEGAJOULES.
The Joint European Torus (JET), one of the world’s largest and most powerful fusion machines, has demonstrated the ability to reliably generate fusion energy, whilst simultaneously setting a world-record in energy output.
These notable accomplishments represent a significant milestone in the field of fusion science and engineering.
In JET's final deuterium-tritium experiments (DTE3), high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds, resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules using a mere 0.2 milligrams of fuel.
JET is a tokamak, a design which uses powerful magnetic fields to confine a plasma in the shape of a doughnut. Most approaches to creating commercial fusion favour the use of two hydrogen variants – deuterium and tritium. When deuterium and tritium fuse together they produce helium and vast amounts of energy, a reaction that will form the basis of future fusion powerplants.
Dr Fernanda Rimini, JET Senior Exploitation Manager, said:
“We can reliably create fusion plasmas using the same fuel mixture to be used by commercial fusion energy powerplants, showcasing the advanced expertise developed over time.”
Professor Ambrogio Fasoli, Programme Manager (CEO) at EUROfusion, said:
“Our successful demonstration of operational scenarios for future fusion machines like ITER and DEMO, validated by the new energy record, instil greater confidence in the development of fusion energy. Beyond setting a new record, we achieved things we’ve never done before and deepened our understanding of fusion physics.”
Dr Emmanuel Joffrin, EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Task Force Leader from CEA, said:
“Not only did we demonstrate how to soften the intense heat flowing from the plasma to the exhaust, we also showed in JET how we can get the plasma edge into a stable state thus preventing bursts of energy reaching the wall. Both techniques are intended to protect the integrity of the walls of future machines. This is the first time that we've ever been able to test those scenarios in a deuterium-tritium environment.”
Over 300 scientists and engineers from EUROfusion – a consortium of researchers across Europe, contributed to these landmark experiments at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) site in Oxford, showcasing the unparalleled dedication and effectiveness of the international team at JET.
The results solidify JET’s pivotal role in advancing safe, low-carbon, and sustainable fusion energy.
UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks, Andrew Bowie, said:
“JET's final fusion experiment is a fitting swansong after all the groundbreaking work that has gone into the project since 1983. We are closer to fusion energy than ever before thanks to the international team of scientists and engineers in Oxfordshire.
“The work doesn’t stop here. Our Fusion Futures programme has committed £650 million to invest in research and facilities, cementing the UK’s position as a global fusion hub.”
JET concluded its scientific operations at the end of December 2023.
Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKAEA CEO, said:
“JET has operated as close to powerplant conditions as is possible with today’s facilities, and its legacy will be pervasive in all future powerplants. It has a critical role in bringing us closer to a safe and sustainable future.”
JET’s research findings have critical implications not only for ITER – a fusion research mega-project being built in the south of France – but also for the UK’s STEP prototype powerplant, Europe’s demonstration powerplant, DEMO, and other global fusion projects, pursuing a future of safe, low-carbon, and sustainable energy.
Dr Pietro Barabaschi, ITER Director-General, said:
“Throughout its lifecycle, JET has been remarkably helpful as a precursor to ITER: in the testing of new materials, in the development of innovative new components, and nowhere more than in the generation of scientific data from Deuterium-Tritium fusion. The results obtained here will directly and positively impact ITER, validating the way forward and enabling us to progress faster toward our performance goals. On a personal note, it has been for me a great privilege having myself been at JET for a few years. There I had the opportunity to learn from many exceptional people.”
JET has been instrumental in advancing fusion energy for over four decades, symbolising international scientific collaboration, engineering excellence, and the commitment to harness the power of fusion energy – the same reactions that fuel the Sun and stars.
JET demonstrated sustained fusion over five seconds at high power and set a world-record in 2021. JET’s first deuterium-tritium experiments took place in 1997.
As it transitions into the next phase of its life cycle for repurposing and decommissioning, a celebration in late February 2024 will honour its founding vision and the collaborative spirit that has driven its success.
The achievements at JET, from the major scientific milestones to the setting of energy records, underscores the facility’s enduring legacy in the evolution of fusion technology.
Its contributions to fusion science and engineering have played a crucial role in accelerating the development of fusion energy, which promises to be a safe, low carbon and sustainable part of the world’s future energy supply.
- ENDS -
Looking inside the Joint European Torus tokamak at pulse #104522 from 3 October 2023, which set a new fusion energy record of 69 megajoules.
