By PHYLLIS STEPHENSTEPHEN SALTER who died
on 23 February aged 85, was
Emeritus Professor of
Engineering Design at the
University of Edinburgh and
known as the Father of Wave
Energy. He worked on many
diverse projects during his
career, including some to
address the effects of climate
change using geo-engineering.
One of these took John
Latham’s theory of marine cloud
brightening and applied an
engineering solution to how it
would work. The basic premise
was to change the reflectivity of
clouds by reflecting more solar
energy back up to space - by
spraying sea water up in the air
above the sea. Salter told The
Edinburgh Reporter in a 2019
interview: “This can be done
anywhere in the mid-oceanwhere there is clean air and
some sunshine and some wind.
The energy is coming from the
wind and is used to move ships
through the water to make
energy to filter the seawater to
pump it through spray nozzles.
It is then distributed through
the bottom of the atmosphere
by the turbulence of the wind
blowing over the sea.”
This idea may yet attract the
investment he so much desired
to set the unmanned ships
complete with Flettner rotors on
a course to save the world.
Salter said with only 300 at sea
he believed that the Antarctic
ice could be saved.
There are several exhibits in
the National Museum of
Scotland bearing his name.
(although he once told me: “I
really don’t want my designs
only to end up in a museum!”).
One of these, the Salter’s Duck,was a wave power device which
was a first and promised to offer
a source of renewable energy
for everyone.
Stephen set up the Lothian
School of Technology in
Loanhead in 2023 to give young
engineers the chance to get
hands on experience of making
things.
He met his wife, the late
Professor Margaret Donaldson, a
specialist in Development
Psychology after consulting her
about building a robot with the
capabilities of a child. Their long
marriage ensued with many
sparky conversations. Both
particularly enjoyed the stir that
their secretive wedding produced
when Margaret posted a notice in
the university that henceforth her
lectures would be delivered by
Professor Salter.
Sadly Margaret died in
2020 when funeralswere restricted to only invited
guests.
These wonderful people
added immensely to the lives of
their students and wider society
through their work.
I greatly miss the opportunity
to visit them in their garden in
Blackford where I almost never
left without a rose, no matter
what the season.Professor Stephen Salter, MBE, FRSE 1938 - 2024
8
© Martin P McAdamEdinburgh Women’s Aid
- 50 years of assistance What is a
power of
attorney?
By STAFF REPORTERTHINKING ABOUT what would happen in
the future if we, or our loved ones, lose
capacity to run our own affairs can be
stressful and worrying, according to
LifeCare Edinburgh.
The local charity advises that these
situations can be daunting and complex
and is going to host a free information
event next month. Information will be
given to help people put the right
practical support in place to ensure
someone trusted can quickly make
decisions if needed.
A Power of Attorney is a legal document
by which someone – while they still have
mental capacity – nominates a trusted
friend or relative to look after their affairs
if they later lost capacity. This document
then comes into effect in the event of an
emergency, illness or accident. It is not
limited to those who are older or unwell,
and LifeCare recomment that everyone
considers granting a Power of Attorney at
any stage of their life to avoid any future
complications. For example, it might be
necessary to use it if the granter has had a
stroke, serious accident or dementia or is
otherwise incapacitated.
Delivered in partnership with solicitors
and experts from law firm Lindsays
LifeCare will host its first information
sharing event designed to encourage
everyone to stop and think about what
they need to put in place to help simplify
their own future.
Sarah van Putten, who is Chief Executive
of LifeCare said : “Unfortunately at
LifeCare we are well aware of how stressful
life can be when people don’t have the
right documents in place. No one can
predict when they may face an unforeseen
illness, accident or other debilitating
event that may render them
incapacitated.”
LifeCare’s ‘What is a Power of Attorney’
information event, will be delivered in
partnership with solicitors Lindsays,
beginning from 2pm on 1 May in the
charity’s fully accessible community café
in Stockbridge CafeLife at 2 Cheyne Street,
EH4 1JB where free tea and coffee will be
available along with the opportunity to
find out more about LifeCare’s vital
services which are available for older
people and the community.http://www.lifecare-edinburghorg.uk/ or call
0131 343 0940 to register interest in
attending the free information event.NEWS
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
FIFTY YEARS OF WORK by a charity which
helps 2,000 women a year was marked with a
civic reception at the City Chambers.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid (EWA) opened its first
refuge in 1973 and is established as a crucial
support service for women escaping domestic
abuse.
The reception marked a year of activities
during which the charity reflected on its work
and also discussed how to make changes so
that domestic abuse becomes history.
Usually longevity is a cause for celebration, but
some have remarked that it would be only a
good thing if the organisation was not needed
in another half century’s time.
The charity now has 31 refuge spaces in the
city with the latest added last year. The funding
for the property came from the charity’s
reserves built up over the years, but it will now
create an income for the charity at least some of
whom will be entitled to housing benefit.
The properties enable the work EWA does to
cover all four localities in Edinburgh providing
safe spaces where women with or without
children can escape abusive situations. The
latest refuge will be aimed at one family or one
person with children only, but the charity is
responding to the desires of its clients many of
whom would rather live in their own home.
The EWA staff of 50 help around 2,
women a year, with some requiring refuge and
others a different range of support needs. The
help can be as simple as going to the
supermarket with the client for the first time
and helping them to settle into a new home. All
refuges are classed as temporary
accommodation but will be home for at least
several months.
The charity has marked the five decades with
a string of activities in the past year, including a
seminar when they discussed how to changethe landscape against domestic abuse.
At the civic reception the Rt Hon Lord
Provost, Robert Aldridge, welcomed the
charity board and supporters, some of whom
began their association with EWA as clients, to
an evening in the European Room. He said:
“We are here to celebrate the life-changing and
mitigating impacts of Edinburgh Women’s Aid
and the tens of thousands of women and
children who have been supported into new
lives over the past 50 years.”L-R EWA Chief Executive, Linda Rodger,
the Rt Hon Lord Provost , Robert
Aldridge and EWA Chair, Morag WallerThousands of women helped to flee domestic abuse by charity
Photo Martin P McAdam