THE Ministry of Defence stands accused of breaking its promise to screen
soldiers exposed to depleted uranium in the Gulf and Kosovo
(快猫短视频, 26 May, p 3).
I asked Lewis Moonie, the veterans鈥� minister, whether the accusation was fair.
Moonie admitted that in some part it was. But the MoD wants its programme of
screening to be open to public scrutiny and based on the best available
scientific advice. After various consultation exercises, the MoD revealed its
plans for 鈥渧alidated urine tests鈥� on all Gulf and Kosovo veterans to detect any
traces of uranium. A board of supervisors, primarily academics not on its
payroll and representatives of veterans, will keep an eye on the process.
The MoD, said the minister, recognises that this will take some time to set
up. It wants its testing regime to get the thumbs-up from scientists and
veterans alike. Meanwhile, the MoD is urgently implementing a screening
programme for any veterans who are concerned that depleted uranium has adversely
affected their health.
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Moonie added that the MoD accepts the need for more research on the risks of
exposure to depleted uranium. It supports the Royal Society鈥檚 recent report
(26 May, p 6),
and had already included many of the recommendations in it for its
screening tests and for a future research programme.
I applaud the MoD鈥檚 urgency in kick-starting the screening programme. The
need is real.
MORE THAN 1 in 10 of the deaths on Britain鈥檚 roads result from drivers
falling asleep at the wheel, according to the Automobile Association. After
attending a presentation on research into driver drowsiness by Jim Horne of
Loughborough University of Technology, I came across the 快猫短视频
news item on spy cameras that can be mounted into car dashboards to warn drivers
when they are dropping off
(24 March, p 24).
Lord Whitty, the transport minister, reckons that the AA figure is very
difficult to confirm. He said Horne and his team looked into it for the
Transport Department. They concluded that drowsiness could be a factor in about
10 per cent of accidents on Britain鈥檚 road. Whitty鈥檚 view is that driver
alertness should not depend on costly high-tech devices that might not work in
all circumstances. Drivers must make sure that they are fit to drive every time
they get behind the wheel.
Good. But I feel sure that technological devices have a part to play, too.
IBM, for example, has now developed a device that promises to keep drivers awake
(21 July, p 24).
HUGE chunks of Britain鈥檚 peat bogs have been dug up to enrich the nation鈥檚
flower and vegetable beds. It鈥檚 a sad fate for these valuable wildlife habitats,
home to many important species of birds, a wealth of unusual plants and
thousands of rare insect species. Only a fragment of near-natural bog remains
and most of what鈥檚 left is threatened by the spiralling demand for garden
compost. Now a 拢1.3 million project is designed to reverse some of the
damage.
Peat cutting will be made illegal and peat-bog drainage greatly reduced.
Owners of peatland will be compensated for their loss of income. The project is
the brainchild of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and has the backing of MPs in
Westminster and Edinburgh. I am delighted.
Funds from the European Union and British Petroleum are to go to the
initiative. I hope the SWT鈥檚 foresight will be matched by that of the police,
who will have to take action against any illicit peat snatching. That could be
easier said than done.