While scientific understanding of environmental issues develops through careful observation, experiment and modelling, the application of such advances in the day to day world is much less clean and tidy. Merseyside in northwest England has an industrial heritage from the earliest days of the industrial revolution. Indeed, the chemical industry was borne here. Land contamination issues are rife, as are problems with air quality. Through the examination of one case study for each topic, the practicalities of applied science are explored. An integrated, multidisciplinary response to pollution needs more than a scientific risk assessment. The needs of the various groups (from public to government) involved in the situations must be considered, as well as wider, relevant contexts (from history to European legislation), before a truly integrated response can be generated. However, no such situation exists in isolation and the introduction of environmental investigations and the exploration of suitable, integrated responses will alter the situation in unexpected ways, which must be considered carefully and incorporated in a rolling fashion to enable solutions to continue to be applicable and relevant to the problem being faced. This integrated approach has been tested over many years in Merseyside and found to be a robust approach to ever-changing problems that are well described by the management term, "wicked problems".

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This paper illustrates three academic units collaborative process to solve a design problem in the development of new wood products for the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel, Berea, Kentucky. The Boone Tavern Hotel chronology and renovation needs after 99 years are summarized. The Berea College Student Crafts Program is then described and the need for a new business model for designing innovative products is illustrated. The learning objectives within the academic program of the Technology and Industrial Arts Departments TEC 140 Class which became the academic test case for the collaborative experiment are described. Finally an innovative model for reviewing and executing rapid prototyping within the wood products class for possible adoption by the Boone Tavern Hotel and manufactured by the Student Craft Program is revealed.

Glass tempering has relied on radiant heaters to transfer heat to glass sheets. This has a direct correlation to the length of time that the glass is subject to heating in the furnace and its related line speeds. This paper presents the design and development of a supplementary convection heating system with the objective of reducing glass residence time and increasing production efficiency. It will document the methodology of retrofitting a current furnace in a cost effective manner while increasing heat transfer to the glass and increasing throughput. This study will address factors affecting the systems’ performance such as current draw, surface compression test, break pattern, warp configuration, and nozzle design. The retrofitted system has achieved design goals and promises to increase heat transfer rates to the glass as well as increase furnace productivity.