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27 The award-winning student newspaper of Imperial College . 11 “Keep The Cat Free” . 09 Issue 1,446 felix felixonline.co.uk Not a stitch in sight ThisTh week.... GigsGiG – bigger’s not always The much-awaited return of the bebetter naked centrefold, page 20 Music, Page 14 Michael Caine turns OAP vigilante Film, Page 17 History, drugs and beaches: take a trip to Cambodia Travel, Pages 22-23 Other good greens in Is Imperial dragging down the Amsterdam Golden Triangle? A new report by the Higher Education Policy Institute shows just how far Imperial is from taking on Oxbridge, page 3 Food, Page 24 2 felix FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2009 News Editor Kadhim Shubber NEWS [email protected] Conservatives keen to go green The world beyond Joanna Cai News Reporter The Shadow Chancellor of the Ex- College walls chequer paid a visit to Sir Roy Ander- son and Imperial College London on Tuesday 24th November, with an aim to highlight the Conservatives’ green ideas for the UK economy. George Osborne began the evening by meeting with Sir Roy to discuss the European Union potential that science and technology re- search holds for the UK. Sir Roy spoke of the event: “It’s highly appropriate that the he European Un- Shadow Chancellor should take an in- ion elected Bel- terest in green technologies… Products gian Prime Min- and solutions developed at places like ister Herman Imperial will ensure the UK’s economic van Rompuy as competitiveness on the global stage.” Af- Tthe first President of the ter their discussion, Mr. Osborne gave a European Union Council, speech to academics, environmentalists and Lady Catherine Ashton and media in the Business School. This of the UK as its new High was followed by a question and answer Representative for Foreign session about the proposals made during Affairs and Security Policy. his speech. The nominations come after It is not the first time that Mr. Os- the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, which establishes mandates for the two borne has visited Imperial: in February roles, but the exact distribution of power will depend significantly on how 2008, Mr. Osborne held a speech in the the roles are managed by Mr. Van Rompuy and Lady Ashton. Both politicians SAF Building which addressed the UK’s were relatively unknown, unlike other candidates who had been touted for environmental technology and in par- the job. The decision should ensure that individual nations will retain their ticular, praised Imperial College for its George Osborne spoke about his vision for a green agenda at Imperial voice on the world stage, instead of becoming subject to the European Un- investment in environmentally green ion’s will. technology. Following his selection, Mr. Van Rompuy stressed his credentials as a con- He called for more universities to fol- less money if they fail to reduce than 18 times. His speech presented the sensus politician, and indeed his 10 months as Prime Minister in Belgium low Imperial’s lead and create their own energy consumption idea of Green Investment Banks, which have been successful in bridging the gaps between the country’s linguisti- incubator model, which gives green • Creating a green trading market he claims “will help us…to decarbonise cally divided communities. He made it clear that he would fulfill the role of a technology entrepreneurs the financial • Cutting government CO2 emis- our economy”. He also spoke about the chairman rather than a ‘globe-trotting statesman’. Lady Ashton’s nomination, support and business expertise they sions by 10% in 12 months company RecycleBank which has been which is seen as a concession to the UK, has come under attack from critics – require. Mr. Osborne said: “I think we can go able to increase recycling in America she has never held a directly elected position and has served in her previous The proposals made during Mr. Os- even further in catalysing green finance “by paying the public to recycle - with- role as European Trade Commissioner for just over a year. borne’s speech on Tuesday evening came in the UK. In my speech here at Impe- out the need for any extra government as no surprise, as he had personally writ- rial last year, I proposed the creation of a spending.” ten in The Independant that morning to new green trading market...” This trading All of the proposals set by Mr. Os- announce his plans for the economy. His market, called the Environmental Op- borne, and his five other colleagues World speech therefore reiterated what he had portunities Index, currently has almost a within the same week, are clearly in already published, as well as what other hundred companies signed up. preparation for the global negotiations press had promptly reported on, which The notion of the Conservatives go- in Copenhagen next month. Given the n a report issued on Tuesday in Shanghai, the World Health Or- includes: ing green was