ECOLOGY
Nothing in this world is indifferent to us: the quest for an integral ecology
It is clear that we are in the middle of a climate crisis.
The last ten years have been the warmest ten years on record, and this has contributed to many extreme weather events affecting people all over the globe.
Yet understanding the nature of the climate crisis and working together to build solutions is more than just a scientific and technical challenge. It requires a deeper understanding of the connection between human beings and their relationship with the natural environment.
In the papal encyclical Laudato Si` Pope Francis pointed towards the need for an integral ecology, which takes into account this interconnectedness between all creatures and the environment in which they live. In this panel we will examine this human dimension of climate change, exploring how an understanding of the place of humans in the natural environment can contribute towards climate science, climate communication and policy development.
SPEAKERS
Prof Rosalind Cornforth
Professor Ros Cornforth is Professor of Climate and Development and Director of the Walker Institute at the University of Reading. She has a PhD in Tropical Meteorology and over 15 years’ experience collaborating with national met services, governments, and NGOs in developing countries. She is currently PI/Co-PI on several major collaborative research projects in Africa, Middle East and the Kush Himalayan region and has extensive high-level experience working as a technical consultant with UN agencies and governments, including Africa Union (AU-DRR team, AU-NEPAD), the UN (WHO/WMO, UNEP, UNDP, UNCCST, WFP), World Bank, and the UK Department for International Development (DfID).
Prof Sir Brian Hoskins FRS
Prof Brian Hoskins has been a Professor of Meteorology in the University of Reading for 40 years. He was also the Founding Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London and is now its Chair.
His research interests have been in weather and climate, in particular the understanding and modelling of the motion of the atmosphere on all scales.
He has had many national and international positions and was a member of the UK Climate Change Committee for its first 10 years.
He is a member of the science academies of the UK, USA, China and Europe. He received a CBE in 1998 and was knighted in 2007 for services to the environment. His awards include the 2024 Japan Prize.
Dr Ben Wilson
Ben is Dthe irector of Public Engagement for SCIAF, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Caritas Scotland. Ben is responsible for SCIAF’s fundraising, community engagement, development education, communications and political advocacy. Since 2017, Ben has led SCIAFs climate justice advocacy work at the Scottish, UK and International levels, through which he has developed particular expertise on the issue of Loss & Damage. He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow in development sociology and is a trustee of Scotland’s International Development Alliance and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. Since 2021 he has advised the Vatican on the UNFCCC and was a member of the Holy See delegation to COP28.
