Deep carbon emission reductions in existing UK social housing: are they achievable, and how can they be funded?

As part of the UK's effort to combat climate change, deep reductions in carbon emissions will be required from existing social housing. The potentially high cost of the required stock refurbishment is a key barrier to the achievement of this goal. No assessments exist to date of the viability of achieving deep emission cuts whilst overcoming this financial barrier. For this study, this viability has been assessed for Peabody, a large housing association operating in London. A model of energy use, carbon emissions and refurbishment costs has been developed for Peabody's existing stock. Various approaches to stock refurbishment up to 2030 were modelled, and outputs were assessed against four socio-economic scenarios, reflecting uncertainty about future fuel prices and efforts to mitigate climate change. Carbon emission reduction was assessed against the target set by the Greater London Authority (GLA) for 2025 for London in the London Climate Change Action Plan. The results indicate that the GLA's target can only be achieved through extensive stock refurbishment and only then against a background of substantial efforts to reduce UK carbon emissions. Despite assumptions of considerable financial support for refurbishment in the scenarios studied, the required measures require a significant increase in net expenditure and are therefore not financially viable for Peabody without extra funding. These findings point towards a future context where carbon emission reduction in housing is increasingly reliant on measures that may not provide net savings over the long term. The existence of a funding gap leads to the question of how it could be bridged. Two options for achieving this are explored: increasing rents or selling properties. The option of increasing rents is shown to have some potential in Peabody's case, as current rent levels are relatively low, but would require changes in Government policies on permitted rent increases

‘Green’ on the ground but not in the air: Pro-environmental attitudes are related to household behaviours but not discretionary air travel

The rise in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel could be reduced by individuals voluntarily abstaining from, or reducing, flights for leisure and recreational purposes. In theory, we might expect that people with pro-environmental value orientations and concerns about the risks of climate change, and those who engage in more pro-environmental household behaviours, would also be more likely to abstain from such voluntary air travel, or at least to fly less far. Analysis of two large datasets from the United Kingdom, weighted to be representative of the whole population, tested these associations. Using zero-inflated Poisson regression models, we found that, after accounting for potential confounders, there was no association between individuals’ environmental attitudes, concern over climate change, or their routine pro-environmental household behaviours, and either their propensity to take non-work related flights, or the distances flown by those who do so. These findings contrasted with those for pro-environmental household behaviours, where associations with environmental attitudes and concern were observed. Our results offer little encouragement for policies aiming to reduce discretionary air travel through pro-environmental advocacy, or through ‘spill-over’ from interventions to improve environmental impacts of household routines

The abolition of the General Teaching Council for England and the future of teacher discipline

With the abolition of the General Teaching Council for England in the 2011 Education Act, this article considers the future of teacher discipline in England. It provides a critique of the changes to the regulation of teacher misconduct and incompetence that draws on a Foucauldian framework, especially concerning the issue of public displays of discipline and the concomitant movement to more hidden forms. In addition, the external context of accountability that accompanies the reforms to teacher discipline are considered including the perfection of the panoptic metaphor presented by the changes to Ofsted practices such as the introduction of zero-notice inspections. The article concludes that the reforms will further move teachers from being occupational professionals to being organisational professionals marking them apart from comparable professions in medicine and law

Lime stabilisation for earthworks: a UK perspective

Lime stabilisation is a versatile technique applied during earthworks operations. Modern soil recycling units are much more efficient at pulverising fill material and intermixing the added binder/water than machinery available 20 years ago. While supplier innovation adds flexibility to the site working method, specifications have not been sufficiently updated to permit optimal application. This review paper details the physico-chemical changes instigated through the lime-clay soil reaction, updating previous reviews. It aims to assist scientific debate, current practitioners and future specification changes. For example, the application of the minimum 24 h mellowing periods (mandatory to UK specifications) with high reactivity, quicklime powders is concluded to cause increased air voids in the compacted fill. Increased air voids are associated with reduced long-term strength and potential volume change from water ingress, which is of particular concern for sulfate swelling. Shorter mellowing periods and/or use of hydrated lime may lesson this issue; however, a 'one size fits all' approach is discouraged in preference to site-specific methodologies refined to suit the fill material and project requirements. The discussion also summarises working methods which may lower the risk of sulfate swell and defines areas requiring further practical research

Comparison of two pancreatic enzyme products for exocrine insufficiency in patients with cystic fibrosis

Background: Zenpep (APT-1008) is a pancreatic enzyme product for the treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: Zenpep and Kreon, both containing 25,000 lipase units, were compared in a randomised, double-blind, crossover, non-inferiority study for CF-associated EPI in patients aged ≥12 years. Patients on a standardised diet and stabilised treatment were randomised to two treatment sequences: Zenpep/Kreon or Kreon/Zenpep. The primary efficacy endpoint was the coefficient of fat absorption over 72 h (CFA-72 h). Results: 96 patients (mean age 19.2 years, 60.4% males) were randomised with 83 completers of both sequences comprising the efficacy population. Zenpep demonstrated non-inferiority and equivalence to Kreon in fat absorption (LS mean CFA-72 h: Zenpep, 84.1% [SE 1.1] vs. Kreon, 85.3% [SE 1.1]; p = 0.297). Safety and tolerability were similar. Conclusions: Zenpep is comparable with Kreon in efficacy and safety for the treatment of adolescents and adults with CF-associated EPI. NCT0164139

Super Yang-Mills on the lattice with domain wall fermions

The dynamical N=1, SU(2) Super Yang-Mills theory is studied on the lattice using a new lattice fermion regulator, domain wall fermions. This formulation even at non-zero lattice spacing does not require fine-tuning, has improved chiral properties and can produce topological zero-mode phenomena. Numerical simulations of the full theory on lattices with the topology of a torus indicate the formation of a gluino condensate which is sustained at the chiral limit. The condensate is non-zero even for small volume and small supersymmetry breaking mass where zero mode effects due to gauge fields with fractional topological charge appear to play a role.Comment: LaTeX, 35 pages, 11 eps figures. A few changes in sec. 5.3, figure 11 added. To appear in Phys. Rev.