Fusion, the process that powers stars like our sun, promises a clean baseload source of heat and electricity for the long term, using small amounts of fuel that can be sourced worldwide from inexpensive materials.
When a mix of two forms of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) is heated to form a controlled plasma at extreme temperatures – 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun – they fuse together to create helium and release energy which can be harnessed to produce electricity.
Deuterium and tritium are two heavier variants of ordinary hydrogen and together offer the highest reactivity of all fusion fuels. At a temperature of 150 million degrees Celsius, deuterium and tritium fuse together to form helium and release a tremendous amount of heat energy without any greenhouse contributions. Fusion is inherently safe in that it cannot start a run-away process and produces no long-lived waste.
There is more than one way of achieving fusion. Our approach is to hold the hot plasma using strong magnets in a ring-shaped machine called a ‘tokamak’, and then to harness this heat to produce electricity in a similar way to existing power stations.
About the fusion energy fuel
Most approaches to creating commercial fusion favour the use of two hydrogen variants – deuterium and tritium. When deuterium and tritium fuse together they produce helium and vast amounts of energy – a reaction that will form the basis of future fusion powerplants.
Deuterium is plentiful and can be extracted from water. Tritium is a radioactive variant of hydrogen with a half-life of about 12 years. Tritium can be farmed from lithium.
About the final deuterium-tritium experiments (DTE3)
JET is the only tokamak fusion machine in operation capable of handling tritium fuel. The third round of experiments using deuterium and tritium fuel were conducted over seven weeks from 31st August to 14th October 2023. They focused on three areas – plasma science, materials science and neutronics.
JET's fusion energy record is a result of the advanced capability in operating deuterium-tritium plasmas. These experiments were primarily designed as the first-ever opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of minimising heat loads on the wall in a deuterium-tritium environment, crucial for ITER scenarios.
JET has been the largest and most successful fusion experiment in the world, and a central research facility of the European Fusion Programme. JET is based at the UKAEA campus in Culham, UK and has been a collective facility used by more than 31 European laboratories under the management of the EUROfusion consortium—experts, students and staff from across Europe, co-funded by the European Commission.
Since its inception in 1983 as a joint European project, JET has been at the forefront of groundbreaking achievements, spearheading the pursuit of safe, low-carbon, and sustainable fusion energy solutions to meet the world's future energy demands.
Over its lifetime JET has delivered crucial insights into the complex mechanics of fusion, allowing scientists to plan the international fusion experiment ITER and DEMO, the demonstration fusion power plant currently under design by the European fusion community.
Built by Europe and used collaboratively by European researchers over its lifetime, JET became UKAEA property in October 2021, celebrated its 40th anniversary in June last year, and ceased plasma operations at the end of 2023.
About EUROfusion
EUROfusion, the European Consortium for the Development of Fusion Energy, is at the forefront of advancing fusion technology with the goal of establishing fusion as a safe, sustainable, and economically viable source of energy. It champions the pursuit of fusion as a large-scale, sustainable energy source through its coordination of Europe's fusion research activities.
Operating under the Euratom Research and Training Programme, EUROfusion advances fusion technology and research across eight key missions, as detailed in the European Fusion Research Roadmap. The programme is dedicated to paving the way for fusion power plants, leveraging collaborative research and innovation to overcome the technical and scientific challenges of harnessing fusion energy. This effort is epitomized by EUROfusion's joint and very successful exploitation of fusion experimental machines across Europe, including the operation of JET until the end of 2023, showcasing a unique and concrete contribution to fusion science. This includes preparation for the scientific exploitation of ITER, as well as laying the technological groundwork for DEMO, the planned demonstration fusion power plant.
EUROfusion's commitment extends to fostering the next generation of European fusion researchers, ensuring a skilled workforce for ITER and future machines. By integrating efforts across 195 research entities in 29 European countries, EUROfusion is actively shaping the future of energy, emphasizing safety, sustainability, and economic viability in fusion technology.
The Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021-2025) is a complementary funding programme to the EU Horizon Europe Programme. It is dedicated to nuclear research and innovation in fission and fusion. The Euratom Programme includes both direct actions undertaken by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, and indirect actions conducted by multi-partner consortia. One example is EUROfusion, responsible for implementing Europe-wide fusion research.
