The 12th – 21st of March is National Science and Engineering Week. Now I know I have written before that we have weeks for everything, but this is an important one and is worthy of more than passing interest. Co-ordinated by the British Science Association and funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills the week provides opportunities for hundreds of organisations and thousands of individuals to participate in science, engineering and technology events and activities across the country. Last year the week reached around 15m people with over 3,500 events across the UK.
The theme for this year’s week is ‘Earth’ which will compliment 2010’s International Year of Biodiversity. As part of planned activities there will be a number of exciting projects which will include ‘What on earth?’ which will be a call for the general public to go outside, rediscover their surroundings and send in a plant or animal that they don’t recognise. This will be studied and judged by a panel of experts who will then make a presentation of a bio-diversity roof garden to a school in the area or region that sends in the most photos.
There will also be a series called ‘Save our Species’ which will encourage children and adults to think about endangered species and will try and raise awareness of the threats to UK biodiversity. There is a pack available to coincide with the week and this can be obtained at
www.nsew.org.uk
. This identifies what events are happening in the immediate area encouraging everyone who wants to, to get involved.
With all the controversy over Climategate where the climate change scientists at the University of East Anglia have been accused of manipulating data, something they strenuously deny, we need to take the chance of restoring our faith in science and this week gives us that possibility.
There are so many ways in which this week matters to us locally given the strength of the Valleys is based around engineering and is increasingly renowned for science and technology especially in the fields of medicine and the environment. I was therefore pleased to attend the launch by Stroud College of its engineering initiative last week. Undertaken by Lord (Paul) Drayson, the Science Minister, this will really put Stroud on the map.
I hope that we can do our part to emphasise the importance of the week and what will follow. If only a few more youngsters turn on to science as a result of the week then it will all have been worthwhile and if we can restart engineering courses at Stroud College that will be a legacy worth treasuring.
David Drew
MP for the Stroud Constituency