Transition Penwith

Please note this date in your diaries for this talk in December which is very relevant to Penwith and Cornwall.

Transition Penwith in partnership with The National Trust presents:
Coastal Change and Adaptive Management

Wednesday 03 December 2008
7.00 - 8.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm)
To be held at: Committee Room 1, Penwith District Council, St Clare, Penzance, TR18 3QW
£3.00 Donation

Directions:- Just past the entrance to Penwith District Council (if your heading into Penzance), turn right (Leisure Centre), drive slowly over a few speed bumps and instead of going into the car park for the leisure centre veer right and park.  The Committee Rooms are signposted.
 
About the Speaker
Phil has worked for the National Trust for 25yrs on coastal and marine issues, initially on the Isle of Wight and for the last twenty years in Cornwall.  In 2007 he was appointed as National Trust Coast and Marine Advisor working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland supporting colleagues on dealing with coastal change issues and working with external partners to promote sustainable development approaches to coastal and marine management. He lives near Truro.
 
About the Talk
Phil's talk will focus on three key themes:

1. Understanding and planning for coastal change within the Trust -  a risk assessment based approach   
2. Hard choices and coastal squeeze - advocacy andthe importance of good communication Making time and space for change -  in a world that does not do change and where the only certainty is uncertainty
3. The scale of the Trust's involvement in coastal ownership and management means that we face some serious challenges associated with sea-level rise, in particular an increase in coastal erosion and flooding.   Future forecasts tell us climate change will lead to continued sea-level rise and increased storminess which will, in turn accelerate the scale and pace of coastal change.  

A key challenge for the Trust and wider society is the need to be able to think for the long-term if we are to deal effectively with a changing coast. Thinking in twenty-, fifty- and one-hundred-year time frames needs to become the norm, to replace our current practice of thinking in short five-year planning and political cycles.
 
The Trust believes that by utilising the best available scientific information, embracing an adaptive approach, harnessing creativity and innovation, and above all communicating effectively with all our neighbours, stakeholders and partners, we stand the best chance of making the right decisions about the future management of our coast.