Climate Action and Visual Culture

From 11:45-1:00pm the Climate Action Tent will host a series of talks that focus on transdisciplinary work happening in the college to address climate issues. These talks showcase ongoing research aiming to answer the following questions:

-From tracking snails to evidence nature restoration to the impact of global superstars on the environment how do you measure and show impact form the field?

-How can artists communicate research and climate issues to different audiences?

-How can visual culture be used to represent climate change, from everything from weather bulletins to street installations?

11:45-12:15pm

How can art and research tackle climate issues together?

Did you know Trinity College Dublin has a number of artists in residence? Did you know that there’s multiple art, research and community projects happening across the University? But what impact do projects like this have on the art, the artist and the research? Come listen to two of the artists embedded in research within the university who are using their skills to communicate climate issues.

Hear from Nina McGowan (artist) and Mary Coclough (Community Engagement Manager, Trinity College Dublin) on their Creative Climate Action Initiative, funded by Creative Ireland, “House on the Beach”. They will be joined by Siobhan McDonald, the artist-in-residence at the School of Botany, who will discuss her work on the Terraform Project as well as her upcoming international project, S+T+ARTS4WaterII - Port Perceptions, which is based on Dublin Port.

#Research Spotlight

12:30 - 1:00pm

How do we track and visualise climate altering events in the field?

Met Eirean weather reports, arena-filled concerts, snail-filled fields, our understandings of climate can come from the most unique places. Ever wondered how the visual representation of climate science and meteorology in Ireland plays a role in how we consider climate change? Or wondered what the impact a Taylor Swift concert can have on the environment, and how would we even track something like that? How can we see evidence that nature restoration is working? How can counting snails show that whole ecosystems are changing?

Come listen to Katerina Zouboulakis, Eleanor Dunne and Aedín McAdams discuss their research in tracking environmental impact.

Climate Action and Community

From 1:15pm-3:15pm the Climate Action Tent will shift focus to highlighting climate action research and projects which are having real time impact in society and communities outside the university. These panels will focus on the following questions:

-How can Higher Education Institutes support communities to take climate action through research?

-How can research find new ways to create enterprise and business that have positive climate impacts at their core?

-How do the communities working in climate action feel research can support them?

13:15-13:45

Can Higher Education Institutes support communities to take climate action?

Hear how Trinity Research projects are supporting communities on the ground. In this panel, we will hear from LEVERS (EU funded) and IKC3 (Higher Education Authority and EU funded). These projects are working with communities across Ireland to empower people to make positive climate changes in their area. Dr. Mairéad Hurley, Assistant Professor, School of Education, and Dr Quentin Crowley, Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, will speak about their funded projects and what it takes to do this type of research.

14:00-14:30

Showcase of Irish Communities Taking on Climate Action

In this session, we will hear directly from communities who are already taking on this challenging work in their localities. We will ask them how research and higher education institutes can support them in the work they’re undertaking and how they think these types of partnerships could work best in the future. We will be joined by community groups from Dublin, Donegal and Cork.

14:45-15:15

Can Business be Reshaped to Climate at its Centre?

It is often argued that for any solution to the climate crisis to be found we must reconsider capitalism. In this panel, we’ll explore the idea of how nature, enterprise and innovation could work together. PhD researcher Nour Boulahcen will discuss their work on Human-Plant-Computer Interaction and will be joined by Dr Siobhan McQuaid, Associate Director for Innovation, Centre for Social Innovation, Trinity College Dublin. P.I./Lead researcher GoNaturePositive and Dr Iris Moeller, Professor of Geography 1966/Head of Dept, Geography to investigate if this Nature-Based Economy is as good as it sounds.

Climate Action and Policy

In the afternoon from 3:30-5:00pm the Climate Action Tent will look at all things policy. We will hear:

-From students who have directly impacted international climate action policy.

-From staff leading the climate charge in Trinity and influencing Irish policy.

-What Trinity’s Observational Status at COP really means, and how students and staff can take part in COP30

15:30-16:00

How students have impacted policy during their time at Trinity

In this session we will hear from two of Trinity’s COP29 attendees, both of whom were students at the time and strong climate advocates. In this discussion, we’ll hear from Zara Hussey, who is studying a Masters in Global Challenges for Sustainability in Trinity College Dublin. Zara currently works as the Director of International Relations at Climate Cardinals, and is the Ireland and UK Ambassador with SHE Changes Climate, and a Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum. We will also be joined by Jonny Dubrowski, a second year Geography & Political Science student who is also a Consultant and Coordinator of the Climate Education Coalition at EARTHDAY.ORG. Join this conversation to hear how how the panel impact international policy and what they learned from attending COP.

16:15-16:45

Trinity Staff Leading Policy Change in Ireland

Hear from Trinity’s VP for Biodiversity & Climate Action Professor Jane Stout, and Professor Yvonne Buckley, Co-Director of Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water on how they foresee the direction of climate action and policy in Ireland. The panel will speak to their work influencing Irish policy, through initiatives such as the All Island pollinator plan and contributions to the Climate Change Advisory Council

16:45-17:00

Call Out For COP

Interested in attending COP as a Trinity Representative? Now's your chance. Jane Hackett, Trinity’s Sustainability Manager will be explaining how staff or students can apply to take part in Tirnity’s delegation, either in person or virtually to COP this year.

17:00 - 18:00

Fíorscéal no ‘Fierce’ Scéal

In a world rife with misinformation on climate change, greenwashing, and vested interests, how can we tell who is telling us the truth, and who is lying to us? It’s time for some practice in defending ourselves from the dark arts of deception. Based on the format of the well-known gameshow “Would I Lie to You?”, two teams of academics and students who work on issues of climate change and sustainability will battle it out by testing one another, and the audience, with tall tales drawn from their diverse experiences - or maybe from the top of their heads!

Talk Tent

11.30 - 6pm