Barry Clarke, Professor of Civil Engineering Geotechnics

Inaugural lecture

'Earth, Wind and Fire'

The majority of our current energy is derived from fossil fuels which have been fundamental to the industrialisation of the nation. However, there is a limited supply with some people suggesting that there are only thirty to forty years of oil and gas left. This has created a political crisis as the Government grapples with the future of UK’s energy supply. The use of fossil fuels is also credited with accelerating climate change which many people fear is the greatest threat to our future. Thus the impact of climate change and the future of our energy supply have created an uncertain future which means opportunities.

This lecture will highlight some of the challenges that we are facing and how they impact on the ground engineering industry. The opportunities range from ground as a source of renewable energy, energy minimisation through innovative construction processes, mitigation against extreme events and rising sea levels, stabilisation of existing infrastructure to deal with climate change, and developing new infrastructure to meet the changes in demand. Examples of recent and potential developments will be used to demonstrate how ground engineers have a role to play in producing green solutions to these grand challenges.