Facing our Environmental Emergencies
Talks and workshops to develop your understanding of the environmental crises we face and to formulate your responses.
Adventure, Activism and the Climate Crisis
Starting with an account of his circumnavigation and spiced with first-hand experiences of the effects of global warming on oceans and mountains, this illustrated session will explore some of the realities of the Climate Crisis. Edward will also outline how he is trying to use politics, the church and local action to bring about change.
The international ‘COP’ conferences seem to come and go, with fine speeches and rhetoric, but actions only seem to be agreed after loopholes have been inserted. We are heading towards 2.8 degrees of warming by the end of this century. Can humanity survive that?
- If politicians continue to fail to take adequate action, can technology save us?
- What hope can we have in the Presidents of the US, Brazil or China?
- What impact has Greta Thunberg and the School Strike had?
- Do activism or democracy have any chance of succeeding?
- Will my actions make a difference?
- Is it all too late?
After the talk, delegates will have the chance to ask questions, to develop their own thoughts and conclusions and recognise the power we all have as consumers in a democracy.
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My Circumnavigation and how it turned me Green
A talk illustrated with slides, film clips and poetry about my experiences of sailing around the world in Clipper Round the World Yacht races, which, coupled with the birth of my grandsons, which turned me into a Green activist.
It will describe the connection you feel with the energy of planet as you sail across oceans, The race is an adventure in which women take part as crew and skippers on equal terms with men, coming out of our comfort zones to experience the planet in a unique and challenging way.
On the voyages I learned, paradoxically, how very small the planet is, even though it feels vast and intimidating, and how very delicately balanced it is, even though it feels powerful and violent. I connected with dolphins, pilot whales and albatrosses in their world but saw graveyards of bleached coral. I learned and felt how the planet offers more natural, clean energy than we could ever possibly require and resolved to do whatever I could to reverse the dangerous environmental course we are on now.
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Climate Reality: The latest Al Gore presentation
Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth was first broadcast 14 years ago. What is the current position? What has stopped us taking action? Should we live now in hope or despair?
Climate Change has at last made it onto the political agenda thanks to Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough and Extinction Rebellion. But is it too late?
Starting with the fundamental facts of the science climate change, this powerpoint presentation offers an up-to-date review of the situation: the actions being taken and the scope for hope in the future.
What about China? What about Donald Trump? Must we fly less? Can we afford to change? Will a Green Economy work?
The workshop then allows plenty of scope for group discussions and questions.
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Is it too late? What can I do?
For someone living on the banks of the River Severn, who has been flooded several times and can no longer get insurance; for an Australian whose home has been burned down and for the 80 million animals who died in the fires; for the farmers of Kenya or the Sudan whose crops have failed and whose cattle have died…. it is already too late.
Is there a moment, though, that might really constitute ‘too late’ for the bulk of humanity?
This illustrated talk will explore what we can all do to avoid the worst effects of climate change and environmental collapse; how we can take personal responsibility for our own lifestyles and have an impact in our communities? Will local action make a difference when Australia, Brazil and the USA are still in denial about Climate Change?
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Widening Horizons
Aimed at schools, the Scout and Guide movement and mindful of the many children who rarely or never get opportunities to travel, this talk will inspire children to take the first steps of adventure.
Sitting on the deck as ocean waves crashed over me, I often wondered what had prepared me for this adventure. What had inspired me? It clearly wasn’t the school curriculum, but rather the curriculum of scouting: the resilience, connecting with the natural world and practical problem solving.
It all starts with exploring locally, coming out of familiar territory and comfort zones, gaining confidence and resilience, accepting challenges and progressively expanding individual horizons. It might provide a launch for your Duke of Edinburgh scheme, of your scouting AGM.
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Poetry of Adventure Workshop
Aimed at Y9-Y13, this workshop will inspire students with the excitement of poetry, exploring how words can capture more than pictures, and how the beauty, terror and challenge of the oceans can be translated into verse.
Illustrated with slides and readings, students will work together, discussing and evaluating word choices, rhythms, structure, imagery and metaphor, all in the context of poems written on watch and scribbled in my bunk directly afterwards while also trying to grab a few hours’ sleep. They will be able to trace the process from scribbled draft to final version, analysing the poetic choices involved.
If they thought poets could not be men and women of action, this will change their minds!
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