MY HOPES rose when I read that air travellers could soon be asked merely to
walk through a tunnel system that can sniff out narcotic drugs and explosives
(快猫短视频, 5 August, p 7).
Could this be the end of those infernal
queues at passenger search points? Ion Track Instruments of Massachusetts has
developed a 鈥渟niffer portal system鈥� able to pick up the telltale signs of
contraband just from the air flowing over somebody鈥檚 body. I asked Ian
McCartney, a Cabinet Office minister with responsibilities for overseeing
policies against narcotic drugs, whether he thought this idea was a runner.
Customs and Excise are always interested in new technology to help them
search for prohibited goods at airports, said McCartney. They are aware of the
sniffer portal. But they must rely on their scientific experts for advice and to
perform any rigorous tests. The technology is now being evaluated in the US and
cannot yet be considered proven. Customs officials are in contact with Ion Track
Instruments and will be monitoring their evaluation of the device, said
McCartney.
So I have a question for ministers next session: how far has monitoring and
evaluation progressed on the sniffer portal system?
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COLIN HUMPHREYS, the Goldsmiths鈥� Professor of Materials Science and
Metallurgy at Cambridge University, gave an outstanding presentation at the
annual Parliamentary Links Day for MPs to meet members of the Royal Society of
Chemistry. He told us that the city of Denver in Colorado had decided to replace
all its red and green traffic lights with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Denver
traffic scientists reckon that the city鈥檚 power bill for traffic lights will
drop from $330,000 to $26,000 a year. They also reckon that the
change over to LEDs will save annual power station emissions by more than 8
million kilograms of carbon dioxide, over 25,000 kilograms of sulphur dioxide
and more than 25,000 kilograms of nitrogen oxides. This saving is equivalent to
planting an 800-hectare forest in the middle of Denver or removing about 1000
cars from its roads. Because of the much lower maintenance costs and energy
usage, the project should save nearly $5 million over the LEDs鈥� lifetime,
after paying for itself, said Humphreys.
His Cambridge research group believes it could make Britain a world leader in
the production of highly efficient LEDs with a relatively modest grant from the
DETR. White LEDs in home and office lighting would give substantial energy
savings and be a major factor in meeting our targets for reducing CO2
emissions.
WE STILL have piracy on the high seas, and it鈥檚 no joke. As Peter Hadfield
reported recently
(快猫短视频, 12 August, p 14) the London-based
International Maritime Bureau has developed a ship-tracking device called
ShipLoc which is so small that pirates can鈥檛 find it. Even the crew don鈥檛 know
where it鈥檚 hidden, so they can鈥檛 be forced to reveal its location. I asked Keith
Hill, a junior minister at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the
Regions whose job includes shipping and freight policy, what the government
thinks of the new technology.
Piracy and armed robbery are major problems in British and international
waters, Hill said, and Britain supports efforts to tackle them through the
International Maritime Organization. Countries in areas afflicted by piracy
should work together to achieve common standards of reporting incidents and
their response to them. He and his officials are keeping a close eye on
developments such as ShipLoc, the minister added. If an effective deterrent
against piracy emerges, the government would look to the IMO to help promote its
use.
