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A free event dedicated to climate change takes place in UCC on Thursday, 16 January at 6.30pm. Photo: 123RF

The general public will have a chance to ask researchers, scientists and engineers any burning questions they may have around what is perhaps the greatest threat to our way of life - climate change.

A free event dedicated to the divisive topic, accompanied by a screening of the widely acclaimed film ‘Chasing Ice’, takes place on Thursday, 16 January at 6.30pm in Room G.05, Western Gateway Building, UCC.

As we know only all too well here in Ireland, the weather in European countries is continually setting new records as a result of climate change. Massive floods, droughts, forest fires and record heat waves are damaging societies and economies across the region. Have we only ourselves to blame? The answer to that question lies within an ocean of conflicting opinions.

Climate change has always been a feature of Earth’s history – you might even vaguely recall from your secondary school geography class how Ireland experienced natural climate change. It was covered in ice 10,000 years ago and then warmed to current temperatures. However the climate is now changing more rapidly than ever before and it has been established with a high degree of certainty that this phenomenon is being caused by human activity.

Most of this man-made climate change is attributed to the burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal), but it is also caused by other activities such as methane emissions from agriculture. Climate change sceptics continue to abound however – this UCC event is open to anyone with an interest in the area, wherever their opinion may lie.

The event will profile the latest scientific research on climate change, led by Professor Ray Bates, University College Dublin and will allow attendees full reign to put any questions they might have to the wider group of experts.

The main event of the evening will feature a free screening of the widely acclaimed film ‘Chasing Ice’. In the spring of 2005, environmental photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic on a tricky assignment for National Geographic - to capture images to help tell the story of the Earth’s changing climate. Even with a scientific upbringing, Balog had been sceptical of climate change. However, that first trip north opened his eyes to the undeniable evidence of a warming planet. Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.

The event is organised by UCC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland. Pre-registration is required for this free event which includes refreshments. To register please contact Dr Paul Bolger, Environmental Research Institute at p.bolger@ucc.ie

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