Shift your focus

Sorry, The Engineer, but despite your attempt to talk up the 'engineering to save the planet' stuff (cover feature, 4 May 2009) it all looks more like 'nice work if you can get it' for the academic fraternity.

I would like to spend my days dreaming up amazing machines such as sunshades in space, but there isn't much call for them in the West Midlands.

The chances of any of this stuff ever being built are almost zero in my opinion, but I suppose they stretch the imagination of some of our university engineers.

The rest of us have to make a living in the car or aerospace industries, where there is not the same luxury for pondering the bigger questions but there is an urgent need for something to kick new life into UK engineering.

With all due respect I think it is us, rather than the sunshade brigade, that you should be concentrating on.

T Hunt, Coventry