With a budget of €1.38 billion for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, the Euratom Research and Training Programme is focused on the continuous improvement of nuclear safety, security, and radiation protection, as well as fusion energy research. €583 million is dedicated to indirect actions on fusion research and development.
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is the UK’s national organisation responsible for the research and delivery of sustainable fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Fusion energy has great potential to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon energy for generations to come. It is based on the same processes that power the Sun and stars, and would form part of the world’s future energy mix. Achieving this is a major technical challenge that involves working at the forefront of science, engineering, and technology.
UKAEA's fusion machines include MAST-Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) and the JET (Joint European Torus) research facility. JET's operations were funded by the UK Government from 2021 until 31st December 2023. UKAEA is delivering the transition of JET from plasma operations to repurposing and decommissioning, on behalf of the UK Government. The insights gained from this process will contribute to the advancement of sustainable future fusion powerplants.
UKAEA is implementing the UK’s £650 million Fusion Futures Programme, the UK's alternative programme to associating to Euratom R&T, to support the UK Fusion Strategy. The Programme entails establishing new facilities at UKAEA’s Culham Campus in Oxfordshire to facilitate the advancement of new technologies and expand fusion fuel cycle capabilities. The Programme aims to foster world-leading innovation while also stimulating general industry capacity through international collaboration and the development of future fusion powerplants. Additionally, a fusion skills package will be introduced focusing on nurturing expertise across a spectrum of disciplines and levels. In 2021, UKAEA opened its Fusion Technology Facility near Rotherham in South Yorkshire, to develop and test materials and components for future fusion powerplants.
UKAEA also undertakes cutting edge work with academia, other research organisations and the industrial supply chain in a wide spectrum of areas, including robotics and materials.
Record of UK’s historic biodiversity, with links to Charles Darwin, to be digitised
8 February 2024
A historic collection of more than 10,000 dried and pressed plant specimens, which dates back more than 200 years, is to be digitised and used to create a ‘time-capsule record of biodiversity in the UK’ to teach the ecology students of today and help the UK’s nature recovery.
The unique herbarium, which is now housed in the laboratories at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), is currently all in its original delicate paper format but it is being digitally photographed, recorded, and catalogued by staff, students, and volunteers at the University with the help of funding from Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society and the University’s own Cirencester Fund.
The collection is composed of around 10,000 plant specimens, dried and mounted on around 4,000 sheets, which predominantly date from between the 1820s and the 1920s with some later additions from between 1950 and 1970. The specimens are almost all UK species with many collected in and around the local Gloucestershire area. There is also an as-yet un recorded collection of moss, algae and lichen specimens.
RAU Associate Professor in Ecology Dr Kelly Hemmings, who is leading the project, said: “Natural science organisations are recognising the immense value of historic herbarium collections for tackling current environmental issues. Our specimens give the location and date at which they were collected helping us to piece together patterns of biodiversity change over the last two centuries.
“The research possibilities are endless – branching out into climate change, habitat management, genetics, and so much more. But until it is digitised, and the metadata collated, we have no way, other than manually sifting through the handwritten sheets, to know exactly what the collection holds, so this rich seam of data is effectively ‘hidden’ natural heritage.”
Many of the specimens were collected by the English geologist Samuel P Woodward who was Professor of Natural History and Geology at the Royal Agricultural College (RAC), now the RAU, between 1845, when the RAC was first established, and 1848. He went on to become Professor of Natural History at the British Museum.
Other specimens were collected by Woodward’s successor at the RAC James Buckman who was Professor of Geology, Botany, and Zoology at the RAC from 1848 to 1862.
Buckman created a botanical garden at the College where he conducted a number of botanical experiments, some of which are reported to have been mentioned in Darwin’s The Origin of Species. However, he subsequently fell out with the then Principal who, when Buckman resigned, ordered the botanical garden to be destroyed.
Dr Hemmings added: “The majority of specimens seem to have been collected and catalogued in the 19th century which means they are now very delicate and can only bear a minimum of handling but photographs and web pages can be revisited again and again meaning that this unique collection will be accessible to many more people than it is in its current paper form.”
The funding from the Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society has covered the fees and equipment for RAU graduate Sally-Anne Swannell to undertake a Master of Science by Research degree. Sally, who graduated from the RAU’s Wildlife Conservation FdSc last year and is a qualified natural history illustrator, is managing the digitisation process.
