Laois debate in Portlaoise to tackle thorny topic of Ireland’s climate future

Ireland’s Climate Future will be the subject of a special event in Portlaoise during Science Week 2023 in November.

The event in the Midlands Park Hotel on November 17 will be chaired by well-known Laois broadcaster Claire O’Brien from Mountmellick.

The discussion will include Keith Lambkin who leads the Climate Services Team at Met Eireann and Dr Cian White of the Farm Zero C Project. This project won the prestigious Science Foundation Ireland Future Innovator Prize in 2021 for its work on sustainable farming and biodiversity practices.

The organisers say the event aims to give people a profound understanding of the science and solutions to the climate change challenge and offer a chance for those attending to share their views on this vital issue.

Jackie Gorman is the CEO of Midlands Science.

“Climate change will affect everything from how we live, how we farm, what we eat and how we travel among a range of other issues. Come along to this event and discuss the issues and how we can affect change together, informed by science and a shared understanding of the kind of climate future we want to see in Ireland.

We are looking forward to hearing from all our speakers including local Farming for Nature Ambassador John McHugh. He is a pioneering farmer from  Laois who has successfully integrated conservation practices into his farming methods. His work serves as an example of how agriculture can adapt to meet the challenges of climate change while maintaining productivity and conserving biodiversity.

"Five years ago in Laois, we had an event on climate change with broadcaster and metrologist Gerard Fleming and it was a packed event with fantastic discussion and we are looking forward to having another great event on climate change in Laois this year,” said the CEO.

The organisers say climate change not only means changes in the average climate such as temperature but also changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events. They add that one of the biggest challenges facing Ireland is decarbonising agriculture and food production as Ireland’s agri-food sector contributes 37% of country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions and the country has committed to cut these by a quarter by 2030. Ireland has also committed to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. 

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The Midlands Science Festival is supported by Science Foundation Ireland as part of National Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human?’, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

Midlands Science is a science outreach organization that promotes science year-round across the midlands counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford, and Westmeath. Through various programmes in schools and other settings, Midlands Science aims to foster a greater interest in and appreciation for science. The organization also manages the Midlands Science Festival as part of national Science Week and receives support for this work from Science Foundation Ireland. 

ScienceWeek.ie is a week-long event in Ireland each November, celebrating science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving industry, colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. Science Week has a number of regional festivals and events offering a range of opportunities for the public to engage with STEM in across Ireland.

All details of this event and others can be found on www.midlandsscience.ie and whilst events are free, they must be booked in advance.