Department of the ENVIRONMENT
15 Jan 2000
The ancients used to believe that everything was composed of earth, air, water and fire. Now, of course, we know better. But for the environmental industries, the four elements represent the cornerstones of their businesses protecting the first three, and stopping products from the fourth from overheating and poisoning the atmosphere. Environmental Technology 98, being held at Birmingham's NEC on 2-4 June ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June, promises to showcase the latest equipment and research for achieving these goals (Enter 420 on enquiry card).
The show is the biggest so far, the result of a new partnership between Reed Exhibitions and environmental publisher Faversham House Group. This, according to exhibition director John Stuttard, makes ET 98 the UK's only all-in-one environmental event.
'The environmental industry is growing fast,' Stuttard comments. 'This industry is now the size of aerospace or pharmaceuticals, and demands one national platform to bring it together, and optimise the growth opportunities it provides to so many businesses.'
The environment is, of course, of international concern; and this dimension will be represented at the show. A delegation from the Yixing Industrial Park in Jiangsu Province, China, will be visiting the NEC as part of the Jiangsu Environmental Technical Support (JETS) project (421). This aims to reduce the impact that the small and medium-sized companies in Jiangsu have on the environment; and the delegation aims to attract inward investment and joint ventures to the area.
Industrial growth in Jiangsu has been extremely rapid over the past few years and, inevitably, the environment has suffered. To ameliorate these effects, the Chinese government has set up an environmental 'centre of excellence' at the Yixing Park, focusing on environmental control equipment and clean manufacturing process.
The delegation, led by the Park's director, Si Kai, intends to use the show to meet companies that might be interested in locating a manufacturing site in Yixing or Jiangsu, or in marketing products to local companies through the park's information centre; there will also be the opportunity to form joint ventures or set up cooperative projects with Yixing companies. A trade mission to Jiangsu is currently being organised.
Not to be left out, the Confederation of British Industry is hosting an Environment Day to update visitors on environmental legislation and techniques (422). One event, modelled on the BBC's Question Time programme, will be 'Talk-Back', where a panel including environment minister Michael Meacher and environmentalist Jonathan Porritt can be grilled on the subject 'Environmental regulation maze or masterplan'.
A CBI environment forum, running alongside this event and chaired by Keith Bury, European director of Wessex Waste Management, will feature an update of the CBI's lobbying efforts over future environmental legislation in the UK and Europe; discussions of environment management systems, the vital component for achieving ISO 14001 or EMAS certification (see box), and the pros and cons of green taxes; and an introduction to CONTOUR, a benchmarking tool developed by British Aerospace (423).
This might whet the appetite for more high-tech discussions, in which case a series of IBC technical and legal seminars could prove popular (424). These events will include presentations on the latest water technologies and flow measurement techniques; the Integrated Pollution Prevention And Control Directive; UK and European air quality legislation; water and effluent management in the food and drink industry; corrosion; and volatile organic compounds, among other subjects.
The Institution of Chemical Engineers is presenting its own series of seminars at the show, covering subjects such as the use of databases to capture 'corporate memory' of past incidents; use of the internet; and how information technology will impact on safety, health and environmental matters in the next century (425).
The practical side of the industry will also be well represented. The British Oil Spill Control Association (BOSCA), for example, is presenting a series of demonstrations, including the removal of oil from water surfaces by 'skimming'; showing recent technological improvements in efficiency of oil/water collection ratios (426). New absorbent materials, which soak up oil and not water, will also be on display and in action.
More watery goings-on could prove popular in the 'Confined Space Competition', an annual event but part of ET for the first time where water companies from across the UK will compete to overcome various 'hazards' within a purpose-designed, 400m2 construction of pipes and interconnected 'houses' against the clock (427). Closed-circuit TV cameras within the construction will relay the teams' antics to spectators.
This isn't just fun, stresses the organisers, WTI Training Group. All the hazards in the competition are based on real-life situations, and the competition is designed to show the need for training in environmental, health and safety matters within the water industry. As well as cooperating within a high-speed, high-stress situation, the team members and managers will be able to learn from each other the 'best practices' for working within high-risk environments.
The current trophy holder, South West Water, will be attending to defend its reputation, and companies including Severn Trent and Southern Water are currently competing in preliminary events. 'Fierce competition is building up in the participating organisations,' claims WTI.