She said: “‘This is such an exciting project to be involved in. The collection is very old and the specimens are extremely delicate so it’s a gradual and intricate process but it’s a fantastic opportunity and a real privilege to be able to work with and research a collection like this one.
“We know that lots of different collectors contributed to the herbarium and the majority of the early specimens were collected by Samuel P Woodward, and his successor James Buckman, when they were working right here - at what was then the Royal Agricultural College - in the 1800s which is a really exciting link to the present-day University.”
The digitisation is expected to take around two years but, once it has been completed, it is hoped that the collection could help to unlock some of the history of biodiversity and plant species in the UK which will, in turn, help inform ecological management and nature recovery.
The Natural History Museum has offered advice and support, on topics such as data standards and best practice, in the leadup to the digitisation project, and it is planned that the RAU project will become part of DiSSCo UK, a partnership of more than 90 UK institutions, holding more than 138 million specimens collected from across the world, working together to harness the full potential of UK natural science collections through digitisation.
Cassie Newland, Associate Professor of Cultural Heritage at the RAU, added: “Archives are only useful if we can get the information out of dusty drawers and into current research, teaching, and wider conversations.
“This project aims to involve interested groups and individuals in the process of digitisation and analysis, as well as unlocking the valuable information held within the archive to international study.”
RAU Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Mark Horton commented: “In the 1840s and 1850s, the Royal Agricultural College, as it then was, was at the cutting edge of Victorian science. Figures like James Buckman were key contributors to Darwin’s theory of evolution and were victims of the intense debate that followed the publication of The Origin of the Species in 1859.
“This fascinating herbarium is an amazing survivor from those controversial times and it will be fantastic to have it all catalogued and in a format that we, and others, can use for research and future teaching to help us protect our precious and delicate world.” Notes:
James Buckman: During his time at the RAC, Buckman created a botanical garden on the north side of the College where he conducted a number of botanical experiments to ‘solve the problem of the identity of species’. He read papers to the British Association for the Advancement of Science from 1853, some of which were mentioned in Darwin's The Origin of Species in 1859.
Buckman is also cited in Darwin’s book The Variation of Animals & Plants Under Domestication and it is reported that he regularly corresponded with Darwin and is also cited in his published letters. He later edited various editions of Darwin’s works.
While at Cirencester, Buckman wrote an illustrated book on The Natural History of British Meadow and Pasture Grasses and Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation, and, in 1861-62, he co-edited a journal titled The Practical Farmer’s Chronicle and Journal of Agricultural Science. He contributed papers to the Proceedings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and to the Geological Society’s Transactions. He also helped to establish the Corinium Museum in Cirencester and was the museum’s first curator.
Around 1850, Buckman developed a new strain of parsnip which he named The Student Parsnip as it was originally developed as an experiment to prove to his students that existing strains of parsnip could be improved by crossing them with a wild parsnip. The results were so good that you can still buy the seed today.
Buckman's 1860 British Association report on his experiments supported evolution and the mutability of species, however Reverend John Constable, the Anglican Principal of the RAC, found Buckman’s theories distasteful. Buckman resigned his position in 1862 and Constable ordered the botanical gardens to be destroyed.
Buckman moved to Dorset in 1863 where he owned a farm at Bradford Abbas near Yeovil and wrote numerous articles on antiquarian, geological, and agricultural topics for the Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society.
The James Buckman Presentation Cup, an antique silver cup which was given to Buckman by his students and friends when he left the RAC, was sent back to the RAU from Canada, by Buckman’s great-great-granddaughters, in 2015. Since then, the Buckman Cup has been presented annually, either at Graduation or at the University’s Staff awards, to a member of staff in recognition of excellence in education.
The University’s library holds Buckman’s scrapbook (c. 1857-1865) containing his notes and drawings as well as a letter sent by Darwin to Buckman and evidence of Darwin’s referencing of Buckman’s works in his book The Variation of Animals & Plants Under Domestication vol 2, 1862.
Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society is the natural history recording organisation for Gloucestershire, recording all of the flora and fauna in the county. The society publishes a quarterly newsletter, a journal and an annual bird report as well as organising lectures and field meetings for members. The society was formed in 1948 with the aim of promoting an interest in the varied wildlife of the county. The society welcomes new members of all ages interested in the natural history of Gloucestershire.
