Past Event - Policy Seminar: A Perfect Storm Ahead
Geographical perspectives on food, water and energy security to 2030.
According to UK government Chief Scientist Sir John Beddington, by 2030 a ‘perfect storm’ that combines food, water and energy shortages will unleash public unrest and international conflict (Read More - Article PDF; and Speech at SDUK2009)
This event took place on Thursday 17 February 2011 (9.45am-4.00pm), Ondaatje Theatre, RGS-IBG, London, SW7 2AR. Over 250 delegates attended this day-long seminar organised as part of the Society's policy work.
Audio from presentations
Click through the navigation panels at the bottom toolbar within the viewing window below to listen to the audio from each of the sessions from the seminar. PDFs of the slides which featured in each of the presentations can also be viewed from the links in the programme below.
You can also read speaker biographies (PDF)
09.45: Introduction
• Dr Rita Gardner, Director, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
• Morning Chair: Professor Sir Gordon Conway, Chair in International Development, Imperial College
09.50: Session 1 - Background
• Climate change context: Professor Julia Slingo, Chief Scientist, Met Office Presentation [PDF]
• Research background: Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) and University of East Anglia Presentation [PDF]
10.30-11.10: Session 2 - Keynote speaker
11.40-12.40: Session 3 - Security challenges from the “Perfect Storm”
• Water: Professor Nigel Arnell, Director Walker Institute, University of Reading Presentation [PDF]
• Food: Dr David Buffin, Centre for Food Policy, City University London Presentation [PDF]
• Energy: Mike Bradshaw, Professor of Human Geography, University of Leicester Presentation Presentation [PDF]
13.30 Introduction to afternoon
• Afternoon chair: Mike Bradshaw, Professor of Human Geography, University of Leicester
13.35-14.40: Session 4 - Geographical understanding: case studies
• The heart of Borneo – land use options: Dr Glyn Davies, Director of Programmes, WWF-UK Presentation [PDF]
• Changes in UK Land Use: Professor Carys Swanwick, Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield Presentation [PDF]
• Cities and housing: Professor Harriet Bulkeley, Chair of Geography, Energy, and Environment at the Department of Geography, and Deputy Director of the Durham Energy Institute, Durham University Presentation [PDF]
15.00: Session 5 - Discussion: weathering the storm
• Rob Hopkins, Co-Founder of Transition Towns Totnes and Transition Network Presentation [PDF]
• Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business, Marks and Spencer [Discussion only]
• Questions and discussion
16.00 Closing statement
• Afternoon chair: Professor Mike Bradshaw, University of Leicester
16.00-17.00: Reception
• Sponsored by “Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS)” to mark their publication of Food Security and Global Environmental Change (Earthscan, 2010)
For further information about the event and its presentations please contact Dr Steven Toole, Policy and Public Affairs Manager on policy@rgs.org or +44 (0)20 75913008
Media coverage on the 'Perfect Storm Ahead'