CPD Roundup: September 2024
Welcome to September’s CPD round-up! This is where I share a quick summary of the continuing profession development (CPD) I’ve completed during the month.
The Institute of Translation and Interpreting recommends that all members, including Qualified Members (MITIs) like me, do at least 30 hours of CPD per year. I normally end up doing rather more than that, and I normally only include subject-knowledge CPD (and sometimes some translation skills CPD) in this public summary. You can find out about the other types of CPD that the ITI recommends here and my previous summaries here.
Subject knowledge
Diving into oceans data: new technologies and implications to support corporate reporting (TFND)
This webinar highlighted some really important questions relating to how ocean-related data is generated, collected and processed, including how data collected by private organisations can be integrated into other decision-making processes. But the real stand-out section for me was the contribution by Dr Kat Bruce of Nature Metrics on integrating sensors and other devices into existing ocean-going vessels. It’s one of those solutions that seems so obvious once someone’s pointed it out but that it’s amazing it had never occurred to me before.
PEA-brained: Is your ecologist giving you what you need? (RSK Biocensus)
Recording: https://rskgroup.com/events/pea-brained/
As someone who translates into English, I normally have to deal with the complexities of the environmental planning requirements of the countries where my source languages are spoken, rather than those in place in the UK (see below). That said, it’s still interesting and useful to understand the process of how these things work here and the sorts of terminology used when making these decisions, and there are obviously parallels between the two regulatory frameworks.
King Scallops in Scotland: coupling biophysical models for a sustainable fishery (IES)
Recording: not recorded
We’re all used to hearing dire predictions about our environmental future based on computer models of what’s actually happening and the factors that affect it, but I suppose I had never really looked into how these models are developed, and the sheer amount of work that goes into representing those influences. This webinar went some way to correcting that! I suppose the amount of detail required is a reflection of the complexity of the systems that these models represent – it’s a fascinating world!
The River Crane: an Urban Smarter Water Catchment (IES)
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR8V30c2T-4
This was a really interesting exploration of how a community interest company (CIC) works. Rob Gray spoke in great detail about the actual geography of the valley, and about the achievements of the group and their future plans. But what I found really interesting about this webinar was the cooperative element – it was about how important it is to engage with the local community, local partners and local businesses in order to really embed the kind of change that we need to achieve.
Nature-based Solutions for Business: Land-based Solutions (UNGC UK)
Recording: not yet released
UNGC webinars are always wide-ranging and present some interesting case studies from around the world. This one was no exception, looking at the issue of how to build a business case for nature-based solutions (KPMG), and why it matters (IUCN) before presenting some case studies of businesses that have done exactly that from ScottishPower Renewables and Reckitt.
Fossil fuels and VOC air pollution from oil well to kitchen counter (IES)
Recording: https://www.the-ies.org/analysis/fossil-fuels-and-voc-air
In some ways, the contents of this webinar were not really surprising – it turns out that the quality of the air around oil wells is poor and contains a higher proportion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than is healthy. This webinar is well worth watching, however, if you want an insight into the process of how this data is gathered, and what barriers can be put in place to gathering, processing and releasing it. The speaker, Dr Aidan Barrow, works for Greenpeace, so it’s no surprise that he is determined to put science at the forefront of campaigns for cleaner air and a healthier world.
Beaver enclosure tour (nature-based solution for flood prevention) (Spains Hall Estate)
Recording: n/a
Certainly one of the most ‘interactive’ CPD events I’ve been to in a while. I’ve long known that Spains Hall Estate in Finchingfield in my home county of Essex is home to a family of beavers, but this was the first time I’ve ever been to see them! The beavers were released into a well-enclosed but large area of the estate as a nature-based solution to prevent flooding in the village of Finchingfield, which is particularly at risk because it is situated at the confluence of three separate streams. The tour was during the daytime, so we didn’t see the actual beavers, but we certainly saw their handiwork. I forget now exactly how much water they had trapped in the dammed area, but it was massive. The guides showed us where they had been eating tree bark and building dams to create an enormous food resource. We also saw their huge lodge, which despite its size is getting rather crowded, so the estate have created another – much larger — enclosure, into which to move some of the juveniles. The beavers have got an exciting future ahead of them, perhaps even beyond the estate one day!
Comment évaluer la santé des sols? (RNEST)
[How do we evaluate the health of soils?]
Recording: not yet released
I was really excited to see this webinar on the programme of the larger RemTech Europe’s International Conference and Exhibition on Land and Water Remediation Markets and Technologies, specifically because it was in French. As a linguist, it was exciting to see international organisations taking their responsibilities towards their non-Anglophone audience seriously, and integrating a session especially for a Francophone audience into the main programme. The presentation itself was also really interesting, focusing on how simple soil health indicators alone are not entirely representative of a soil’s overall health - the measurement needs to take its actual functionality within the overall ecosystem into account as well.
Upscaling plant population and community ecology with drones (IES Alder)
Recording: not recorded
Similarly to the webinar mentioned above about modelling king scallops, this webinar looked at the complexity of capturing data in order to represent what is fundamentally an extraordinarily complex ecosystem. Unlike with the modelling, however, this was looking at the actual ‘on-the-ground’ data and about how scientists can take advantage of new technology and the falling prices of devices like drones to achieve a more detailed view of what is actually happening in the environments they are studying.
Diagnostic PEMD : les points essentiels à maîtriser (Apave)
[Products, Equipment, Materials, Waste Diagnostic: what you need to know]
Recording: not yet released
It’s always interesting to hear how consulting firms go through the actual process of assessing things like construction waste, which is what this webinar covered, along with some interesting case studies. Carrying out a PEMD assessment is mandatory in France for all significant construction and renovation work, and is part of the French government’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of this sector. One interesting I did learn is that the French Environmental Code (L541-1-1) makes a distinction between réemploi and réutilisation, both of which would normally be translated into English as ‘reuse’. I explored the details in a LinkedIn post, but the key takeaway is that réemploi is ‘reuse [for the same purpose]’, whereas réutilisation is ‘repurpose’. These contrast with recyclage, which is about reprocessing waste products, whether for the same purpose or a different one. Interestingly, the French Environmental Code explicitly states that using waste as a fuel (i.e. burning it) cannot be considered recycling.