The Cirencester Fund is generated from donations from former students of the Royal Agricultural College (RAC) and the Royal Agricultural University (RAU). The aim of the Fund is to support projects that enhance the student experience and for special projects that ensure that the ‘Cirencester experience’ remains truly unique. So far, donations RAC and RAU alumni have helped to create new learning spaces, helped to support our investment in digital technology as well as supporting other innovative projects. Funding has also helped unlock resources for our award-winning social enterprises providing real world business experience for our students.
DiSSCo UK is a partnership of institutions working together to harness the full potential of UK natural science collections through digitisation. Formed of more than 90 UK institutions holding more than 138 million specimens collected from across the world, DiSSCo UK aims to share resources, knowledge, and experience of digitisation to make UK collections accessible to all. DiSSCo UK’s activities will unlock a unique and valuable national resource to the world and enable the UK to be part of current and future scientific collaborations to find solutions to the biggest challenges of our time.
FORTY YEARS LATER
Royal Navy sailors clear tonnes of
waste abandoned on Antarctic island
after 1984 expedition
Protector returned to Brabant Island for her second clean-up effort as part of the One Tonne Challenge (Picture: Royal Navy)
Royal Navy sailors have removed three tonnes of rubbish from a remote island in Antarctica to help preserve its natural beauty.
Icebreaker HMS Protector returned to Brabant Island, on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, for the first time since 2017 to continue the work to remove abandoned equipment from an expedition in 1984.
Waste that had been previously been frozen in place was now able to be removed after subsequent thaw and freeze cycles made it accessible.
Under the watchful eye of the island's inhabitant chinstrap penguins, 29 members of HMS Protector headed ashore on the ship's Zodiac boats.
The operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Hannah Lee, was one of those taking part.
She said: "It was rewarding for the ship’s company to be able to conduct a clean-up and preserve the natural beauty of Antarctica.
"I was part of the team that did the initial clean-up in 2016/17 and it was interesting to see how much the snow had melted and how much more equipment had been exposed.
"Unfortunately, we were not able to get everything off the island due to permafrost and the severity of the landscape, however we have made it as safe as possible for the wildlife living there."
Brabant Island is a remote British Antarctic Territory which was discovered in 1898 and is home to the chinstrap penguin
The waste had been left over from a scientific mission by a Joint Services Expedition to Brabant Island in 1984.
Brabant, the second-largest island of the Palmer Archipelago within the British Antarctic Territory, has only been visited on six very brief occasions since its discovery in 1898.
HMS Protector's clean-up effort was part of the One Tonne Challenge.
First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, asked personnel to give up their spare time to get one tonne's worth of rubbish off beaches around the globe.
She works with partners including the British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and the governments of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.
UK Linda Bellos: A Trailblazer in Activism, Equality, and Black History
Written by Ian Thomas 07/02/2024
Linda Bellos OBE, a figure synonymous with advocacy, equality, and change, has been a dynamic force in British political and social activism since the 1980s. Her contributions to LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, feminism, and notably, Black History Month, have left an indelible mark on the UK’s landscape of social justice.
Linda Bellos was born in London in 1950 to a white Polish Jewish mother, Renee Sackman, and a Nigerian Yoruba father, Emmanuel Adebowale, who hailed from Uzebba and had joined the merchant navy during the Second World War. Her mother was disowned by her family for marrying an African Christian, a testament to the interracial and intercultural barriers Linda’s parents broke through. Raised in Brixton, Linda’s upbringing in a diverse and multicultural environment deeply influenced her perspectives on race, identity, and social justice.
Linda’s education journey reflects her diverse interests and intellect. She attended Silverthorne Girls’ Secondary Modern School and Dick Sheppard Comprehensive School, laying the groundwork for her later academic pursuits. She furthered her education at the University of Sussex from 1978 to 1981, a period that honed her critical thinking skills and solidified her commitment to social justice issues.
Political Beginnings and Leadership
Linda’s foray into politics was marked by her election to Lambeth Borough Council in 1986, where she made history as the first Black woman to hold the position of leader. Her tenure was characterised by her staunch defence of minority rights and her efforts to address social inequalities at a local level. Linda was not just a political leader; she was a visionary who sought to embed equality and diversity in the fabric of Lambeth’s policies and practices.
Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Rights
As an openly lesbian woman, Linda has been a fervent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Her activism is personal as well as political, bringing visibility to LGBTQ+ issues at a time when doing so was met with significant resistance and hostility. Through her work, Linda has fought for greater acceptance and rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, championing the cause in various capacities, including her influential role in shaping and advocating for progressive legislation.
