The Otter Valley Association (OVA) kicked off their winter talks program on Wednesday 23rd October with an insightful talk about Climate Change - given by Dr. Olly Watts (RSPB Land, Seas and Climate Policy - retired).
In front of a packed house at Peter Hall in Budleigh Salterton, Dr Watts discussed the state of Climate Change from its early days at the UN Convention on Climate Change in 1995 through to today. He brought humour and insight to a very profound subject. A key message coming loud and clear is to change how we think of climate change and its effect on nature from “Conserving what we have always had”, to “building for what is coming”. Because there is no doubt change is coming, habitats are changing and nature is changing. There is no point trying to recreate the nature of yesterday, we must focus on maximising the opportunity and nature of tomorrow.
Dr. Watts has been strongly involved with climate change through his work at the RSPB over the last 30 years. He has been instrumental in developing policies for nature to thrive with scientists, conservation organisations and government institutions in the UK and Europe, with his name on several key policy documents and scientific publications. He examined through data the changing temperature both globally and here in the UK. Below is a chart presented showing how the UK temperature had jumped in our lifetime and is expected to continue rising. Whether one believes in change or not, the data is compelling - our country is warming!
Against this backdrop, Dr. Watts postulated that while some nature will evolve to deal with this, the climate shift is faster / greater than much of nature will be able to adapt to -so we need to develop conservation to help nature to adapt. For example, species that enjoy cold climates may retreat north while those that enjoy warmer climates will move up from Europe to the UK. This species migration will result in wholesale mass movements of the nature around us - and he gave a simple example of the Dartford Warbler - moving from its primary habitat in Spain and Italy unto the UK.
He also drilled into East Devon, sharing data from the Met Office (https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/506ff7d53c884badb0d8fd36d6280a91
) looking at what we can all expect from our climate as the world continues to warm - for example, what our average temperatures may be in Summer and winter, how much rainfall we could expect, how much higher our sea levels will be. How many summer days we will get, or even how many tropical evenings may occur.
After the talk, questions came thick and fast to Dr. Watts. One particularly compelling question related to the subject of East Devon District Council and their current consultation ono “Planning”. It is clear that any plans being delevoped here, or anywhere, for the next 20 rounds 40 years MUST take into account the Climate Crisis that is enveloping us - and look at how to maximise the potential for nature around us - not the nature we had when growing up ,but the nature that will exist in a warming environment.
The next OVA talk is scheduled for Wednesday 20th November at which Mr. John Polley will be talking about London’s New River and the story of how an idea of Captain Edmund Colhurst of creating a channel from Hertfordshire to the capital to bring fresh water to its expanding population became a reality. He will also go on to explain how modern projects such as the building of the M25 and the Piccadilly Line have meant changes to the still existing scheme. Everyone is welcome, entry is £4 at the door.