Dear ASCers,
Sent on behalf of Peter Coaldrake, Universities Australia
Invite: Universities Australia Climate Change Forum, Parliament House Canberra, Thursday 18 March 2010
What is the reality of climate change in Australia? What does the science show? What changes are already happening? How are farmers, land managers and the environment responding?
Universities Australia, the peak body of Australia’s 39 universities, is hosting our first National Policy Forum on Thursday 18 March at Parliament House.
The topic is Climate Change – Bridging Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy.
I am writing to encourage you to consider attending the Forum and to share this invitation with others who have an interest in this important issue.
Leading researchers will report on:
§ The evidence of climate change in Australia today: in the climate record; in agriculture; in the environment
§ Predictions on the future of climate change and its impact on Australia – exploring the certainties and uncertainties
§ The challenges of communicating the science and of bridging scientific knowledge and public policy
§ The social and economic impact of climate change and the opportunities for Australia to respond, creating jobs and a sustainable future.
The Forum seeks to reach out to MPs, their advisers and the media; we are also inviting a range of stakeholders from agriculture, NGOs and others.
Participation is free but places are limited. Please RSVP to Niall Byrne (see below) by midday Tuesday 16 March, to allow for a security pass to be organised at Parliament House.
Our speakers will include (in alphabetical order after Senator Carr):
Senator the Hon Kim Carr
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Ms Anna-Maria Arabia
Director, Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
Professor Snow Barlow
School of Agriculture and Food Systems, The University of Melbourne
Professor Nathan Bindoff
Professor of Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania
Professor Keith Dear
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, ANU
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
Centre for Marine Studies, The University of Queensland
Dr Anthony Hogan
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, ANU
Professor Roger Jones
Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University
Dr Marie Keatley
Department of Forest and Ecosystem, The University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Janette Lindesay
The ANU Climate Change Institute
Professor Amanda Lynch
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Monash University
Ms Jenny McAllister
Director, Climate Change, Air and Noise, NSW Government
Professor Tony McMichael
The ANU Climate Change Institute
Professor John Quiggin
Risk and Sustainable Management Group, The University of Queensland
Professor Roger Stone
Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland
Dr Blair Trewin
Climatologist, National Climate Centre, Bureau of Meteorology
Professor Peter Coaldrake
Chair, Universities Australia and Vice-Chancellor, QUT (Chair of the Forum)
I acknowledge of course that the notice is extremely short but, as you will realise, the decision regarding timing of the event was driven by the importance and immediacy of the topic, and also because of the desirability of holding such a significant event at Parliament House. After next week, Parliament does not reconvene until the Budget session, so I hope the circumstances are understood.
As you will see from the list above, we have been able to assemble an impressive list of contributors. The style of the event will involve ‘short burst’ speeches, rather than a small number of lengthy presentations.
As indicated above, the Forum is scheduled as follows:
Date: Thursday, 18 March 2010
Time: 8.30am to 12.30pm
Venue: Mural Hall at Parliament House
RSVP: by noon, Tuesday 16 March to niall@scienceinpublic.com.au
Further details and supporting documents will be published online at www.scienceinpublic.com.au/blog/ua http://www.scienceinpublic.com.au/blog/ua .
For further information, please contact Niall Byrne from Science in Public, who is assisting Universities Australia with the Forum. RSVPs should also be sent to Niall, whose contact details are tel (03) 9398 1416, mob 0417 131 977 and email niall@scienceinpublic.com.au
With best wishes.
Yours sincerely
Peter Coaldrake
_______________________________________
Professor Peter Coaldrake Chair Universities Australia
Tel: 07 3138 8086 Fax: 07 3138 4061
www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au http://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/
GPO Box 1142 Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
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