Contribution to Racial Equality and Black History Month
Linda’s commitment to racial equality has been unwavering. Her involvement in the establishment and promotion of Black History Month in the UK is a testament to her dedication to celebrating the contributions and achievements of Black Britons. Linda’s work has included challenging institutional racism, promoting diversity in the workplace, and ensuring that Black history is recognised and honoured. Her leadership in the Black section of the Labour Party and her involvement in numerous anti-racism campaigns have underscored her dedication to achieving racial justice. By highlighting the importance of Black History Month, Linda has played a crucial role in educating the public and fostering a greater appreciation for the diverse tapestry of British history.
Feminism and Equality
A feminist through and through, Linda has worked tirelessly to elevate women’s issues and combat gender-based discrimination. Her feminism is intersectional, recognising the complex ways in which race, gender, sexuality, and class intersect to shape experiences of oppression and privilege. Her activism has contributed to significant discussions and developments in feminist theory and practice, particularly in highlighting the experiences of Black women and other marginalised groups.
Legacy and Ongoing Work
Linda’s legacy is a testament to her life’s work as an activist, leader, and advocate for social justice. Her contributions have been recognised with several honours, including an OBE for her services to diversity. Even in recent years, she continues to speak out on issues of equality and justice, participating in public debates, educational forums, and advocacy campaigns.
Her voice remains as vital and necessary today as it was when she first began her journey in activism. Linda Bellos’s story is not just one of personal achievement but a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and the impact one individual can have on the course of history.
Linda Bellos’s remarkable journey from a young woman confronting the injustices she saw in the world to a respected leader in the fight for equality demonstrates the power of resilience, courage, and conviction. Her multifaceted activism, especially her work on Black History Month, has paved the way for future generations to continue the fight for a fairer and more just society. As we reflect on her contributions, it becomes clear that Linda is not just a figure of the past but a continuing inspiration for those committed to the cause of equality and justice. The History of Black History Month This year in October we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Black History Month in the UK. And in doing so we recognise that it was first celebrated in 1987, eighteen months after the abolition of the Greater London Council, the GLC.
Written by Linda Bellos OBE
11/08/2017
I say this because I have heard some recent claims that Black History Month was initiated by Ken Livingstone whilst he was Leader of the GLC. I know it was not because I was one of the Leaders on the 15 Local Authorities which formed the body that took over the radical bits of the GLC after Margaret Thatcher’s Government after its abolition. The London Strategic Policy Unit (LSPU) recruited and employed hundreds of the staff that worked in the Ethnic Minority Unit, the Women’s Committee Support Unit and others of the progress GLC that Thatcher hated.
It was a difficult and demanding job to find ways of carrying on the progressive equalities work of the GLC but in the months leading up to abolition (31.3.1986) I and my fellow progressive Council Leaders across London did manage it just in time. I recall one of the most pressing issues was finding a building to house the LSPU but we did manage it. There was a particular irony for me because I was both a Councillor in Lambeth and an Officer working in the GLC and in the May of 1986 I was elected Leader of Lambeth Council and was soon sacked by Sir Tag Taylor whilst I worked for the successor body the London Residual Body(LRB) which took over the rundown of the GLC ‘s business after abolition.
I cannot recall exactly when Ansell Wong, the Head of the Ethnic Minority Unit (EMU) came to me with the idea of initiating Black History Month in the UK but I jumped at the idea. I had long argued for the inclusion of our struggles and triumphs in Britain having been a critic of the constant erasure of our people from British history. By then I was aware of people like Mary Seacole, from my days at Spare Rib where we did include story of her struggles uncovered by Elizabeth Onuwamu. I was very aware of how little Black children knew about the positive achievements of Black peoples, especially as my role as a Councillor in Lambeth made be very aware of how little positive support Black children were receiving whilst in so-called ‘Council Care’ . It was at this point that as Leader I insisted that the informal policy of Same Race Placement was made official.
So, having agreed the initiation of Black History Month I agreed that we would try to get Sally Mugabe to be a Guest of Honour and that we would use a large (and somewhat expensive) venue of the Commonwealth Institute. The nearest dates that fitted our Guest and the venue availability was October 1987. Hence Black History Month was held in October each year in contrast to being in February in the USA. Ironically when later Sue Sanders was considering running a similar initiative for the LGBT community she sought my advice (and approval) and I suggested that she ensure more control over what was done in the name of LGBT history Month than we had for Black History Month, I think it was me the suggested holding the event in February so that the UK and USA reversed the events.
