9 events

- 7th to 12th September Newcastle British Science Festival

MON 9 SEPT, 12.30 - 13.30 ENGINEERING THE CLIMATE Discover some of the viable technologies for controlling the climate – known as geoengineering. These include Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) by sequestering CO2 and Solar Radiation Management (SRM) by putting particles into the stratosphere. Venue: Spence Watson Lecture Theatre, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University Organised by: University of Cambridge ALL ADULTS FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED

MON 9 SEPT MON 9 SEPT, 14.00 - 15.00 CORAL REEFS AND THE GRIM REAPER Coral reefs harbour hundreds of micro-organisms in their tissues and on their surface, including many species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and ciliates. Join marine biologist Michael Sweet to explore ways of identifying the good, the bad and the ugly. Venue: Stage 2, Northern Stage Organised by: British Science Association AGE 14+ FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED

MON 9 SEPT, 15.30 - 17.30 FUKUSHIMA TWO YEARS ON: THE REAL STORY The incident at Fukushima following the tsunami of March 2011 left behind it a trail of confusion and misinformation. Two years on, we now have the benefit of hindsight to evaluate exactly what happened and bring to you the real story of Fukushima. Venue: Fine Art Lecture Theatre, Fine Art Building, Newcastle University Organised by: Physics and Astronomy Section, British Science Association

WED 11 SEPT, 14.00 - 15.00 WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR WEATHER? We’re all interested in extreme weather and the perceived recent increase in heavy rainfall and flooding which the media has blamed on global warming. Climate researcher Hayley Fowler explores what’s happening now and what to expect in the future. Venue: Stage 2, Northern Stage Organised by: British Science Association AGE 14+ FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED A W A R D L E C T U R E

WED 11 SEPT, 15.30 - 17.00 A BRILLIANT FUTURE: HOW SUNLIGHT WILL WAVE GOODBYE TO OUR FOSSILISED PAST The modern world runs on sunlight stored in fossil fuels but resource and climate issues demand an alternative. This interactive talk explores how brass and brimstone can produce electricity from light waves in sunlight. Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, Bedson Building, Newcastle University Organised by: Northumbria University ALL ADULTS FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED

THURS 12 SEPT, 10.30 - 11.30 CLIMATE CHANGE: DOES IT ALL ADD UP? The climate debate relies on models with complex formulae, solved on computers. How reliable are these models and what is the science behind them? In this event climate scientists discuss the models and invite you to debate with them. Venue: Spence Watson Lecture Theatre, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University Organised by: Mathmatical Sciences Section, British Science Association; CliMathNet, IMA Supported by: EPSRC ALL ADULTS FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED

THURS 12 SEPT, 12.30 - 14.30 DIALOGUE LIVE! PRESENTS EXTREME WEATHER The weather has taken many areas of the UK by surprise – the North East knows only too well what devastating impact weather can cause. Join us for a handson live dialogue, the results will feed into a current government public dialogue project. Venue: Space 4 and 5, Culture Lab, Newcastle University Organised by: Sciencewise ALL ADULTS FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED

THURS 12 SEPT, 16.00 - 17.00 BRITISH SCIENCE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: LISA JARDINE Lisa Jardine explores issues around the future of science communication, asking what its function is in society. What lessons can we learn from the past and how can we position science at the heart of a democratic society? Venue: The Civic Hall, Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne Organised by: British Science Association ALL ADULTS FREE: BOOKING REQUIRED NOTE she's a historian "scientist" so thinks skeptics are confused (radio4 Fourthought)

MON 9 SEPT, 18.00 - 19.00 COAL, STEAM, SLAVERY AND THE GREENING OF THE PLANET: FOSSIL FUELS 1713-2013 It’s exactly 300 years since steam engines started pumping water from mines on Tyneside. On this anniversary, join scientist and popular author Matt Ridley to remember to celebrate the good things fossil fuels have done, as well as bemoaning the bad. Venue: The Literary and Philosophical Society Organised by: The Literary and Philosophical Society ALL ADULTS £6.00

THURS 12 SEPT, 18.00 - 19.00 STAR SPEAKER: MARTIN REESCLIMATE ACTIVIST Join the Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, to explore what the future will look like in 2050 and beyond. Venue: Stage 1, Northern Stage Organised by: British Science Association ALL ADULTS £11.00 CONCS, £9.00: To book, visitwww.northernstage.co.uk or call 0191 230 5151

There maybe an Anti-fracking Event soon at St Austell .. someone has planning permission from paragragh 2.2 " ..Drilling these deep wells will be carried out by a large land-based drilling rig (circa 1500 – 2000 HP model) using conventional oilfield-based technology. The practicalities of drilling these deep wells means that the drilling and associated operations have to be undertaken 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (see figure 1)."

2.3 "...The creation of the underground reservoir will involve injecting a large volume of water (up to 30,000 m3) at relatively high flow rates (up to 100 l/s) into the openhole section of the well to open natural fractures within the granite..."

