Public message on climate change

Environment

The University of Adelaide's Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability will host a 12-part evening seminar series on the likely impacts of global warming on South Australia.

The Climate 2030 seminars, primarily aimed at postgraduate students, will address a range of issues relating to climate change and its impact on people, the environment, health, agriculture and the law.

Professor Bob Hill, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, will convene the first seminar on Tuesday 4 March, giving an overview of climate change, its past, present and future.

Weekly seminars throughout the semester will examine clean energy technologies, issues relating to a carbon-constrained future and impacts of climate change at the community, species and genetic level in South Australia.

Other sessions will focus on water resources, population growth and migration, sustainable planning and how our communities (people, plants and animals) will adapt.

Even health gets a look-in, with a seminar devoted to heat stress, and the spread of vector-borne and food-borne infectious diseases.

The impact of climate change on our agricultural systems will be examined, along with economic programs that have been developed to forecast future global trends.

The Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability has organised the series with the support of the South Australian Government and Business SA.

The series forms the lecture component for the postgraduate course on Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation. It will be complemented by tutorials and assessments.

"Climate Change 2030 has been developed in response to interest at a very senior level within the University to have more multi-disciplinary program and course offerings," Professor Bob Hill said.

"This series is a unique and innovative model to promote greater interaction between disciplines, and a valuable opportunity for those with an interest in this area."

Although the series is targeted mainly at postgraduate students, members of the public are also welcome. The seminars will be held weekly, from 4 March-3 June, in Room G04, Napier Building, North Terrace Campus, from 5pm-7pm.

For more information visit:
www.adelaide.edu.au/climatechange/seminars/

Story by Candy Gibson