BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Climate change: the tipping point debate - Paul Brown and Frank Mc
 Donald
DTSTART:20080206T200000Z
DTEND:20080206T213000Z
UID:TALK10457@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Professor John Naughton
DESCRIPTION:This session is a moderated conversation between two leading e
 nvironment correspondents who are currently Wolfson Press Fellows: Paul Br
 own (formerly Guardian Environment Correspondent) and Frank McDonald (Envi
 ronment Editor\, the Irish Times).  The moderator is Joe Smith of the Open
  University and Clare Hall.\n\nBackground\n\nNow that there's a consensus 
 that human activity is causing global warming\, the debate has shifted to 
 whether climate change is progressing so rapidly that humanity may be help
 less to slow or reverse the trend.  This concern is exacerbated by the tho
 ught that the planet may reach a 'tipping point' – i.e. a point where va
 rious aspects of warming begin to reinforce one another making the situati
 on irreversible.\n\nThe "tipping point" scenario has begun to concern many
  prominent researchers in the field. While scientists remain uncertain abo
 ut when such a point might occur\, many claim it is urgent that government
 s must cut global carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent over the next 50
  years or risk the triggering of irreversible changes.\n\nPaul Brown and F
 rank McDonald have covered the climate change debate for many years\, and 
 are thoroughly familiar with the science\, the issues and the policymakers
  involved.  In this public conversation\, they focus on the question of wh
 ether there is a danger that we will indeed reach a tipping point – or e
 ven whether humanity might already (as James Lovelock has argued) have pas
 sed it.\n\nAll welcome.\n\n\n
LOCATION:Quiet Room\, Wolfson College
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR