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Food for thought

On this week’s menu is food, specifically how the UK will feed itself in the light of projected huge increases in global demand and the potential effects of climate change on agriculture.

The government launches a consultation on the issue today and if anyone believes this is a matter for farmers with little relevance to engineering and technology, think again. As The Engineer highlighted in its feature Growth Industry, advanced technology, whether in the form of industrial-style automation or the latest communications and mapping systems, will play a key role in keeping our food on the table.

They appear not to know the meaning of the phrase ‘summer holiday’ over at NASA. This week the US space agency is due to examine a range of technology demonstrators to see how they will operate in zero gravity, review its options for human space flight in the post-shuttle era and continue to gear up for the next planned shuttle launch to the International Space Station at the end of the month.

Back on the ground, on Thursday VW and Porsche are expected to unveil more details of their planned merger.

Andrew Lee, Editor

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The Engineer 14 May 2012

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Local authorities in Cumbria and Kent are discussing the possibility of deep-level nuclear waste repositories, where waste will be sealed into underground vaults for thousands of years. What are your feelings about this method of disposing of high- and intermediate-level nuclear waste?

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