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Name:
Liz
Smith
Qualifications:
BA fine art, ITEC ICM GPP IFH complementary practitioner
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| Q:
What types of jobs did you do in your past life? |
|
A:
Television and New Media production.
|
| Q:
What experience do you think you gathered from them? |
| A:
An ability to work well with people, think fast on feet, and
think creatively for new solutions under pressing deadlines. |
| Q:
What area are you currently working in now? |
| A:
I work as an artist and complementary practitioner. |
| Q:
What interests you about it? |
| A:
I come from a long line of allopathic and complementary
practitioners in my family so I suppose there is a natural
inclination towards the field. |
| Q:
Are you interested in environmental issues? |
| A:
I breathe, I drink, I eat, so yes therefore I am. Environmental
issues are integral to all of us. In terms of complementary
health, it is by definition holistic which infers working
towards and living towards balance with ones self and environment. |
| Q:
What aspects of the environment really interest you and why? |
|
A:
There is no particular aspect of the environment I am more
interested in than others, as I see the environment and
environmental issues interdisciplinary and very relevant
and practical to daily life as opposed to fragmented or
abstract.
I
have been vegetarian for over 25 years, have lived and worked
in sustainable eco communities in the USA, grew organic
food, read small is beautiful and built a Buckminster Dome
in a team as a teenager.
Over
20 years ago I joined Women in World Development, a project
that focused on water issues in third world countries. Most
women were/are the water bearers, walking miles daily to
gather clean water and the WIWD worked with women in their
communities to help establish sustainable water systems.
I
have never been motivated to go green because of trends,
or economic climate, it has always been an integral part
of my life. Self-sufficiency is quite punk rock - DIY, and
hard work, and not perhaps a lifestyle fit for nature loving
hippies!!
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| Q:
How do you see the environmental agenda progressing in Britain? |
|
A:
On the positive side, initiatives like HBC are leading the
forefront in sustainable building involving community. The
government needs to support this, doing more in this country
to educate people about the part they can play in their
local community.
Even
recycling in the USA, although consumption is high, consciousness
about recycling is much stronger than in the UK, as people
of all ages have been recycling for years.
An
average inner-city or suburban wife will sit down and cut
out the plastic from business envelopes and put the paper
in the paper recycling and the scrap of plastic in the plastic
recycling. I know so-called green people in the UK who never
recycle and I don't get that.
|
| Q:
What sustainable technologies do you see finding adoption
in the UK by 2010 and why? |
| A:
My dream world would be a regreening of Britain. No mobile
masts, recycling and its by-products making roads, heating
etc., Solar and wind power providing the majority of energy,
less car dependency, more bike lanes, no GM food! |
| Q:
Is the environment and complimentary health a burgeoning sector
in the long term or just a fad? |
| A:
Complementary health has been around for thousands of
years, it’s only perhaps now that many people are not
satisfied with one option or options that have run their historical
or consumptive gauntlet. Complementary health takes in the
whole picture, likewise so does awareness of the environment. |
| Q:
Why are more women attracted to it than men? |
| A:
That is an assumption. I am not sure where you get your
information from? Historically, women have traditionally had
an active role as healers in their of communities and perhaps
there is a reclamation of sorts in society, but on the whole
in present society both women and men equally practice and
attend treatments. |
| Q:
Any other passions outside the loop? |
| A:
Music & Art. |
| Q:
How do you see your role as a member of HBC? |
| A:
To do what I am doing - provide feedback, advice, and
informational resources. |
Q:
If HBC reaches its stated goals of achieving national training
schemes throughout the UK in the environmental field in the
next couple of years - what role do you see yourself playing
in the organization at that
stage? |
|
A:
Perhaps my role would develop to paid consultant and
I would bring my experience and skills to work and liase
and promote a broader environmental picture.
Highlighting its benefits with locals and business, listen
to what they want, how they want to participate and improve
their environment, and provide interdisciplinary approaches
that bring a better quality of life to all.