Thursday 12th September: Eco friendly - Manor Park Halls of Residence Guildford, Surrey Find out how you can save energy in your home by viewing local eco-friendly properties. This is a great opportunity to ask owners about the energy saving measures they have installed, how it has affected the comfort of their properties and fuel bills. Low energy technologies featured include: solar thermal hot water panels; solar photovoltaic (electricity generating) panels; air source heat pump; combined heat and power unit; Heat Recovery system

similarly many green & Eco-Centres are open e.g.
- Orbis Energy Centre Wilde Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1XH This green business hub
- East Green Energy Eco Demonstration Showroom 26 Quayside , Woodbridge , Suffolk, IP12 1BH
- SuperHome Open Day- Nayland 21 Stoke Road, Nayland, Suffolk, CO6 4JD
- Green Park Wind Turbine - Turbine Tour Wind Turbine, Green Park, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 6GP
etc.etc. I googled site:www.heritageopendays.org.uk "Eco" .. it gave me about 200 places .. "green" also gives hundreds

POWER STATIONS open
- Bury’s Secret Power Plant Thursday 12th September:
- Bolton's Secret Power Plant Thursday 12th September:
- Linton Falls Hydroelectric Power Project Linton, Grassington, North Yorkshire, BD23 5LB
- The Museum of Power 14-15th Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6QA
- Transforming Waste in Oxfordshire Viridor, Ardley Landfill Site, Ardley Farm Fields, Ardley, Oxfordshire, OX27 7PH

"Is this Government only half as stupid about solar panels as the last? Are "green" activists themselves climate change deniers? Come along, argue back, join the singing." ... that's all the info they give
Derbyshire 13 miles north of Derby and 4 miles from Matlock, Wirksworth offers both beautiful countryside and a charming local history.

Ilkley Literature Festival
- Can We Still Trust the BBC? Robin Aitken (his 2007 book)
Thu 10 Oct 7.30pm Ilkley Playhouse
- Aitken, who spent 25 years as a BBC journalist, has gathered evidence to claim that the broadcaster's news and current affairs departments are run and staffed predominantly by liberal lefties. The result, he says, is an output biased in favour of Europe, immigration, abortion and public spending, and - wait for it - is anti-American, anti-Israel and pro-Republican in Northern Ireland.

The scandals that rocked the BBC impacted on all aspects of the corporation. In the light of revelations about Jimmy Savile, Robin Aitken, a BBC reporter and executive for 25 years, asks what trust we can have in our national broadcaster. He paints a vivid picture of life inside the news machine and Light Entertainment department, arguing the scandals are rooted in long-standing lapses and shortcomings. £8/6.

- ACTIVIST George Monbiot: Feral
Thu 17 Oct 7.30pm Craiglands Hotel
"Making use of remarkable scientific discoveries, he lays out a new, positive environmentalism, where nature is allowed to find its own way, showing how rewilding could repair the living planet. £8/6."

- ACTIVIST Exploring Climate Change: Mike Hulme
Fri 18 Oct 7.30pm Ilkley Playhouse Exploring Climate Change: Mike Hulme Science at the Cutting Edge 174. Ilkley Playhouse Wharfeside 7.30–8.30pm Mike Hulme, Professor of Climate Change at University of East Anglia, has studied the subject for over 25 years, advising numerous NGOs, government bodies and private companies. Tonight he lays bare the relationship between climate change, science, policy, controversy, religion, ethics and the imagination, identifying how climate change has altered the world in the last quarter century. £6/4.

Monday 14th October. Talk by Sir Graham Watson MEP. This will include his work as chair of UK charity Climate Parliament. Organised by Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon. Details tbc. Climate Parliament: "The UN's consensus negotiating method is limited, as it can be blocked by any major nation or small group of nations. While diplomats and governments continue to negotiate, the Climate Parliament Council believes that legislators should also pursue a parallel track: to build our way out of the climate problem. We have all the technologies we need to enable a rapid transition to renewable energy. We also have the knowledge that we need to preserve the rainforests. What we need now is new legislation and financial incentives to get the appropriate technologies and systems deployed. The Climate Parliament is creating a strategy for Clean Power for All (or see this 2-page summary). This is a strategy for global political action to help save the planet. It is a strategy that would result in a faster transition away from fossil fuels to the use of renewable resources in energy production. It is a strategy in which no nation is able to block international progress. This strategy calls on those state and national legislators who are genuinely concerned about climate change, energy security or peak oil to work together to take effective worldwide action. Legislators have the power to solve the climate problem by passing legislation in their home parliaments. They can also influence policy by speaking with presidents, prime ministers and state governors. The Climate Parliament has been created to help to help the world’s Members of Parliament and Congress to take action now."

I might pop along to see what all this is about. Advance notice received from Wiltshire Council's ECO team in their Community Environment News. Good to see our Council Tax wasted.

Aug 15, 2013 at 10:26 AM | Unregistered CommenterGrumpy

August 17th ScienceOnline Climate in Washington, DC from August 15-17, 2013! http://climate.scienceonline.com/the-program/ Paul Matthews listed

Cambridge Festival of Ideas Wed 23 October - Sun 3 November

BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival 2013 - 25th – 27th October 2013 Radio 3’s Free Thinking Festival of Ideas, returns to Sage Gateshead from for a weekend of provocative debate, new ideas, music and drama. London (Program not yet out)

SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER: 1.30PM-3.00PM Science journalism: the tyranny of evidence?

SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER: 3.30PM-4.45PM What is 'new environmentalism'?

SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER: 3.30PM-4.45PM Grow your own? The urban agriculture revolution

- SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER: 3.30PM-5.00PM Technology and sustainability: kill or cure?