Publications 2007

297 - HIV in the UK (pdf 121KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2007
HIV and AIDS are one of the four most expensive areas of infectious disease, costing the NHS £400m per year for treatment alone. New HIV diagnoses in the UK continue to rise. The populations most affected by the virus have shifted considerably in recent years. Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) remain at most risk of contracting HIV but diagnoses are also particularly concentrated among Black Africans. UK-born heterosexuals are also at increasing risk. This POSTnote presents current infection and diagnosis trends, and discusses whether policies for HIV testing, education, and prevention reflect these changing patterns.

296 - Next generation telecoms networks (pdf 122KB)
Four page POSTnote, December 2007
Traditional telecommunications (telecoms) networks were developed to carry a single type of service, such as voice calls. In contrast, Next Generation Networks (NGNs) carry all types of services, including voice, video and e-mail, on a common platform. BT's planned roll-out of its £10bn '21st Century Network' (21CN) by 2012 will make the UK the first country to replace its incumbent telephone network with an NGN. NGNs offer significant cost savings to operators and new services to consumers, but there are also challenges in maintaining the quality, reliability and security of communications. Their introduction has been described as "the most significant change to telecoms networks since competition was introduced two decades ago".

295 - Climate change science (pdf 152KB)
Four page POSTnote, November 2007
In February 2007 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely to result from the observed increase in human caused greenhouse gases. This POSTnote examines the uncertainties of climate science, and the attribution of recent climate change.

294 - Public Opinions on Electricity Options (pdf 154KB)
Four page POSTnote, October 2007
The 2007 Energy White Paper states that the UK needs an extra 40 to 45% of electricity generating capacity over the next 20 years. However, there is increasing debate about the proposed development of new power plants in the UK. Given recent public interest in new technologies it is important to understand this debate not just in a technological framework, but also within its social context. This POSTnote considers the social acceptability of different forms of electricity generation (mainly measured through opinion polls). Please click on the link below for an appendix which details the opinion polls and studies included in the analysis. Appendix to POSTnote 294 - Opinion Polls and Studies (pdf 36KB)

293-Transport biofuels (pdf 115KB)
Four page POSTnote, August 2007
Transport accounts for 25% of the UK's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Low carbon fuels such as biofuels are expected to play a part in reducing CO2 emissions from the transport sector. Biofuels are produced from biomass (plant or animal material). They are renewable and have typically lower lifecycle CO2 emissions than petrol or diesel. 'Second generation' biofuels may offer even lower CO2 emissions, but these are not yet commercially available. Although biofuels can provide carbon savings, some groups are concerned about the environmental and socio-economic impacts of biofuel feedstocks, especially in developing countries. This POSTnote examines the issues relating to current and future transport biofuels.

292-Radio spectrum management (pdf 185KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
The radio spectrum supports services from air traffic control to wireless Internet. Demand for it is increasing with the rise in wireless and mobile services. This POSTnote discusses the UK move towards more liberalised spectrum use. It also outlines debate over the "Digital Dividend": the forthcoming release of radio spectrum as a result of the switchover from analogue to digital television.

291-Electronic waste (pdf 128KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
The UK produces around 15% of the EU's total waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). The disposal and low rates of recycling of electronic and electrical appliances, many containing toxic components, may pose an environmental hazard. The UK introduced new legislation in January 2007, to minimise WEEE, to support greater recycling and re-use, and to improve the monitoring of final disposal of materials. This POSTnote outlines the types of WEEE and examines the implementation and potential impacts of the legislation.

290-Voluntary carbon offsets (pdf 118KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
Carbon offsetting involves calculating a person or entity's greenhouse gas emissions and then purchasing 'credits' from emission reduction projects that have prevented or removed the emission of an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas elsewhere. The voluntary carbon offset market is growing at a rapid rate. However, there is considerable debate over both the merit of carbon offsets themselves, and the different types available. This POSTnote reviews the arguments over the availability of offset programmes, describes the carbon market and highlights some of the defining characteristics of a carbon offset.

289-Urban Flooding (pdf 116KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
Urban flooding due to drainage systems being overwhelmed by rainfall is estimated to cost £270 million a year in England and Wales; 80,000 homes are at risk. Its impacts are expected to increase if no policy changes are made. This POSTnote sets out the current approaches to managing urban drainage and examines proposals for improving them.

288-New industries in the deep sea (pdf 141KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
More than 70% of the Earth is covered by the oceans, which have an average depth of four kilometres. In the deep sea there is no light, low temperatures and crushing pressure, yet a wide variety of creatures are adapted to these extreme conditions. New technologies give unprecedented access to deep waters, revealing a wealth of new habitats and organisms, and also presenting opportunities for exploiting new resources. This POSTnote examines the specific cases of deep- seabed mineral extraction, bioprospecting and CO2 storage. It highlights the difficulties in promoting development of economic opportunities while protecting the deep sea environment.

287-Eating disorders (pdf 118KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
1.1 million people in the UK are estimated to be directly affected by eating disorders . These represent a significant public health concern due to their severe physical and emotional consequences and high rate of recurrence. They often develop during adolescence, thus impacting on social development and education. This POSTnote reviews the prevalence, possible causes and treatment of eating disorders, and highlights issues relevant to government policy in this area.

