Theme: Managing Our Land for Now and Tomorrow
Have fun with IrriGate: The African Irrigation Game or come along to a workshop on reducing the energy needs of your home. Our Festival Focus Day brings together leading environmental scientists, insurance industry leaders, policy-makers, engineers, farmers and city planners to discuss how we can prevent - and live with - floods in the future.
What's on
Sonic Sea
Sonic Sea is a 60-minute documentary film about the impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. It tells the story of Ken Balcomb, a former US Navy officer who solved a tragic mystery involving a mass stranding of whales in the Bahamas and changed forever the way we understand our impact on the ocean. Professor Callum Roberts from the Environment Department at The University of York will give will give a brief introduction to the film, reflecting on the state of the oceans and our efforts to increase their protection.
One Planet York: Creating a Sustainable City
York is a fantastic place to live, work and visit. But as with other cities, the clock is ticking. Typically in the UK we are using the resources of three planets when we have just one. Join us for the launch of One Planet York, an emerging partnership working towards a more sustainable, resilient and collaborative ‘One Planet’ city.
Creating Flood-Ready Buildings
What kind of houses should we be building and where? Hear how planners, insurance companies and engineers are working to create more sustainable buildings.
Living with Floods: The Future of Our Land
The risk of flooding is something which is becoming part of many people’s everyday lives. How can we better manage these flood risks? And how can farmers make sustainable changes to combat threats from extreme weather?
The Impact of Climate Change
Our speakers will look to the future and consider the likely impacts of global climate change, not just in terms of the environment, but also its political and social ramifications.
Future-Proof Your Home
Time to take action on climate change is ticking away fast. During last December's floods we saw some of its impacts literally on - and over - many doorsteps in York. This workshop will show you how to reduce the energy needs of your home and improve its resilience with emergency planning. It will also look at other ways in which you can help mitigate climate change through your everyday activities.
IrriGate: The African Irrigation Game
Test your skills with IrriGate, a game allowing you to play with a model of the irrigation system used at the ancient archaeological site of Engaruka in Tanzania up until about 200 years ago. Your task is to open and close irrigation gates to distribute water and grow as many crops as you can. But be warned - you might get a little wet!
