Film Show. Wed 11th November:

The Power of Community

Climate change, peak oil, social collapse ... the future can look pretty bleak, or terrifying, or both! One country though, has been already through their own peak oil crisis.

When the USSR collapsed, Cuba was left with no fuel imports, an ever tightening embargo by the US, and a population literally at risk of starvation. This inspirational film tells the story of how the community worked together to find solutions and in doing so, a better way of life.

Join us at 7:30pm on Wednesday 11th November, at the Railway Hotel. The film will start at 7:45pm prompt. After the film we'll look at how we could apply some of the Cuban solutions in Buxton - before the oil runs out.

As always, the film is free, but we very much appreciate ant contribution you are able to make towards our costs.

Some of these changes affect the rest of the world through “climate feedback” processes, but in addition, loss of sea ice is creating new shipping routes and allowing access to new oil and gas reserves. World attention is therefore more focussed on the Arctic than at any time in the last 100 years.

Terry Callaghan is a renowned expert in Arctic and sub-Antarctic ecology, who has worked in the field for over 40 years. He has a PhD in Arctic and Sub Antarctic plant ecology, and is Professor of Arctic Ecology at the University of Sheffield, Honorary Professor at Lund University in Sweden and Director of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ Abisko Scientific Research Station.

In the past, Terry has given talks to government ministers, ambassadors, religious leaders and Royalty, but he kindly made time for us right here in Buxton, taking us on an illustrated journey through the rapidly changing Arctic, visiting the major events and outlining their implications for the Arctic’s residents and the global community.

The professor's slides provided a vivid record of the rapid changes taking place, and transported his audience to those icy wastes. Although natural factors are partially responsible, only green-house gases for which humanity is to blame can explain the deeply worrying observations.

Melting permafrost, the extensive loss of 'old' sea ice and the retreating glaciers are a call to action.

As Professor Callaghan explained, however, he can only tell politicians about the dangers of rising sea-levels and more general warming - they decide what to do.

None-the-less, there were several sceptical questions, which received lucid answers. Chairperson Cath Johnstone said:

'Having lost the argument, a contrarian then rocked the meeting by descending to insults and suggestions that the observations were 'fixed'.'

Charles Jolly added: 'Professor Callaghan gave a fascinating account of scientific research and the painstaking checking by the IPCC - only someone in complete denial could ignore the risks we are running.'

Janet Miller concluded: 'If the deniers were right, but we reduced carbon emissions anyway, we would just end up with a better, more sustainable society. If they're wrong and we do nothing it will be a disaster - famines, mass exodus from uninhabitable areas, wars over resources and thousands of species extinct.'