Climate change session hailed

7:24am Tuesday 6th February 2007

THE response to a public meeting held to discuss the impact of climate change has been hailed by its organisers.

About 150 people have reserved places at the Question Time-style event to be held on Thursday as part of the Climate Talk project.

Leading experts will give their views on global warming and its possible solutions at the meeting to be held in York's Guildhall.

Scientist Dr Gary Haq has organised the event as part of Climate Talk - a year-long project backed by The Press and aimed at increasing awareness of the issue among the over-50s in North Yorkshire.

He said: "We are really pleased with the response we have had and the interest of people to come along.

"Hopefully, it will be a really good event to raise awareness of climate change and to look at possible solutions."

The event comes only days after a report by more than 2,000 international scientists was published that blamed humans for climate change and urged governments to act. Dr Haq, who works at the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York, said there was a noticeable change in the public mood over the issue.

He said: "It illustrates the change in the public mood and concern about climate change. With the recent report on the issue, people are starting to take it seriously and be concerned about it.

"It is really encouraging for this project because it is our first event. We are hoping our other events and seminars will be just as successful."

The event will run from 7pm to 9pm and will be chaired by BBC Radio York presenter Elly Fiorentini. It will also be broadcast live on the station.

The expert panellists will include Sir John Lawton, chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Green Euro MP Caroline Lucas, Craig McCarvey, Dales area manager from the Environment Agency, and Tom Oxley, corporate social responsible manager from Norwich Union.

The Climate Talk project has won a £60,000 grant from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs' climate change challenge fund to raise awareness of global warming.

More meetings are planned for Northallerton, Scarborough and Skipton.

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