Download Tackling our global challenges - SEAG Engagement Task Group

SEAG ETG
11 July 2011 Paper 5
Tackling our global challenges:
Engaging the University of Edinburgh community with the challenges facing our world
NB: ‘Tackling Our Global Challenges’ is a working title only.
Tackling our global challenges is a year long series of events to engage people within the University and
city of Edinburgh who take an academic or civic interest in global challenges such as climate change,
resource depletion, and food security, and to build an active and stimulating community. The themes of
activities and events in Semester 1 echo the Our Changing World course open to staff, students and the wider
public each Tuesday evening through the semester.
We will bring together those who teach and research about global challenges and those within the University
and city of Edinburgh seeking to take action on global issues.
During the Semester 1 events will complement Tuesday evening lectures in “Our Changing World”, a crossdisciplinary course for first and second year students and the wider public that showcases the best of the
world class teaching and research at the University.
In Semester 2, events will support teams taking part in the Edinburgh Sustainability Awards.
See more at www.ed.ac.uk/sustainability under Awards.
Semester 1: Tackling our global challenges

pm, Wed 21 September: Film screening of “Burning Ice” in collaboration with Take One
Action (Peter Guilbert / United Kingdom / 2010 / 79 mins), George Square Lecture Theatre
Creative artists, musicians - Jarvis Cocker, Robyn Hitchcock, Martha Wainwright, KT Tunstall,
Marcus Brigstocke, Ryuichi Sakomoto - tackle climate change.
In 2008, 45 scientists and artists joined together on a Cape Farewell expedition to Disko Bay,
Greenland to witness the physical threat of climate change. Following them on their voyage deeper
into the High Arctic, we see their attempt to find a collective response to this global issue, including
their subsequent performances at Latitude Festival and recording of new material.
In collaboration with Take One Action, Scotland's global action cinema project, and Cineco.
Contact: Ric Lander [email protected] and Simon Bateson of Take One Action
[http://www.takeoneaction.org.uk/festival-info], Caro Overy [email protected], Alice O’Rourke
[email protected].
Possible launch of Edinburgh Sustainability Awards in this Week 1

3-5pm Wed 28th September: Visit to UK Biochar Centre at King’s Buildings
Biochar could capture CO2 and provide a soil improver to enhance crops without oil based fertiliser.
A short tour around the first major test facility recently built on campus followed up with an
informal discussion over refreshments with members of the Masters course in Carbon Capture and
Storage. http://www.biochar.org.uk Contact: Caro Overy [email protected]

Afternoon of 5th October: Jubilee Scotland People’s Debt Tribunal, Committee Rm 1, Scottish
Parliament. People’s debt tribunal to highlight current inadequacies in the debt system, in line with
the motion to Scottish Parliament to become an arbiter of debt. With an opportunity for questions to
be put to legal representatives and country representatives.
Contact: Alice O'Rourke [email protected] , James Picardo (director of Jubilee Scotland), event
already organised by Jubilee Scotland at Scottish Parliament.
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
12th October: How can Scotland harness all the benefits of its marine energy?
Wave energy, a promising source of green jobs and potential contributor to energy autonomy for
Scotland, requires a skills revolution. Research spin-outs from the University include Artemis
Intelligent Power Ltd which performs research, development, and technology licensing associated
with Digital Displacement® hydraulic power technology to harness renewable energy.
Collaborators (tbc): MSc Carbon Finance, LAUNCH.Ed, Pelamis wave energy, Aquarius Energy
Contact: Alice O’Rourke [email protected]

7-9pm, 17th October, Potterrow Chaplaincy: Communicating Climate Change Workshop
A workshop to complement Richard Milne’s lecture ‘Denying The Deniers’ to develop the
communication tools to effectively deal with climate change denial. In collaboration with People &
Planet Society and the Alternative Education group. Contact: Caro Overy [email protected]

26th October: Food Security: an afternoon of practical activity
An afternoon at the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens to see local food production in action and
discuss food security in a local context. In collaboration with Transition Edinburgh South and
Whitmuir Organics.
Contact: Alice O’Rourke [email protected]

2nd November: The Economics of Fairtrade
Collaborators (tbc): Fairtrade Café Society, Fairtrade Steering Group, Scottish Fairtrade Forum,
Susan George (development writer), Enlightenment Lecture possibility
Contact: Caro Overy [email protected] and Alice O’Rourke [email protected]

9th November: Justice, responsibility, rights and the law in transitional societies
Collaborators: Amnesty International, Jubilee Scotland, Just World Institute
Contact: Alice O’Rourke [email protected]

16th November: Ethics and Medicine 360
360 second presentations from Medicine students about the ethical challenges of Medicine in a
global context. Collaborators (tbc): School of Medicine, MedAccess Society.

1st December: Winter Feast
Old St. Pauls Church Hall is booked on Thursday 1st December. The contact is Jean and her number
is 0131 556 3332. Capacity 120 for a meal. Collaborators (tbc): Fair Trade Café, People & Planet
Society, Big Green Makeover, Dirty Weekenders, all other groups involved with previous events.
Semester 2
Commencing early January, in collaboration with EUSA, and many other partners of Edinburgh
Sustainability Awards we shall run a series of events to support teams participating in the 2012 Awards.
We plan to contact previous participants in Edinburgh Sustainability Awards to seek advice from them about
what they would have found useful. We will also seek their participation in the launch event planned for
Semester 1, to share their winning projects with this year’s participants.
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