When I was at the farm sometimes I would ask what degrees and things you were doing. Sometimes I would get asked what I had done. This is a brief biog.
All the time I was told what to do by Eddie, Ann and Gregor, it would have been nice, for just one day to have been able to have managed the field my way. Having to "dumb down" to work on the farm made life difficult. In my career no matter how difficult a job I am asked to do. I am just asked to do it, never told how to do it, that is up to me. The job gets done in the most effective and effiicient, hopefully happiest and fun way. Everything tends to get run in the same way as running rock concert.
An instruction like, "please help everyone pick the largest amount of high quality berries and maintain the highest productivity of the fields over the season", would have been suitable. The we could have just rock'n'rolled.
Roger Thomas. Born in rural Cheshire of Welsh and Scottish (Jardine) descent he now lives near Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland. His first interest has always been in the environment as long as he can remember. Childhood influences include Jacques Cousteau, Galileo and James Lovell commander of Apollos 8 and 13.
In his first job as a trainee metallurgist, he was fortunate to experience one of the world’s top engineering training systems while working within and implementing a quality control system for a factory of 2500 people. Also attending college for his qualifications he was awarded the year prize at Stoke-on-Trent Technical College. Finishing his metallurgical studies at Manchester Polytechnic he achieved the highest marks ever awarded in the subject.
His contribution to R&D work on Ministry of Defence contracts is still saving lives around the world and reducing CO2 emissions.
Returning to ecology he sought to improve on the predictive system techniques of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology behind "The Limits to Growth".
After showing young or unemployed musicians how to stage national quality events he was first choice as tour and technical manager for a Manchester band. As he had other commitments he had to decline, though they still sold more than 50 million albums without him. 25% of those who attended his workshops did go on to get full time employment as TV producers, stage managers or professional musicians.
Working as a countryside ranger his leading edge techniques in management, integration, education and appreciation soon spread to become standard practice.
Roger was once asked to give a 1 hour introductory lecture for a college course on Business and the Rural Economy at a residential in the English Peak District. Arriving the night before believing it would snow, they all awoke the next morning to find they were cut off by the blizzard. As no other lecturers could attend, he taught the entire 3 day course without preparation or notes. The snow thawed in time for the external assessors to pass all his students.
His proposal to run the Millennium Dome as a centre for global environmental management was so strong it immediately attracted the finance to be implemented had an open competition been permitted. Though some of the ideas anticipated those of the Government since, many still await their beneficial contribution to the environmental challenge.
Extensive work on climate change and sustainable development has continued since. From the first meetings to produce the new generation of climate and Earth system models (Quest), to correctly advising the PM on the outcome of FMD, being a contributor to Government reports, submitting evidence to House of Commons select committees and advisory work for the Cabinet Office.
Recently he was brought in to set up the site of one of Europe's most intensive civil engineering projects. After completing that ahead of time and within budget he was given front line logistical control. HM Chief Inspector of Railways singled him out as setting up and managing a site which was "a model for the future of the rail industry". Network Rail liked it so much they ran another project from it, halving it's set up costs at a stroke.
Occasionally he still does metallurgical design on race winning rally and oval cars.
Amongst others HRH The Prince of Wales has read his work on prediction of socio-economic and ecological trends and effective strategy implementation. He has also given him permission to use quotes to explain the methodology.
He writing a book on the next generation of global environmental management technologies. His work on both the scientific and political aspects of climate change, including United Nations reports and the agenda for G8 summits has made him one of the least know but most influential strategists of the 21st century providing the solutions to the global environmental challenges we face.