exhausted in Mr. Os- Conservatives’ anti-EU agenda, it is diffi- ganization and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS • Paying the public to recycle borne’s article in The Independant, in cult to see how they will successfully act (UNAIDS) said that an estimated 33.4 million people worldwide • Giving government Departments which he used the word ‘green’ no less on climate change alone. were infected with HIV. This figure is slightly higher than the 33 million in 2007, and most 27 Ithose affected (an overwhelming 22.4 million) live in sub-Saharan Africa. Al- Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. most two thirds of the new infections occurred there as well. The second . most affected region is South and South-East Asia (3.8 million), followed by Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, 17 Brest Road, 11 Derriford, Plymouth. Registered newspaper ISSN 1040-0711. Latin America (2.0 million). Jigsaw font by typotheque.com. Introducing our new server, Nucleus. Some improvements have been made however, as the death toll from AIDS 1,446 . felix 09 Copyright © Felix 2009. has fallen by 10 percent over the past five years, largely due to greater access to anti-retroviral drugs. In sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of infection has fallen to 400,000 people in felix was brought to you by: 2008, down 15 percent from 2001. In the same time frame, new infections decreased by 25 percent in East Asia, and 10 percent in South and South-East Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor Deputy Editor Copy Chief Asia. Dan Wan Kadhim Shubber Gilead Amit Sasha Nicoletti News Editor Business Editor Travel Editor Puzzles Commodores ‘Mad’him’ Shubber Sina Ataherian Dyldo Lowe Sean Farris Olivia Davies Milli Begum Mexico Medic News Editor International Editor Games Editors Dina Ismail Raphael Houdmont Science Editors Sports Editors Mike Cook Brigette Atkins Mustapher Botchway exico has seen its credit rating downgraded to BBB by Fitch Assistant Editor Film Editors Nathan Ley David Wilson Feature Editor Ratings, following a fall in output from the oil sector as its Jovan Nedić Zuzanna Blaszczak Indy Leclercq Afonso Campos reserves in the Gulf of Mexico are drying up. Ed ‘Flatcap’ Knock Nightlife Editor Fitch, a rating agency, said that decreasing oil incomes, Layout Editor Charlotte Morris Arts Editors Copy Editors Mwhich make up a third of Mexico’s public sector revenues, have weakened Carlos Karingal Technology Editor Caz Knight Rhys Davies the country’s ability to weather financial problems. The rating was reduced Samuel Gibbs What’s On Editors Rosie Milton Alex Karapetian from BBB+ to BBB, which means that the government will now face increased Comment Editor Rachel D’oliviero Lucy Harrold Matt Colvin costs of borrowing. Ravi Pall Fashion Editor Lily Topham Lizzy Griffiths While this rating remains of ‘investment grade’, a statement from Mexico’s Kawai Wong Photography Ayyub Kamaludin Treasury Department said President Felipe Calderon has made important ad- Politics Editors: Coffee Break Editor Ben Smith Joanna Cai vances to address the structural weaknesses pointed out by Fitch and imple- James Goldsack Music Editors Charles Murdoch Alex Karapetian Jamie Beal ment reforms that can increase competitiveness and growth. Katya-yani Vyas Kadhim Shubber Richard Howard James Lees Alex Ashford Clubs and Socs Editor Catnip Editor Stefan Zeeman By Raphael Houdmont, International Editor Phillip Murray Luke Turner Alex Kendall Rhys Davies Rox Middleton felix FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2009 3 [email protected] NEWS Elevating the elite within the Golden Triangle 40.4 Number of hours per week the A report released this week by the Higher average Cambridge student studies Education Policy Institute examines the extent to which Imperial still trail Oxford and Cambridge as their main British rivals. 37.5 29.1 Editor-in-Chief Dan Wan investigates how far Number of hours per week the Number of hours per week the in front they are actually are average Oxford student studies average Imperial student studies mperial cannot claim to be Times Higher Education Supplement generally expected to take three A Level Imperial and Oxford’s offer-to-ac- National Student Survey (NSS) during keeping up with Oxford and World Rankings 2009 ranks Imperial, courses and hence most degree streams ceptance conversion rate. Over 90% of recent years. The NSS forms part of a Cambridge as academic insti- at 5th, one place higher than Oxford. at both Oxbridge and Imperial have a students that receive an offer from Ox- quality assurance framework (QAF) I tution, says a new report pub- Subsequently, HEPI’s latest report fo- requirement for three A Levels. Oxford ford take up their place once they have supported by the Higher Education lished by the Higher Education cuses in on Imperial as a conclusively and Cambridge are notorious for issu- achieved the required grades.