Protecting Our Planet with Technology

Patron: Dr Inès Otosaka

Director for Operations, NERC Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) and Lecturer in Physical Geography, Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University.

Inès is a glaciologist and remote sensing expert at Northumbria University. After studying maths, physics, and engineering in France and Sweden, she moved to the UK to pursue a PhD in Earth Observation at the University of Leeds. There she used satellite data to track changes in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and estimate how much these large bodies of ice contribute to rising sea levels. 

Inès's research focuses on using satellite data from missions such as ESA's CryoSat-2 to measure ice sheet melting and produce robust estimates of the ice sheets' contribution to sea level rise that can be used by a wide range of stakeholders. Through her research, Inès had the chance of participating in field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic to collect in-situ measurements to validate and improve satellite retrievals over the ice sheets.

Panellist: Joshua Gribben - PhD Student at The University of Strathclyde’s Applied Space Technology Laboratory (ApSTL).

Josh is an Aerospace Engineer at the University of Strathclyde pursuing a PhD in Satellite Networking. His academic interests are in the development and use of space technology and space-based data services to address global challenges and improve lives on Earth.

Josh’s current research focuses on modelling the satellites in Earth's ever-more crowded orbital environment to assess opportunities for cooperation between existing constellations. This work will empower a shift to a more autonomous, cooperative space ecosystem by showing the improvements that stakeholder cooperation can bring to space-based services.

Josh also has significant interest in human space travel and was recently selected as an Analog Astronaut for Lunares Research Centre in Piła, Poland. He served as Executive Officer/Commander to an international crew during a 2-week isolation mission in which the crew lived and worked in a simulated lunar habitat in the Polish countryside. Here they developed and improved operational procedures and conducted experiments related to teamwork and mental health in isolated environments.

Panellist: Frances McGinley - Earth Observation Instrumentation PGRA, University of Edinburgh.

Frances is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Edinburgh working on the development of satellite instruments to detect greenhouse gases such as methane and NO2.  High-quality satellite data is essential for identifying and locating greenhouse gas emissions. This emission data is needed to help shape effective policies that can mitigate the effects of climate change.  

 Frances recently graduated from her integrated master's programme in Physics where her dissertation focused on refining the spectral design of a high-spatial resolution methane detection instrument. After graduation, she joined the research group full-time and now does computational modelling to further improve the design and performance of greenhouse gas-detection instruments the team is working on.

Panellist: Callum O'Connell - Extrusion and Sourcing Manager, Notpla.

The convenience of disposable products has led to an alarming accumulation of waste, with approximately 300 million tons of plastic produced annually, half of which is intended for single-use items—an amount equal to the weight of the entire human population. This plastic pollution wreaks havoc on marine ecosystems, filling the stomachs of whales and threatening the survival of sea turtles. Projections suggest that by 2050, plastic could outweigh fish in the oceans. Moreover, the plastic production process, from extraction to refinement, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, undermining global climate objectives.

Callum is an Extrusion and Sourcing Manager at Notpla, a groundbreaking startup dedicated to revolutionising packaging with sustainable alternatives. His work focuses on scaling up of eco-friendly packaging materials derived from seaweed and sourcing sustainable raw materials. In 2022, Notpla earned the Earthshot Prize Award in the 'Build a Waste-Free World' category, recognizing its innovative solutions to environmental challenges. After completing his MPhil in Marine Science, Callum lived in rural Scotland for 4 years, first as a researcher studying seaweed diseases, then as a seaweed farmer and seed supplier. At Notpla, Callum and his colleagues hope to develop compostable pellets made entirely from seaweed and natural materials. These pellets can be moulded into a variety of sustainable products, such as disposable cutlery, offering a promising solution to the global problem of single-use plastics and paving the way for a more environmentally conscious future.