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Name:
Ana
Fernández
Qualifications:
BSc in Industrial Engineering, I.C.A.I, Madrid, Spain |
| Q:
What types of jobs did you do in your past life? |
|
A:
I had a couple of summer placements in engineering companies
in the UK while I was studying at university. I am currently
working in a consultancy as an Engineer in the fields of
Energy and Building Services.
|
| Q:
What experience do you think you gathered from them? |
|
A:
I learnt how to work in a very technical environment, with
its particular demands, which led to my specialist interests
in environmental engineering.
On
the summer placements I started to have a feeling of what
working life was like, how companies worked. It also helped
me improved my English. Those experiences were short, but
useful and fun as well, specially the whole experience of
working abroad.
|
| Q:
What area are you currently working in now? |
|
A:
For my degree I specialised in Energy and did my final year
project on a thermo solar power plant using parabolic collectors
and thermal storage.
Currently
I am studying an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems in CREST
(Loughborough University). I have attended seminars on Distributed
Generation and Combined Heat and Power although it will
still be a while before I finish it.
I
am also currently working for the engineering consultancy
Ove Arup & Partners. I have worked for Arup Energy in
a variety of energy-related projects since 2002. I have
worked in Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal systems design
at a feasibility level for different urban master plans.
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| Q:
What interests you about it? |
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A:
Profiling energy consumption for different building
types: experience in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Community
Heating Systems with biomass. I have also worked in emissions
studies of compressor stations. I am an active member of
a team developing an Intranet site of Renewable Energy.
Designing
systems to make buildings work is interesting in itself
and if, in addition to that, those systems are based on
sustainability principles, it makes work much more fulfilling.
One of the most interesting things about the work I do is
that teams are multidisciplinary and to find a solution
that satisfies all the disciplines is challenging at times.
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| Q:
What aspects of the environment really interest you and why?
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|
A:
I am interested in the conservation of the environment and
the use of our resources wisely so that future generations
are able to enjoy the planet as we do now. As part of the
plan to achieve that, I am particularly interested in renewable
energy.
I
am also interested in the applications of Sustainable Energy
in developing countries. I am currently gaining experience
in environmental building techniques on the Freightliners
build. .
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| Q:
How do you see the environmental agenda progressing in Britain?
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A:
Although there is a long long way to go yet and although this
country is behind others in environmental goals, there is
at least the acknowledgement that there is something to be
done about it and that is a start.
|
| Q:
What sustainable technologies do you see finding adoption
in the UK by 2010 and why? |
| A:
By 2010 all the main sustainable technologies in terms
of energy generation (electricity and heat generation) will
have a place. Now, if it were a question of which technology
will dominate the sustainable technologies representation
in the UK, I would say wind (both onshore and increasingly
offshore) and biomass as the UK has good resource of both.
CHP (Combined Heating and Power) will have an important contribution
as an efficient way of energy generation. Solar energy will
have an important role as well. |
| Q:
How does your field fit in with the environmental agenda?
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| A:
I have the opportunity to inform clients about alternative
ways of generating the energy of the site and that can help
them make decisions that contribute positively to the environment. |
| Q:
Is it a burgeoning sector in the long term or just a fad?
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| A:
I think the concept of sustainability is quite fashionable
and more people demand it, as it also happens to fair trade
products. However, it is not just fashionable in a shallow
way because people DO realise how important it is. So it is
a long-term trend that will be more and more important in
the future. |
| Q:
What are your other current/continuing interests? |
| A:
I like playing tennis, capoeira, roller-blading, photography
and travelling. |
| Q:
Are there any other subjects/areas that you are just starting
to take an interest in? |
|
A:
I am interested in the applications of Sustainable Energy
in developing countries. I am currently gaining experience
in environmental building techniques on the Freightliners
build. I also like photography and enjoy camping and practising
capoeira.
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| Q:
How do you see your role as a member of HBC? |
A:
My role is to mainly give useful opinions and advise and
contribute with a different perspective to the projects of
the team.
|
Q:
If HBC reaches its stated goals of achieving national training
schemes throughout the UK in the environmental field in the
next couple of years - what role do you see yourself playing
in the organization at that
stage? |
|
A:
Contributing to ideas for the training structure, the
needs of the market and, if the chance arise, get myself
involved with the training more directly.
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