University of Leeds - Geography Teachers' Conference

The annual event is on the 23rd of June this year.

Geography Teachers’ Conference 
‘Humans in Nature’ 
Tuesday 23rd June 2015 
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds 

The Sustainability Research Institute will bring together some of their top academics to share insights into the latest cutting edge research on human interactions with the natural environment, in this exciting teachers’ event. We are fascinated by the connections between people and environment, and the conflicts and opportunities that this interface presents. We will cover topics such as nature and the city, justice and adaptation to climate change, and the work retailers are doing on sustainability. In addition, you will find out about some of the less obvious - but perhaps more interesting - options for students who are considering university, and meet other teachers from related disciplines. The Sustainability Research Institute in Leeds is made up of the largest collection of social scientists in the UK working on environmental issues. This year is our 10th anniversary, and we look forward to celebrating that with you at this teachers’ event.

The event is FREE, with lunch and refreshments included! 

To book a place, or for more information, contact Alice Lambert at socialscience@leeds.ac.uk

Here are the sessions:

Why retailers (should) care about sustainability 
Dr Claire Quinn (Lecturer in Natural Resource Management) 
Retailers hold an important “gatekeeper” position in the UK food supply chain. They can create positive change, but they can also pass on the responsibility (and the cost) to others. In this session we’ll examine the role of the retail sector in sustainability, in particular how one retailer (M&S) engages with ideas of sustainable agriculture, climate change and biodiversity. 

Nature and the City 
Dr Martin Dallimer (Lecturer: Environmental Change) 
For the first time in human history, over half the world’s population now lives in towns and cities. In England that figure reaches 80 to 90%. Urban areas are profoundly different from the natural environments which they replace. Nevertheless, our towns and cities often have large areas of ‘green space’, such as public parks and domestic gardens. This presentation will explore the myriad benefits that urban green spaces, nature and wildlife can provide for a human population for whom experiences of ‘nature’ are increasingly restricted.

Fair adaptation to climate change 
Professor Jouni Paavola (Professor of Environmental Social Science) 
Climate change is already happening and will get worse even if progress is made in mitigating the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. Local authorities and government agencies will thus need to act to protect people from adverse impacts of climate change. This workshop will explore why and how social justice considerations are important for adaptation planning. It clarifies how adaptation planning and measures should acknowledge that people are differently impacted by climate change and may be vulnerable to these impacts to a different degree. 

Do Your Students Want to Change the World? 
Dr Lucie Middlemiss (Admissions Tutor and Lecturer in Sustainability) 
Students studying Geography, Economics or Politics at A level are often unaware of the less obvious, but more exciting, opportunities at degree level. In this session, led by our admissions tutor and one of our top students, we will show what’s involved in our environment-related degree programmes, and you will hear about the student experience ‘from the horse’s mouth’

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