Celebrate and Explore Antarctica with Victoria Uni
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).
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