DANIEL BEARS
On the 30th of September, Watford Grammar Old Boy Dr Simon Boxall returned to the school to give a lecture about the work he has done in relation to his position as an oceanographer, and his work in changing the culture of perceptions around Climate Change. The engaging and insightful talk opened with a section discussing our changing climate, including patterns of carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere (it has risen alarmingly since the 1960s, in a way that has never occurred naturally); the extent of Arctic Sea Ice (with one turn of the 21st century model getting it so optimistically wrong that the extent of ice at the end of the summer in September is so small that the model did not predict this occurring until the end of the century) and fluctuations in the offshoot of the Gulfstream (The North Atlantic Current) that keeps the UK’s climate warmer than other areas at similar latitudes- such as Alaska! Dr Boxall pointed out that though Global Warming and Climate Change is normally thought of by Climate Change deniers such as Trump as the entire World becoming warmer, with snow in New York “disproving” climate change, this is obviously not the case. Instead, climate change in the UK is leading to more dramatic fluxes in the Gulf Stream and subsequent weather patterns. This, he said, is leading to the more erratic weather we have been experiencing in the UK on a more regular basis- he suggested that, in the long term, Rickmansworth will either become a tropical paradise, or Cassiobury Park become a series of ski slopes.
Along with a range of technical details, such as a good grounding in the audience’s understanding of the processes involved in the Gulf Stream, to the measurement, albedoes, which is based on how reflective different materials (such as ice and water) are, to the formation of sea ice- the lecture was packed full of interesting and relevant information regarding the changing World climate, including a short discussion of how such a decrease in sea ice in the Arctic leads to new shipping routes and resource opportunities, termed, very scathingly, by Dr Boxall as “The Benefits of Climate Change”.
Dr Boxall also went on to discuss a group he is involved in, and is currently the chair of- Cape Farewell. This group serves to increase awareness of Climate Change, and conducts regular trips in a small skuna (a type of boat) to the Arctic. The group tries to increase awareness in Climate Change by involving culturally significant people in their expeditions, be they singers, comedians, photographers or artists. These small expeditions make the most striking and powerful artistic pieces on the subject of Climate Change. Here, Dr Boxall relished in imparting certain anecdotes about the experience of being in a confined space for a long period of time with a group of eccentric and comic people in one of the most inhospitable and uninhabited places on the Earth.
The session ended with a question and answer session which included an insight into Dr Boxall’s opinions on Climate Protestors, though he believes that flying drones at Heathrow is foolish, he did say that we all have a voice, which we can use, we have an impact on our politicians and their decisions- if we’re not happy about the climate, we need to let them know, as, even though our every individual action count, politicians are the ones to make change on the largest scale, and the change they bring about works, with Dr Boxall citing the plastic bag charge in the UK. In conclusion, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging, entertaining and interesting lecture, and we look forward to Dr Boxall’s return to Watford Boys in the future.
Comments
Post a Comment