What’s all the fuss about?’ and 'Climate - What to expect and What to do about it' are talks by David Ramsden MBE, an experienced and many say “inspirational” speaker who’s been giving presentations since 1988 for the wildlife charity he co-founded. What’s all the fuss about?’ is an easy-to-follow look at the whole subject & possible solutions. It explains in simple terms; Earth's climate system;
the greenhouse effect; how the jet stream affects our weather; natural variation; the relationship between atmospheric carbon, global temperature, and sea level; possible effects of future emissions scenarios; the Paris agreement; our current trajectory; IPCC recommendations; health effects; the scale of the challenge; Earth's biocapacity; our ecological footprint; extinction rates; Britain's leadership; SOLUTIONS; and, what to expect. It’s aimed primarily at people who want to know more about climate change or the ecological crisis, people who feel that either crisis is unreal or exaggerated, or people who have not previously engaged with the subject. David's second climate Talk ‘Climate – What to expect and What to do about it’ is a 45-minute presentation with sections covering ‘the basics’ of our global situation vis-à-vis climate change, ‘the effects’, and ‘where we are heading’ here in the UK. Part 4, ‘human vulnerabilities’, considers why climate change is so challenging for humans to deal with and the various way in which we could be affected at home. ‘What to expect’ covers what we’re likely to see (and will have to deal with) at various stages of global heating and finally, ‘what to do about it’ sets out the practical steps we can all take to prepare for what’s coming. Talks are either presented by David in person across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, and Somerset (UK) or online via Zoom and other live webinar platforms to audiences further afield. Each talk is entirely funded by collections made at previous talks. Not particularly suitable for under 12’s unless they have a particular interest in the subject. To request a talk, please contact David Ramsden, [email protected]
Why not present the talk yourself? David is happy to provide either talk as a PowerPoint Show so it can be presented by other speakers. There are two requirements – the speaker needs a good basic knowledge of the subject and the projection equipment or laptop must be connected to an audio system. The PowerPoint file will be sent by WeTransfer. Potential speakers should apply in writing to [email protected]
Comments received include:
"This is the best talk I have heard about the climate and ecological crisis. As a scientist, working on climate, I can confirm that David has put in an enormous amount of work "behind the scenes" to ensure that all that he conveys is factually correct. At the same time, David makes this challenging topic accessible to a wide audience. I warmly recommend this outstanding talk to everyone." Alasdair Skelton. Director, Bolin Climate Research Centre, Stockholm University
"Just to say how much I enjoyed David Ramsden’s talk - it is definitely THE best talk I have ever heard about climate change - very well presented and easy to follow and understand. Thank you so much for organising this and giving us the opportunity to hear David - he is a great speaker". Margret, Devon Federation WI Environment Sub Committee
David,
Thank you for your talk on “Climate and Ecological Crisis - What's all the fuss about?" As i hope you could tell there was a lot of positive feedback from our members. We thought that your use of the 70+ minutes was excellent. You painted a suitably “scary" picture, in clear terms we could all understand. You gave us practical examples of what we could all do. You answered the questions clearly and rationally. Thank you for a thoroughly worthwhile afternoon - you certainly got us thinking. I am asking our Committee to think about whether we can build on this within our membership. Steve Bowyer
Speaker Seeker, Kibworth & District u3a
“David Ramsden’s new presentation ‘Climate - What to expect and What to do about is a fascinating talk. Clearly presented, packed full of facts from reliable sources, with clear and easily understood illustrations. David injects so much enthusiasm into his presentations! Everyone should hear this”. Alison Tamplin, Speaker Secretary, Torridge U3A
WHICH PRESENTATION SHOULD I BOOK? SUBJECT MATTER COMPARISON - David’s first climate talk ‘Climate and Ecological Crisis? What’s all the fuss about?’ is a highly acclaimed introductory presentation which, although science-based, “makes this challenging topic accessible to a wide audience”. It culminates in a range of solutions we can all contribute to in the hope that individuals, industries, and governments can, and will, finally get societies around the world on the right track vis-à-vis climate change. David’s second talk on the subject ‘Climate – what to expect & what to do about it’ is quite different. Whilst equally science-based and accessible, it accepts our current situation for what it is, explains the impacts of warming that’s already in the pipeline, and sets out practical steps we can all take to prepare for what’s coming. Both presentations are kept bang up to date with the latest science. LENGTH - The introductory talk ‘Climate and Ecological Crisis? What’s all the fuss about?’ is 50 to 70 minutes long (although the time passes quickly and no one has ever fallen asleep!) whereas ‘Climate – what to expect & what to do about it’ is much shorter at 45 to 50 minutes. COST – Both presentations are offered entirely free of charge. Costs are covered by donations received from previous talks.
