We Are The University

Celebrate and Explore Antarctica with Victoria Uni

victoria-university-of-wellington

Wed Apr 09 2008 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Celebrate and Explore Antarctica with Victoria Uni

Wednesday, 9 April 2008, 10:00 am
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington

Celebrate and Explore Antarctica with Victoria University

Antarctic Seminars Monday-Wednesday 14-16 April, evenings.

Victoria University invites you to three free Antarctic discussions on the evenings of Monday to Wednesday 14-16 April. We will celebrate and explore the unique qualities of Antarctica and then move to discuss issues currently facing the continent and Southern Ocean and solutions. The discussions are part of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s Exploring Antarctica Festival in Wellington between 12 and 20 April 2008. There is a wide range of Antarctic events.

Fantastic Antarctica: Ilott Theatre, ground floor of the Wellington Town Hall, Monday 14 April, 7.30-9.00pm
What's so special about Antarctica? Chaired by Kim Hill, the seminar brings writer Bill Manhire, painter Dick Frizzell, science communicator Lloyd Davis and ecologist Vonda Cummings explore their experiences and perspectives on the world where longitude and latitude, night and day, heaven and hell, converge. Abode of miraculous extremophiles and extravagant landscapes in a thousand shades of white. Exquisitely sensitive barometer of climate change. Antarctica is more than sublime geographical oddity; we may need to preserve it to survive. Held in partnership with the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Protecting Antarctica: Paramount Theatre, Courtney Place, Tuesday 15 April, 5.30-7.30pm
Antarctica’s environment is relatively pristine and isolated – but what threats does it face? Who and what protects it? You might be surprised by the fantastic and fragile nature of the Antarctic environment. Panelists will discuss efforts to ensure that the unique qualities of Antarctica are not undermined by human activities. Panelists include Joanna Mossop (Antarctic governance); Neil Gilbert (issues facing the Antarctic environment); Cath Wallace (the role of the public and NGOs in protecting Antarctica); Michael Donoghue on whales and the Southern Ocean, and Peter Cozens (security issues).

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Cool Antarctica: Paramount Theatre, Courtney Place, Wednesday 16 April, 5.30-7.30pm
It’s not cool to heat Antarctica. Hear about Antarctica as the driver of global oceans and atmospheric systems, the climate change negotiations and what New Zealanders can do to play a part in the solution. Panelists include Martin Manning (Climate Change-what is settled and what is uncertain-an international perspective); Nancy Bertler (climate change in Antarctica);Peter Barrett (Antarctic climate past and future); Jonathan Boston (international efforts to address climate change); Ralph Chapman (New Zealand action on climate change).

Other events in the Festival include a special concert by the NZSO, an Art After Dark event at Te Papa, an exhibition at The New Dowse, and a screening of Scott of the Antarctic. The full festival programme can be found at www.nzso.co.nz.

Exploring Antarctica: Public Discussion – Fantastic Antarctica, Protecting Antarctica, Cool Antarctica.

Session and Participants

Location, Chair or Speaker Designation

Topic titles

Fantastic Antarctica

Ilott Theatre, Monday 14 April, 7.30-9.00pm

Kim Hill

Broadcaster

Facilitator

Speakers

Topic

Bill Manhire,

Professor, writer and Director, International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University.

Ideas of Purity: Antarctica in the Human Imagination.

Dick Frizzell,

Painter of note

Anxious, exhilarated and exhausted

Lloyd Spencer Davis

Professor, scientist, writer and Director of the Centre for Science Communication, University of Otago

The Antarctic through penguin eyes

Vonda Cummings

Marine ecologist, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

Coastal Antarctica; a vibrant underworld

Protecting Antarctica

Paramount Theatre, Courtney Place, Tuesday 15 April, 5.30-7.30pm

David McDowell

Former Director General of the World Conservation Union – IUCN, distinguished diplomat and Ambassador to Japan for New Zealand, former head of the Dept of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Director-General of the Department of Conservation, former New Zealand Ambassador to the UN.

Facilitator

Joanna Mossop

Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington

Antarctic Governance

Neil Gilbert

Environmental Manager, Antarctica New Zealand and Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection of the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty

Tackling Antarctic environmental issues.

Cath Wallace

School of Government, Victoria University, and Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ

Antarctic environmental protection: too important to be left to governments. The roles of civil society.

Michael Donoghue

Senior International Relations Adviser, Department of Conservation

Whaling and the Southern Ocean

Peter Cozens

Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Studies, School of Government, Victoria University.

Issues of security.

Cool Antarctica

Paramount Theatre, Courtney Place, Wednesday 16 April, 5.30-7.30pm

Judy Lawrence

Director Policy and Strategy Consulting Ltd, former Director of the Climate Change Office, Ministry for the Environment.

Facilitator

Martin Manning

Professor of Climate Change, the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, School of Government, Victoria University.

Climate Change - what is settled and what is uncertain –an international perspective

Nancy Bertler

Senior Scientist , Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University & GNS Science

Climate change - what is happening in Antarctica

Peter Barrett,

Professor of Geology: Antarctic Research Centre, and the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington.

Antarctic climate – past and future

Jonathon Boston

Professor and Director, Institute of Policy Studies, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington.

International efforts to address climate change.

Ralph Chapman

Director, Graduate Programme in Environmental Studies, School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University.

New Zealand policy action on climate change.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from Victoria University of Wellington on InfoPages.