Our Planet and Climate Resilience

Blanket bogs are a significant provider of ecosystem services and the source of much of our drinking water in York. We will explore the journey of our water from uplands to tap, focusing on the increasing pressures on quality and quantity from land management and climate change.

Uplands can be a controversial yet important topic (i.e., heather burning, rewilding and climate change). We will explore “claims, facts, and fiction"; around those remote and mysterious moorland landscapes versus scientific evidence from old fashioned peat cores to state-of-the-art carbon flux measurements.

The future of the built environment hinges on decentralisation. Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions, we must shift power to the local level to create more resilient, low-carbon communities. From supply chains and energy systems to policy-making, decentralisation focuses on local needs, resources, and decision-making to drive meaningful change. Luke explores how strengthening regional supply chains, establishing locally governed energy systems, and tailoring policies to local contexts can enhance sustainability, affordability, and equity to meet the needs of the people who live in them.

Our current society is largely built around fuels, chemicals and materials derived from crude oil. A change to a more sustainable future requires a shift in feedstock, with biomass (primarily from plants) emerging as a prime contender. However, this has provided a challenge due to competition for land from edible crops needed to provide food. This talk will look at some of the ways both challenges can be addressed through utilising agricultural and other food wastes from existing crops and processes to provide an alternative source for our fuels, chemicals and materials.