286-Grids and e-science (pdf 129KB)
Four page POSTnote, July 2007
Governments and industry worldwide are spending billions of pounds developing Grid computing - an evolution of the Internet that pools computer resources to process, store and access large amounts of data. Grids already have widespread applications in research and potential in industry and government. They are also an important part of e-science (science using advanced information and communications technologies). This note describes e-science and Grids and details key UK and international projects. It examines the potential impact of the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review on e-science, as well as wider policy issues such as Grid security.

285-Better brains (pdf 119KB)
Four page POSTnote, June 2007
As part of the Foresight Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs project a state of science review was carried out into current knowledge in the area of cognitive enhancers. These are factors that improve functions such as memory, learning and attention. The review concluded there would be significant improvements in our understanding of this area in the next twenty years, and that these would lead to an increase in the development of cognitive enhancers. It raised the possibility of otherwise healthy individuals using enhancers to boost their cognitive abilities. This POSTnote reviews existing methods of cognitive enhancement along with likely future developments, and considers the regulatory and ethical questions that they pose.

284-Tackling malaria in developing countries (pdf 120KB)
Four page POSTnote, May 2007
Malaria is a parasitic disease responsible for the deaths of at least a million people every year, 90% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest death toll occurs in children under five. Despite effective prevention and treatment methods, the burden of malaria remains high. The UK has agreed to the UN Millennium Development Goal of halting the spread of malaria by 2015. This note examines progress towards this target and considers the remaining UK and international priorities.

283-Health behaviour (pdf 121KB)
Four page POSTnote, May 2007
Behaviours such as stopping smoking, moderation of alcohol intake, healthy eating and physical activity can reduce the risks of developing serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, promoting the uptake of healthier behaviour presents challenges, both at the individual and population levels. This POSTnote will describe the importance of health behaviour change and the challenges to such change.

282-Energy and sewage (pdf 682KB)
Four page POSTnote, April 2007
Water and energy management are important and interrelated issues. Sewage treatment, that is, the physical, chemical and biological processes used to clean industrial and domestic wastewater, has improved significantly over the past 20 years, with approximately 75% of UK rivers now of good biological and chemical quality. However, the energy required to treat sewage to this standard is high; the water industry is the fourth most energy intensive sector in the UK. Further tightening of water quality standards suggest energy costs will increase. This POSTnote evaluates options for sewage treatment in terms of energy conservation and renewable energy generation.

281-Ecosystem services (pdf 122KB)
Four page POSTnote, March 2007
The natural environment provides people with goods and services that are fundamental to human wellbeing. Damage to the environment is seriously degrading these services and this will have economic implications. This POSTnote outlines what ecosystem services are, and how provisions for maintaining them in the UK could be incorporated into policy frameworks.

280-Electricity in the UK (pdf 147KB)
Four page POSTnote, February 2007
Electricity generation accounts for around 30% of UK carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In the next decade, many coal and nuclear plants will close, leaving the UK increasingly dependent on imported gas. Government sets out two priorities in its Energy Review : security of energy supply and emissions reductions. This POSTnote discusses challenges facing electricity networks in the light of these priorities, such as connecting renewable generators in remote areas, and incorporating small-scale generation. It discusses barriers to progress, and policy options such as planning reform and incentives.

279-Internet governance (pdf 120KB)
Four page POSTnote, February 2007
There is increasing international debate on ‚'Internet governance‚', which encompasses a variety of public policy issues related to internet infrastructure, management and use. This POSTnote describes the structure of the Internet and summarises the debate over its management. It also discusses the prospects for its international governance, following the first meeting of the UN-sponsored Internet Governance Forum.

278 Alzheimer's and dementia (pdf 156KB)
Four page POSTnote, February 2007
In the UK, an estimated 750,000 people suffer from Alzheimer‚'s and other dementia disorders. Dementia makes independent living either difficult or impossible in the later stages. As the UK population ages, the number of cases are predicted to rise over the next two decades placing a significant demand on health and social services. This POSTnote reviews current understanding of the causes of dementia, the hopes for interventions, and the UK‚'s current position in terms of handling future demand for services.

277-Strategic science (pdf 133KB)
Four page POSTnote, January 2007
As the Prime Minister stated in November this year ‚"science will be as important to our economic future as stability.‚" Indeed, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) were among the higher education (HE) subjects identified in 2005 as being strategically important and vulnerable. Set against this background are downward trends in the numbers of students studying certain STEM subjects and closures of STEM departments in UK universities. This POSTnote outlines trends in STEM education and the possible reasons for them, and looks at their significance in terms of supply and demand of STEM qualifications. It also examines issues concerned with closures of university STEM departments.

276-Ethnicity and health (pdf 121KB)
Four page POSTnote, January 2007
Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups generally have worse health than the overall population, although some BME groups fare much worse than others, and patterns vary from one health condition to the next. Evidence suggests that the poorer socio-economic position of BME groups is the main factor driving ethnic health inequalities. Several policies have aimed to tackle health inequalities in recent years, although to date, ethnicity has not been a consistent focus. This POSTnote reviews the evidence on ethnic health inequalities, the causes and policy options.

275-UK trees and forests (pdf 122KB)
Four page POSTnote, January 2007
Trees and forests can provide a range of benefits that are often complementary. Some of these benefits derive from green space in general, but forests may also offer unique opportunities. The social and environmental value of woodland and forest in Great Britain has been estimated to be worth up to ‚£1 billion a year. This POSTnote explores the issues surrounding the sustainable management of existing and new forest in the UK.