Arranged by the British Council, Experimentarium and the European Environment Agency with the support of the British Embassy, the Danish Meteorological Institute and, to extend the project to encompass schools in the United Kingdom, the Royal Geographical Society.

Climate Change: a debate for Europeans

The themes of the conference are:

What are the causes of recent climate change?

What can we expect in the future?

These questions will be covered in 7 short presentations, each of 10-12 minutes duration which will be given by young research scientists from distinguished climate change research centres in Denmark and the United Kingdom. After each presentation, there will be 8-10 minutes devoted to questions and comments from the audience of senior school students, the Moderator and the other speakers. The presentation sessions will be chaired by the former Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change, Dr. Robert Watson.

The audience will be over 200 students from 8 gymnasier (sixth form) schools both in and outside Copenhagen. Their perceptions of climate change will be assessed in a questionnaire which they will complete electronically before the day of the Conference and again a second time after they have heard the presentations by the research scientists. The questionnaires will be analysed electronically to assess to what extent the perceptions of the audience about climate have changed in response to what they have heard at the Conference.

WHO IS WHO AT THE CONFERENCE?

Honorary President of the Conference and Senior Expert: Dr Robert Watson, formerly Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change and now Chief Scientist, & Director, Environmentally and Social Sustainable Development Network, The World Bank

Moderator of the Conference: Mrs Anja Philip, Editor, Danish Broadcasting Corporation Televison Service and presenter of the award winning television series ‘Viden Om’

Scientific Consultant: Dr Eigil Kaas, Head of Climate Research, Danish Meteorological Institute

The panel of climate change research scientists are:

Dr. Christian Bjerrum, Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Philip Kruuse Jakobsen, Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr. Nigel Marsh, Danish Space Research Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Sophie Nicholson-Cole, School of Environmental Science, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

Dr. Emmanouil K. Oikonomou, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, United Kingdom

Dr. Martin Stendel, Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr. Peter Thorne, Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, Meteorological Office, Bracknell.United Kingdom

Dr. Simon Torok, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

THE ORDER OF EVENTS - Before the Conference Day:

In the week leading up to the day of the Conference on 5 November, the students will fill out a questionnaire composed of 7 questions. All questions (except no. 6) will be answered by marking a number on a scale from 1 to 7. These are the questions:

With respect to the last 100 years:

1. Do you think that the world's climate is changing ?

No Not sure Yes, definitely

If you think that the world’s climate is changing,

2. Will climate change be better or worse for you personally ?

Definitely worse Not sure Definitely better

3. Will climate change be better or worse for the rest of the world?

Definitely worse Not sure Definitely better

4. Is climate change caused by the activities of people ?

No, not at all Not sure Yes, definitely

5. Is climate change caused by the forces of nature (e.g. the Sun, Volcanoes etc)?

No, not at all Not sure Yes, definitely

6. If you had to attribute 100% of the responsibility for causing climate

change, how many percent would you give to mankind and how many percent to

nature ? Your answer must total 100%.

Mankind: _____%

Nature: _____%

Total: 100 %

7. Are you willing to change your lifestyle if that is necessary to reduce climate change ?

No Not sure Yes

Before and after the conference, sixth form students in British schools will also be able to fill out the same questionnaire over the Internet. For them additional questions have been added to the questionnaire to get their views of what mankind can do to reverse climate change. The 3 extra questions are:

It you were Prime Minister, what steps would you take to deal with issues arising from Climate Change? Why?

If you were your local Mayor, what steps would you take and why?

What would you do as an individual?

THE ORDER OF EVENTS Programme for the Conference Day

9.00: Registration

9.15: Welcome:

Asger Høeg, Director of Experimentarium.

Moderator Anja Philip, Editor, DR-TV

Honorary President of the Conference and Senior Expert, Dr Robert Watson, formerly Chair IPCC

9.30: First series of presentations

9.30: Dr. Christian Bjerrum, Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen,

Earth’s climate over 3,5 billion years

9.50: Dr. Peter Thorne, Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, Meteorological

Office, Bracknell, UK.

Recent observed climate variations

10.20: Break

10.25: Second series of presentations

10.25: Mr. Philip Kruuse Jakobsen, Danish Meteorological Institute,

The role of the oceans

10.50: Dr. Simon Torok, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East

Anglia,UK,

Greenhouse effects and aerosols

11.15: Find out yourself

Participants have access to Experimentarium’s exhibitions, installations and relevant

websites at the Internet @bc.

Experimentarium’s Exhibitions Pilots are available for help. The panel of research scientists

will also be available to answer questions.

12.00: Lunch

12.45: Third series of presentations

12.45: Dr. Nigel Marsh, Danish Space Research Institute, University of Copenhagen,

The influence from the sun

13.10: Dr. Emmanouil K. Oikonomou, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK,

Ozone changes

13.35: Dr. Martin Stendel, Danish Meteorological Institute,

Modelling of past and future climate

14.00: Break.

14.15: Discussion and final questions. Moderator: Anja Philip, DR-TV.

14.45: Summing up and advice to the audience by the Honorary President of the Conference and

Senior Expert: Dr. Robert Watson

15.00: Participants complete the questionnaires and hand them to their teachers.

15.15: Film.

15.35: Presentation

Sophie Nicholson-Cole, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

Communicating climate change information

16.00: Reception hosted by the British Ambassador, His Excellence Mr Philip Astley.

16.30: The Results of the questionnaires announced by Sophie Nicholson-Cole, University of East Anglia

17.00: End of the Conference.

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WHO IS PARTICIPATING?

The following Gymnasiums are participating in the Conference:

School Teacher Class Number of students

Næstved Gymnasium Lisa Christensen 2.T 25

Stenløse Gymnasium Torben Heinrich 2? 21

Rødovre Gymnasium Bjarne Steen 2.a 27

Enrico Juhl

Birgit Fejerskov

Amtsgymnasiet i Roskilde Johan Drost 2.X 25

Helsinge Gymnasium Ulrich Ravnborg 11

Helsinge Gymnasium Rudy Pedersen 1.B 28

Copenhagen International School Dagmar Hebel IB1, IB2 10

Ordrup Gymnasium Birgit Fiig 2.Y 28

Frederikssund Gymnasium Ralph Sonne 2.Y 26

Total Participants 202

THE CONFERENCE ORGANISERS ARE:

Dr. Michael Sørensen-Jones, Director, British Council in Denmark

Mr. Asger Høeg, Director, Experimentarium

Dr. David Stanners, Programme Manager, The European Environment Agency

Dr. David Gee, Scientific Liaison, The European Environment Agency

Mrs. Teresa Ruch Olsen, Public Relations, The European Environment Agency

Mrs. Penny Schmith, Political Officer, British Embassy, Denmark

Dr Eigil Kaas, Head of Research, The Danish Meteorological Institute

Mrs. Anja Philip, Editor, DR TV

Dr. Camilla Rygaard-Hjalsted, Information Officer, Copenhagen University