Editorial

Citation

Taylor, J. (2009), "Editorial", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 61 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2009.01861caa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Volume 61, Issue 3

In this issue of Industrial Lubrication and Tribology (ILT), we are pleased to include papers representing research work from four different countries.

At this time, the world is in the middle of a financial crisis affecting businesses and people across the globe. Although the experts will disagree about the origins of the present troubles it would seem that credit dependency could be at the heart of the matter. The loss of confidence between borrower and lender is considered to be a major factor in the industrial downturn seen in many countries.

Ironically, this has caused the price of oil, our primary energy source, to decline very sharply.

Many researchers in different parts of the world are engaged in projects to reduce energy consumption and in the development of replacement forms of energy. There seem to have been two drivers for these activities. These are concern for the effects of energy consumption on our environment and also as a reaction to the escalating cost of energy being experienced in the past few years.

Our worry now is that some short-term research may not continue if the price of energy stabilises at a new level lower than that anticipated a couple of years ago when the research was instigated.

I think it is important for a long-term view to be taken on research, which, although based on practical problem solutions, must look at energy reduction regardless of its pricing level.

At ILT, we are always interested in hearing your views and shall be very pleased to publish comments you may care to make.

So what do you think?

John Taylor