Climate change and humanity: Elite perceptions, Sustainable solutions

workshop agenda

Friday, 12th November 2004
10.30- 5.30

Hartley Room, Building 38
Staff Social Centre (Staff Club)
Highfield Campus, University of Southampton

10.30-11.00 Coffee/Tea
11-1.15 Introductions

Assessing Elite Perceptions:
How seriously is the issue of climate change being taken at diverse elite levels:
what is the theory and practice of their response/s?
a) British Government (tba)*
b) ' The geo-strategic level' : impacts on global security and the potentiality of conflict (Dave Webb and Steve Wright: Leeds Metropolitan University).
c) Industry and commerce (David Ballard: New Academy of Business)
c) The academic community (tba)*
d) The view from the NGOs (George Marshall: Rising Tide)

Discussion

 1.00- 2 Lunch

 2-3.30 Small Group Sessions*

i) Climate Change and Public opinion: facilitator, David Miller
(Strathclyde University)
ii) Climate Change and Conflict: facilitator, Dave Webb and Steve Wright (Leeds Metropolitan University)
iii) 'Clearing the Pathways to Transformation'.
facilitators, David Ballard (Bath University) and Susan Ballard (University of West of England)

(* We would like someone to take notes at each of these sessions. If any participant would like to commit themselves to volunteer for this important role please contact us, preferably, beforehand. )

 3.30-3.45 Tea Break

 3.45-5.15 Plenary Session

Towards Sustainable Solutions: Where do we go from here?
Resume of Crisis Forum perceived outcomes from this workshop

a) The possible creation of a broad (university-based and/or independent) cross-disciplinary group, in the first instance, working around two envisaged projects : Climate Change and Public Opinion, and Climate Change and Violence, and on the premise that those already undertaking research in these areas, or those seeking to do so (e.g. Ph.D students), might wish to effectively pool their resources and expertise to offer a fuller and more holistic analysis of these issues
b) The possibility that Crisis Forum might be able to act as an independent think-tank or agency thereby enabling activists and others operating in the broader public domain access to academic expertise and analysis on the nature and implications of an ongoing 21st century Crisis.
c) Funding, both independent as well as research council, to assist in these specific projects and more generally in developing the wider remit of the Crisis Forum (see below).

With this in view we have invited a select group of participants: academics and activists, practitioners and fundraisers who we believe may share at least some of our basic principles (see below).

If you have any queries about the day, please contact our administrator.

Looking forward to meeting you all on November 12 2004.

Mark Levene (ml1@soton.ac.uk)
David Cromwell (ddc@noc.soton.ac.uk)
University of Southampton, UK