The heat is on

Climate change and the sustainability challenge

Date: Monday 16 March
Time: 6 - 7 pm
Venue: ANZ Pavilion, The Arts Centre, Melbourne

Listen to a podcast (mp3 17.8mb) of the lecture.

For

Community, Monash staff and students

Format

Public lecture

Overview

Can we define, let alone deal with, 'dangerous' climatic changes?

Recent scientific assessments have turned up the heat on the seriousness of human-induced climate changes. They note a potentially dangerous combination of side effects including:

• Destroying coral reefs
• Fires and droughts in sub tropical climates such as California or southern Australia
• Intensified tropical cyclones
• A metre or so of sea level rise this century, if Greenland keeps melting at faster rates than has been predicted

These impacts will not be equitably distributed. Those particularly susceptible are:

• Poor people in hot countries
• Residents of the Arctic
• People in high mountains with glaciers
• Those living in hurricane-vulnerable regions

Such risks raise concerns for the sustainability of natural and social systems. Weighing the benefits of development using cheaply available fossil fuels against the risks of climate change induced by fossil fuel consumption calls for value judgments over that which should or could be sustained - and who should pay for it.

This political debate combined with considerable uncertainties has overwhelmed the capacity of nations and international groups to fashion timely or effective climate policies.

However, recently there may have been a tipping point in the social acceptance of climate policies to both adapt to those changes that cannot be avoided and to avoid future changes that cannot be adapted to. The change in US and Australian administrations bodes well for a more rapid movement towards international policy.

Join Professor Schneider as he explores the key elements of the potential for negotiated climate policies.

Presented by

• Professor Stephen Schneider, Stanford University

About the speaker

Climatologist, Professor Stephen Schneider is a Professor of Biology and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University.

Internationally recognised for research, policy analysis and outreach in climate change, Professor Schneider focuses on climate change science, integrated assessment of ecological and economic impacts of human-induced climate change, and identifying viable climate policies and technological solutions.

Actively involved with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since its origin in 1988, Professor Schneider, along with four generations of IPCC authors, received a collective Nobel Peace Prize for their joint efforts in 2007.

To book

Bookings are essential. Complete the registration form to reserve your space.

Getting there

Use this opportunity to leave the car at home:

• Take the bus, train or tram. Visit the Metlink website or call 131 638 for directions.
• Ride. Cycling 5km or less the bike is faster than a car. You can also combine cycling with train travel to get anywhere in Melbourne.
• Walk. Everyone needs at least 30 minutes exercise a day.