People, the Coast and Climate Change
People, the Coast and Climate Change
Former SCR member, Professor Nick Harvey engaged an interested audience last night at the final Port 'n' Talk this semester. Professor Harvey initially read for a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography at James Cook University and, after attaining his PhD in coastal geomorphology, Professor Harvey lived at St Mark's (in Abel Cottage) from 1979 to 1981, whilst working at the University of Adelaide.
Professor Harvey is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He is also on a number of international scientific committees dealing with global change and was one of the lead authors on the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II report, the global body assessing the scientific evidence for climate change. He is also currently Chair of the international START-Oceania committee, based in Fiji, dealing with global change research and training. In addition, Professor Harvey is a member of the Australian Government Advisory Group on Coastal Vulnerability Assessment and a member of the Executive Steering Committee for South Australia's State of the Environment Report.
Professor Harvey introduced the general topic of climate change and the current political environment that we are working in. Professor Harvey then explained the role and function of the IPCC including the complex and extensive process that the IPCC went through to generate its many reports. This left many with no doubt about the robust nature of the IPCC reports and certainly gave many who were present a much greater confidence in the reliability of the IPCC. This was an interesting contrast from Professor Ian Plimer's Port 'n' Talk last year.
Professor Harvey concluded his talk by explaining the coastal impacts that Australia will face with climate change. This included the extensive planning regulations that local government should take into account in order to address the issue of rising tides and the global climate shift. This also allowed Professor Harvey to explain the fragmented approach that is currently in place in much of Australia to climate change and we were able to see some of the measures needed to develop a more coordinated approach to the issue.
The night ended with good questions from the audience which focused on some of the possible impacts of global climate shift and the issues with public perception of climate change. Overall the evening provided a thought provoking and stimulating discussion on the issue of climate change.
Our next Port 'n' Talk will be held on the 9th of August with Professor James McWha, the current Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Adelaide.
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