Ask a climate scientist

What’s the difference between climate change and global warming? How will climate change affect us? What actions can we take – and will they really make a difference?

Are you confused, concerned or just want to know more?

Ask a climate scientist!

A panel of experts from the world-leading Priestley International Centre for Climate and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the University of Leeds will be taking questions from the public at this special event for Earth Week. Please submit your questions in advance when you book your ticket.

The seated part of the evening commences at 6.00 and runs through to 7.30pm; we advise arriving earlier to participate in our Climate Chats (5.00-6.00pm) in the adjoining Priestley Hall, where you can talk informally to our scientists, learn about our Arctic research and enjoy refreshments.

More details and booking information: https://climatescientist.eventbrite.co.uk

Our expert panel of scientists and social scientists are:

Dr Catherine (Frin) Bale: Frin is a University Academic Fellow undertaking interdisciplinary research across engineering, economics and social science. Her research relates to urban energy systems and the application of complexity science in understanding the transition to a low-carbon economy. Through her research she collaborates with local and central government. Before joining the university in 2010, she worked in the public sector, developing strategic programmes to support the energy and environmental sectors in Yorkshire and the Humber. She tweets about her research as @EnergyFrin.

Professor Piers Forster: Piers Forster is the Director of the Priestley Centre and Professor of Physical Climate Change, heading the Physical Climate Change Group in the School of Earth and Environment. Piers’ research interests are centred on identifying and quantifying the causes of climate change and climate modelling. He has led a number of larger interdisciplinary projects to integrate knowledge across the physical, engineering and social sciences to understand how society might adapt to and mitigate climate change and played a central role writing past and current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports.

Dr Jason Lowe: Jason is Head of Climate Services at the Met Office Hadley Centre, Deputy Director of the Hadley Centre and works part-time for the Priestley International Centre for Climate. After his PhD Jason joined the Met Office Hadley Centre and initially focused on sea-level rise. Jason’s approach has always been to look for applications for his science. At the Met Office, he established a team carrying out knowledge integration and communication across the Hadley Centre, and, more recently, to play a leadership role in climate services. He also continues to perform and publish widely in climate science and is lead scientist on the project to update the UK’s climate projections for Defra.

Dr Julia Steinberger: Julia researches and teaches Ecological Economics and Industrial Ecology. Her research examines the connections between resource use (energy and materials, greenhouse gas emissions) and societal performance (economic activity and human wellbeing). She is interested in quantifying the current and historical linkages between resource use and socioeconomic parameters, and identifying alternative development pathways to guide the necessary transition to a low carbon society. She is the recipient of a Leverhulme Research Leadership Award for her research project “Living Well Within Limits,” investigating how universal human well-being might be achieved within planetary boundaries.

Our panel will be chaired by Dr Jannik Giesekam. Jannik is a Research Fellow for the RCUK funded Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIEMAP). He undertakes a mix of economy-wide and sector-specific analyses of opportunities to reduce energy use and carbon emissions through the pursuit of material efficiency strategies. He works on a number of collaborative interdisciplinary projects using techniques from engineering, economics and the social sciences.

Venue: Mill Hill Chapel is close to Leeds mainline rail station and served by buses to Park Row/City Square.