By October 1988 we knew that we could no longer afford to keep the LSPU going Margaret Thatcher had won her third Election Victory in 1987. Sixteen of the Labour run Councils in London had been each contributing £1million so we agreed that we would close the LSPU but would absorb the staff across our various Councils. It was complicated but we did manage to do so for everyone who wanted to stay in Local Government. This was not however the end of Black History Month, because the duty under Section 71 of the Race Relations Act 1976 allowed us to promote good race relations etc. and those progressive Councils which had supported the LSPU tended to take that duty seriously, hence a series of Black History Month events across parts of London. Over the years they have been many and varied and some frankly have been awful. If I were in the same position again to start Black History Month I would call it African History Month not black or at the very least I would insist that Black had a capital letter and I think a steering group should propose an annual theme rather than letting anarchy and racism occur inadvertently due to lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance. I have been heard about what has happened in some schools across the UK that pick on the one or two African Heritage children and make them ‘perform’. Black History Month has been largely successful but it could be more so.
Linda Bellos is a former leader of Lambeth Council and a gay rights activist. She now runs a diversity consultancy. Linda was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to diversity
Editorial: British banks are still hurting humanity at home and abroad
A demonstrator during a pro-Palestine protest outside Barclays Bank's UK headquarters, in Canary Wharf, London, February 7, 2024
WHEN anti-war and solidarity activists blockade Barclays Bank they touch a deep-seated sense that this bank, and banks in general, are a malign force in the nation’s life.
Barclays, of course, has form as a prop to the South African apartheid regime so beloved of our ruling class and its political representative in the Tory government headed by Margaret Thatcher.
British banks, Barclays the first among this disreputable lot, are deeply involved in financing the illegal Israeli settlements that occupy Palestinian land and terrorise the Palestinians whose families have worked this land since time immemorial.
When the Palestine Solidarity Campaign showed that British banks are the sixth largest European creditor of the companies involved in these illegal settlements it led naturally to the demand, to be given powerful effect with tomorrow’s call to close accounts.
Weakening the customer base of banks is a sanction they understand. It is precisely the close integration of the banks with the other elements in the profit system — big business, the City of London conspiracy against the British people, the Bank of England and the vast assembly of companies that profit from our labour, the rents and mortgages we pay and the commodities we must buy in order to live — that makes bank boycotts such a valuable weapon.
This was demonstrated to great effect in the anti-apartheid campaigns of the 1970s and ’80s.
Last year it was revealed that 776 European financial institutions are involved with 51 companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements. British offenders include HSBC who provided £7.3 billion in loans as well as Santander, Lloyds and NatWest.
Of course, banks care nothing for Palestinian villagers and they care as little about our communities too.
Every High Street contains shuttered bank buildings, repurposed as charity shops or takeaways, that are testament to the great confidence trick perpetuated against working people that is online banking.
Just like the supermarket chains which make us work part-time as checkout assistants banks now force us to become unpaid online back office staff and bank cashiers.
Capitalism is crisis-driven to find ever more ingenious ways of extracting profit. Recruiting us as unpaid workers in the transactions that separate us from the wages from which our employers have already harvested surplus value is a true masterstroke by the exploiting class.
There are encouraging accounts that the Co-op Bank, which strayed far from its ethical origins when it was acquired by a private equity owner, is in talks that might result in its return to ownership as a mutuality enterprise.
This might increase the slim opportunities for customers to switch to a more ethical financial institution, a credit union or a mutually owned bank.
Co-ops, like credit unions and mutualities, are a good thing. The co-operative principle was pioneered by the working-class movement as a way to body-swerve predatory employers who compelled workers to use the company store and dodgy food manufacturers who adulterated the necessities of life.
Capitalist market realities limit on the challenge co-ops make to the profit system.
UK Government Investments is talking up the sale of the 35 per cent government share in NatWest acquired when the 2008 capitalist crash led to £46 billion of our money in a bailout.
A good idea would be for Labour to challenge the government to take the rest of NatWest into public ownership and use its £3,165 million profit as a springboard to extend popular control and ownership over the whole of the finance sector.
That would give a Labour government the tools for a green industrial investment programme well in excess of the £28bn scheme it has just abandoned.
