[Committee] Conference: Climate change and the fate of the Amazon. Oriel College, University of Oxford, 20-22 March 2007. Deadline 23rd February

Mon Feb 19 12:31:49 UTC 2007

I just noticed this: deadline for applications is 23rd feb. Cost is
£120/£150, including accomodation. I don't know if they still have places
left, but it's an important one - pretty interesting. Steve

Conference: Climate change and the fate of the Amazon
Oriel College
University of Oxford
20-22 March 2007

The potential large-scale possible dieback of the Amazon rainforest is one
of the most profound impacts of climate change in the 21st century. This
workshop explores this threat in detail, examining the likelihood of such
change, the mechanisms that may lead to biome-threatening climate change,
and the resilience or vulnerability of both the biome and its human
populations to such change. We will also examine the potential consequences
for the region and the planet, and explore strategies for preparation,
adaptation, and mitigation.
Sessions Include

   - Mechanisms of Climate Change in Amazonia
   - "Tipping Points"
   - A Fragile Ecology?
   - Physiology of a Forest Under Stress
   - Lessons from Prehistory
   - Humans and Forests in a Changing Amazon
   - Human Adaptation and What to Do
   - Crafting Policy in the Face of Politics
   - Global Politics: Emissions, Avoided Deforestation, and the CDM

Download the full
timetable<http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/events/070320amazonconference.pdf>

Workshop Conveners

Yadvinder Malhi (University of Oxford), Richard Betts (Hadley Centre) and
Timmons Roberts (University of Oxford)
How to apply

The conference is limited to 100 attendees. Those wishing to attend are
asked to fill in an application form
<http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/events/070320amazonapplication.doc>before *Friday
23rd Feb 2007*. We will then confirm all places before Friday 2nd March
2007.

The cost to attend is £150 (£120 for students). This includes all meals
throughout the conference.

Accommodation will be provided by Oriel
College<http://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/index.html>at an extra cost of £60
per night and can be requested when you apply for
the conference.

Download application
form<http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/events/070320amazonapplication.doc>

Completed forms should be returned to Jane Applegarth at:
jane.applegarth at eci.ox.ac.uk or by fax to: 01865 275850

On 2/19/07, S.J. Stretton <sjstretton at googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Nicky,
>
> According to online calculator (http://www.carbonbalanced.org/personal/calculator/calctravel.asp ),
> each of you would release around 2 tonnes of CO2 from your journey. Although
> normally people would offset this at £10 per tonne of CO2 = £20, The total
> climate impact is approximately ~6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (effect is
> nearly 3 times as great as just CO2 when including other warming effects of
> aviation such as contrails-ref req): so i think 6 tonnes CO2 would be the
> amount that should be offset.
>
> Compare:
> Total UK emissions    ~10 tonnes CO2 per person per year of which personal
> contribution ~5 tonnes.
> Avg global emissions  ~4  tonnes CO2 per person per year.
> Sustainable level     ~1  tonne  CO2 per person per year.
>
> Although new forestry projects are certainly suspicious, I don't know the
> details of the sustainable energy projects (are Cliamte Care replacing
> inefficient wood stoves with LPG gas boilers?).
>
> According to the Stern Review, protecting rainforest might be one of the
> most cost-effective ways of preventing CO2 release. Protecting rainforest
> has significant side-benefits  (climate regulation, welfare of indigenous
> inhabitants, biodiversity, other benefits not instrumental to human
> welfare). However, those with experience of this area say that preventing
> deforestation is extremely difficult to acheive, due to various problems
> including poor institutions and lack of knowledge.
>
> The World Land Trust: http://www.worldlandtrust.org/index.htm is locally
> based and seems very reputable. It has a carbon offset-style sheet called
> 'Carbon balanced' http://www.carbonbalanced.org/: they charge a similar
> price to 'Climate Care' - see below.
> See note below on the various prices charged.
>
> *Sir David Attenborough*, Patron of the WLT, about Carbon Balanced
> <http://www.carbonbalanced.org/>:
> "I welcome WLT's new Carbon-balancing programme as a way of helping put
> back what we are taking away. I would urge everyone to think deeply about
> what is important in life and to consider the consequences of daily
> activities. Balancing your carbon emissions with the WLT means that we are
> able to put even more back in to our key objectives – acquiring land for
> conservation."
>
> Here is a note on what price should be charged for CO2.
> Cost to Prevent CO2 release:
> (WLT)            $20   (£10) per tonne of CO2
>
> Damage cost of extra CO2 released:
> (Stern)          $85  (£40)  per tonne of CO2
> (Oxford ECI)     $370 (£200) per tonne of CO2
> http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/
>
> Cost likely to have an impact on flying behaviour
> (Prof MacKay)    $700 (£350) per tonne of CO2
>
> Anyone knows research on the most effective orgainsations at preventing
> tropical deforestation?
> If you ask for my current opinion - I would ask your friends to donate
> something (more than £20) each to the WLT.
> But this in no way indicates the correct level of environmental cost/tax
> on the flights which I believe should be of the order of ~£2000 per return
> flight to Mexico (based on parity with UK taxation of road fuel, and full
> climate impact of aviation). Sorry - this isn't intended to be shrill, just
> my best guess at what the true cost should be!
> Happy singing!
> Regards,
> Steve
>
> On 2/18/07, Nicky Scordellis < ns337 at cam.ac.uk > wrote:
> >
> > Hi everyone,  I'm going to Mexico at Easter with Emma chapel choir and I
> > want to get everyone to offset their emissions from flying over
> > there.  I
> > realise offsetting isn't exactly perfect but given we are going anyway
> > it's
> > better than nothing, so I was wondering if anyone knows which offsetting
> > company is best?  Climate care says 80% of their projects are
> > sustainable
> > energy projects (as opposed to forestry) and their principles look good
> > to
> > me (see
> > http://www.climatecare.org/projects/index.cfm?content_id=E17E5E13-0AFA-DB60-
> >
> > 5640550B1039396A) but please let me know if you know of anything better.
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Nicky
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Committee mailing list
> > Committee at zerocarbonnow.org
> >
> > http://mail.zerocarbonnow.org/mailman/listinfo/committee_zerocarbonnow.org
> >
>
>
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