The events are free and open to the public.

The lectures are held in Lecture Theatre 0 in the Department of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Cambridge. The lectures are on Wednesday evenings, 5:30 for 6:00 p.m and are concluded by 7:30pm. The 2008 series is listed below:

 

23rd January
The challenges of managing the American foreign aid program, post-9/11 in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Mark Ward (U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID))

Mark Ward, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Asia and the Near East bureau, has been presented with the USA International Affairs Medal in acknowledgement for his leadership of the U.S. recovery and reconstruction efforts after the Asia Tsunami in 2004 and the South Asia earthquake of 2005.

 

6th February
Climate change, peak oil, and the coming global energy crisis
Dr Jeremy Legget (Solar Century)

Jeremy Leggett is a former geologist, turned environmentalist, turned social entrepreneur and author. He was the founder and is currently executive chairman of Solarcentury, the UK’s largest independent solar electric company, and until 2006 was a member of the UK Government Renewables advisory board. He has called for a mass withdrawal from fossil fuels and advocates that coal should be left in the ground.

 

13th February
Creating a Better Place - the Environment Agency - and shaping sustainability
Baroness Barbara Young (Chief Executive – Environment Agency)

Baroness Young of Old Scone was the chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds from 1991 to 1998, and has been chief executive of the Environment Agency since 2000. She has been Chairman of English Nature and Vice-Chairman of the BBC

 

27th February
Sustainable Development in the Built Environment; Progress or Procrastination?
Professor Peter Brandon and Dr Patrizia Lombardi (Salford University)

The lecture will consider how sustainability can be incorporated into the built environment from individual buildings to cities, using case studies drawn from across Europe.

 

12th March
Carbon Footprinting: Industry, People, the Universe and Everything
Professor Adisa Azapagic (Manchester University)

Adisa Azapagic is Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at Manchester University. Her research interests are in the area of Engineering for Sustainable Development, which includes systems optimisation, clean technology, life cycle assessment, industrial ecology and corporate sustainability. She has over 150 publications in these areas of interest, including two books.

 

23rd April
Delivering Sustainable Development at the Eden Project
Tim Smit (Founder of the Eden Project)

Tim Smit was responsible for starting the Eden Project, near St Austell in Cornwall, an £80 million initiative to build three transparent biomes in an old china clay pit. The biomes contain different eco-climates loosely based on the different climates found throughout the world – tropical jungle, temperate, and desert. Eden professes to educate people about environmental matters and encourages a greater understanding and empathy with these matters.

Smit was awarded the CBE in the 2002 New Years Honours List, and in 2006 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Design degree by the University of the West of England “in recognition of his outstanding achievements in promoting the understanding and practise of the responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, which have made a major contribution regionally, nationally and internationally to sustainable development, tourism, architecture and landscape architecture”.

 

30th April
Climate Change and Ecosystem Services: Science, Economics and Ethics
Professor Robert Watson (Chief Scientific Advisor, DEFRA and Director of Strategic Development at the Tyndall Centre).

Professor Robert T. Watson is Director of Strategic Development at the Tyndall Centre and is also DEFRA Chief Scientist and former Chief Scientist and Director for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (ESSD) at the World Bank. Prior to joining the World Bank, Professor Watson was Associate Director for Environment in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President in the White House. Prior to joining the Clinton White House, Professor Watson was Director of the Science Division and Chief Scientist for the Office of Mission to Planet Earth at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).