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Conference ‘Dealing with extreme weather events’ (UK)
Green European Foundation is hosting a conference about dealing with extreme weather events in Lancaster, on 28 October 2017, with the support of the Green House Think Tank.
Context
Climate change is going to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather. Already we are seeing the impacts of this, with unprecedented flooding in the North of England in December 2015, flooding in Spain in 2016 and the heat wave in Paris in 2003. How can we learn from these events so that we are better prepared in future?
Conference
Due to climate change, extreme weather events become more likely and hence instability and uncertainty for the communities affected increases. This conference will address how the experience of extreme weather events now can help communities to be better prepared for such events in the future.
This conference, taking place in a community that experienced a major power cut caused by the floods of December 2015, will bring together people from across Europe, including speakers from Lancaster, Paris, and Barcelona, to find out what we can learn from each other.
Programme
9h45 Registrations and coffee
10h15 Welcome & Introduction – Anne Chapman (Green House Think Tank) and Natalie Bennett (Board Member Green European Foundation)
10h30 Lancaster and Storm Desmond – Caroline Jackson (Lancaster City Council)
11h05 El Prat – a Catalan Experience of Extreme Weather – Sergi Alegre Calero (Vice-Mayor, El Prat)
11h40 – 11h55 – Coffee Break
11h55 – 12h30 The 2003 Heat Wave and Its Aftermath in France – Alice Le Roy (former Policy Advisor, Paris City Council)
12.30 – Q&A and discussion
13h00 – 14h00 – Lunch
14h00 – 15h00 Parallel Sessions:
1. Living Without Electricity, Lessons from Lancaster – Roger Kemp (Lancaster University)
2. Upland Management – a Need for Change? Options for Managing our Uplands for Water, Wildlife and People – a Northern England Perspective – Peter Leeson (The Woodland Trust)
15h00 – 15h15 – Break
15h15 – 16h15 Parallel Sessions:
1. Planning for a Changing Climate – Hugh Ellis (Town and Country Planning Association)
2. Community Responses and Emergency Planning – Kerryanne Wilde (Community Emergency Response Team)and Mark Bartlett (Emergency Planning Officer, Lancaster City Council)
Film screening
Besides the conference on Saturday, there will be an opportunity to see the film ‘Pedalling and Paddling’ on Friday evening, 20h00, at Gregson Arts Centre, made by a local film maker, about a group from Lancaster setting off to cycle to the COP21 talks in Paris just as the floods hit Lancaster. (Donations at the door.)
On Saturday, at 19h30, there will be the opportunity to see the play ‘Blackout’ at the Dukes Theatre, based on local people’s experience of the power cut.
Registration and tickets
The event is free of charge. Please register here! For more information, please contact Anne Chapman, director of Green House Think Tank.
You can also get in touch with Anne to purchase tickets for the theatre play or directly buy them from the Dukes here.
Date & Venue
The conference will take place on 28 October 2017, between 9h30 – 16h15 at the Friends Meeting House in Lancaster, United Kingdom.
Results
The presentation and relevant videos from this conference are available here.
Lancaster, United Kingdom