Group News
Rapid adjustment review
New paper reviewing rapid adjustments to cloud, open access - so go ahead and download!
- Andrews, T., Gregory, J. M., Forster, P. M., Webb, M. J., Cloud Adjustment and its Role in CO2 Radiative Forcing and Climate Sensitivity: A Review,
Professor Piers Forster has been awarded a Wolfson Research Merit Award by the Royal Society
15 November 2011
Professor Piers Forster in the School of Earth and Environment has been awarded a Wolfson Research Merit Award by the Royal Society. The scheme provides 5 years' funding for Prof Forster to continue working on climate change related issues. Jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the scheme aims to provide universities with additional support to enable them to retain respected scientists of outstanding achievement
- Forecasted PV and CSP outpurt changes
In her latest paper Julia Crook and colleagues examined how projected changes in temperature and insolation over the 21st century affeceted photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) output. Our calculations indicate that PV output from 2010 to 2080 is likely to increase by a few percent in Europe and China, see little change in Algeria and Australia, and decrease by a few percent in western USA and Saudi Arabia. CSP output is likely to increase by more than 10% in Europe, increase by several percent in China and a few percent in Algeria and Australia, and decrease by a few percent in western USA and Saudi Arabia. The results are robust to uncertainty in projected temperature change. A qualitative analysis of uncertainty in projected insolation change suggests strongest confidence in the results for Europe and least confidence in the results for western USA.
Climate change impacts on future photovoltaic and concentrated solar power energy output
Julia A. Crook, Laura A. Jones, Piers M. Forster and Rolf Crook
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 3101-3109
22 Sept 2011. Our ability to model past climates does not guarantee future success
- PDFs for the Arctic and tropics mean 1918-1940 warming trends The dotted vertical lines show the observed trends
Julia Crook's latest paper from her PhD was published today in JGR (Crook and Forster, 2011) - and chosen to be specially highlighted by the editor. The paper shows that past trends in climate must be very carefully understood before using them to model the future. It was also the issues most downloaded paper.
See press release here.
Rhys Moore gets a Double Distinction!
- Tony Windross and Rhys Moore with the Climate Change Machine
Rhys Moore helped build the climate change machine and used the ongoing trials and tribulations as the basis for his BTEC National engineering certificate project. He did amazingly well in his BTEC and has earned an overall grade of "double dintinction", scoring an unbelievable 36 -double points for his project - well done Rhys!
Sept 2011. New ACP paper published
A new ACP paper published today estimates the aerosol indirect of carbonaceous aerosol for the first time. Dom Spracklen led the work. Alex Rap and Piers Forster performed the radiative forcing calculations.
See http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/9067/2011/acp-11-9067-2011.html
July 2011. Well done Jonathan!
- Jonathan Wild (Centre) with Dom Spracklen (left) and Piers Forster (right)
Jonathan Wild, former chairman and chief executive of one of Yorkshire’s best-known businesses, Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, was yesterday (14 July) presented with an honorary degree by the University of Leeds in recognition of his outstanding achievements.
The Honorary Doctorate of Laws was conferred upon Jonathan following his 30 year career with Bettys & Taylors. During this time, the company was regularly featured in the Sunday Times ‘Best 100 Companies to work for’ list and in 2007 it was honoured at the highest level when it received its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, only awarded to companies with the highest social and ethical values.
Jonathan is also a passionate conservationist and during the last 20 years he has led the company’s initiative to plant three million trees in tea and coffee growing countries around the world through the ‘Trees for Life’ scheme. The business has now moved from planting trees to preventing their destruction with the launch of the Yorkshire Rainforest Project which aims to help save an area of rainforest the size of Yorkshire.
“It is, of course, a tremendous honour to be recognised in this way, particularly by such a great university. I have seen firsthand some of the outstanding work carried out by its world-leading experts in the School of Earth and the Environment through their involvement in the United Bank of Carbon, a charity of which I am a trustee,” explains Jonathan.
“The School has been instrumental in helping us to create the largest database of certified rainforest protection projects in the world which we are now seeking to partner with businesses. It’s a great example of how businesses and the academic world can work together.”
Honorary degrees were also be conferred upon Corinne Bailey Rae; biologist Professor David Stuart; and NHS Director General of Research and Development, Dame Sally Davies.