Shepparton to hear about rising sea levels?

S

hepparton will hear on Wednesday night about a problem common to the world – rising seas levels.

The Goulburn Valley is directly remote from sea rise problems, but the knock-on effect from world events could well impact on what is happening to the rest of the world.

Speaking in Shepparton on Wednesday night will the head of the Australian Federal Government-backed National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Professor Jean Palutikof.

Prof Palutikof will talk about adaptation to climate change and what that means for the Goulburn Valley and with her will be a fellow with specialized knowledge of agricultural adaptation to our changing climates from the University of Melbourne, Professor Snow Barlow.

Also speaking on Wednesday night will be a University of Melbourne graduate with specialized understanding of climate change and agriculture who is presently based at the Tatura agriculture research station, Rebecca Darbyshire.

Professor Jean Palutikof.

Professor Palutikof has, through NCCARF done a lot of work helping local government in and around Townsville in Queensland how they should cope with rising sea levels, putting lines on maps about whether they “fight or flight”.

Interestingly, a decade on from Hurricane Katrina, authorities are now looking at New Orleans through the “fight or flight” prism.

Read the Inside Climate News story - “After Katrina, New Orleans' Climate Conundrum: Fight or Flight?”

Professors Palutikof and Barlow, and researcher Rebecca Darbshire, will speak at a free event “Adapting to Tomorrow” being staged by the Shepparton-based group, Slap Tomorrow, at the Shepparton campus of La TrobeUniversity  on Wednesday , September 2 at 6:45pm for 7:00pm.