Nikki Jones’ Summer Series Part 1 - “Where Are We With Climate Change?” co-hosted by The Future Economy Network and Alec French Architects
On the hottest day of the year so far, it felt apt that Nikki Jones’ first seminar of the series was titled “Where Are We With Climate Change?”. The event took place on Thursday 25th July 2019 and was hosted by Alec French Architects at their central Bristol office with a wonderfully cooled room and sustainable refreshments. It was attended by business professionals, students and activists alike and came about from an obvious need to take serious climate action immediately.
Attendees were welcomed by the Recruitment Director of The Future Economy Group, Richard Murphy. Richard spoke briefly about The Future Economy Network and the benefits of subscribing.
A moving and informative 1.5 hour presentation was then delivered by Nikki Jones, freelance researcher/writer on global and UK energy. The first half of the presentation focused on the current state of the earth, what the IPCC report actually means, and how this affects/will affect us and the planet. There was a 10 minute break half way, where attendees were able to discuss the facts and network over tea and coffee. The second half of the presentation discussed the actions that are being taken, and what other actions can be taken, to reduce our impact and slow down the warming of the planet. Nikki finished with this rather sobering quote by Dr Schumacher:
“Call a thing immoral or ugly, soul-destroying or a degradation to man, a peril to the peace of the world or to the well-being of future generations: as long as you have not shown it to be "uneconomic" you have not really questioned its right to exist, grow, and prosper.”
Richard concluded the presentations with a lively Q&A with Nikki. Topics discussed included generational themes in climate activism, how female empowerment can improve activism, media acknowledgement of climate change, child depression over the future, changes in the political system, carbon trends, and much more. Nikki discussed how only a small percentage of the population are needed for a revolution, and that we should not be disheartened by the planet’s current state, but “be better informed and shout louder”.
Finally, Richard spoke about our upcoming events and the rest of Nikki’s series. Delegates were able to have a final cup of tea or coffee before heading home.
Check out the rest of her series here, every Thursday in August:
2: The UK's Energy Transition 01.08.19
3: Is Nuclear the Answer? 08.08.19
4: Can Changes in Land Use Save Us from Climate Change? 15.08.19
5: Where & How is the World Adapting to Climate Change? 22.08.19
6: Bristol's 2030 Carbon Neutrality Ambition. Can We Do It? 29.08.19
The Future Economy Network would like to offer sincere thanks to Nikki Jones and to Alec French Architects for their support. Also, a huge thank you to all attendees – we hope you found it an interesting and exciting event.
The Future Economy Network look forward to seeing you at another event soon!