University College Falmouth responds to climate change

Hosted by University College Falmouth’s Research into Art, Nature & Environment (RANE) research cluster and staff and student volunteers, the event aimed to raise awareness about climate change and offer positive actions that could be taken to help bring about a more sustainable future. Other themes addressed included climate knowledge, renewable energies, fossil-free transport and sustainable food.

The day included an introduction by University College Falmouth’s Principal, Professor Alan Livingston and talks on climate change by Mandy Milano, Director of J & M Sustainable Developers Ltd and life beyond fossil fuels by Rob Hopkins, Coordinator of Transition Town Totnes.

Professor Alan Livingston also awarded £1,500 in prize money to Ryan Tym, Emily Apple and Chris Tozer who won a student competition to create work that reflected the theme of the day, which also formed the basis of a diverse and thought-provoking exhibition.

BA(Hons) Graphic Design student, Ryan Tym won the £500 Design Prize for his Disaster Detection Agency campaign; Sara Bunker from MA Contemporary Visual Arts won the £500 Art Prize for her mug containing 0.00627 kgof graphite which depicted the amount of carbon released when boiling water for a cup of tea; and BA(Hons) Graphic Design student, Chris Tozer won the £500 Media Prize for his animation, Face your elephant, in which carbon dioxide is represented by elephants emitting from chimneys and cars to demonstrate the consequences of our actions.

RANE also awarded a £500 Media Intervention Prize to MA Professional Writing students, Emily Apple and David Bate, for a fictitious 50 years from now climate change supplement that they had produced in collaboration with a local newspaper.

Al Gore’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it – An Inconvenient Truth – was also screened, as was a short film by Greenpeace about de-centralised energy.

The day was rounded off with Climate Change Question Time chaired by Mandy Milano, which provoked stimulating debate between the audience and panel members Dean Millar (Programme Director in Renewable Energy at Camborne School of Mines), Dr Stephan Harrison (Physical Geographer and climate change expert), Rob Hopkins and University College Falmouth’s Director of Marketing & Student Recruitment, Jeremy Whitaker.

Throughout the day, there were stalls and displays by environmentally-aware companies such as Eco-drive, Efficient light, Eco-genie, Sow’s Ear Clothing from Jubilee Wharf, Community Energy Plus and Finisterre, as well as campaigning organisations such as the i-count campaign, Friends of the Earth and Cornwall Switch providing help and information on ways to combat climate change.

“Although this event was aimed at staff and students of University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter’s staff and students in Cornwall, we are hoping to host a future event that will be open to all members of the community,” said RANE Research Cluster Leader, Dr Daro Montag. “We received positive feedback on the day and were pleased with how well the event was supported,” he added. “Participants learned about the many small steps that we can all take that will make a big difference.”

University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall, a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through higher education. The CUC is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council.

For further information about Research into Art, Nature & Environment at University College Falmouth, please visit www.rane-research.org or email rane@falmouth.ac.uk.

Ends

For further information about this press release, please contact Jilly Easterby, Head of Public Affairs, University College Falmouth, Woodlane, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4RH, Telephone: 01326 213792 or email: jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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