Science Week in Cork

It’s science week and there’s lots on in Cork! We decided to go to an event on climate change this evening in UCC. The lecture hall was packed out and the event operated as a panel discussion, where people could submit their questions online and they would appear on the big screen.

It was really interesting, and gave me lots to think about. What struck me most though was the type of questions being asked. Several people had questions about how agriculture and farming will be affected by global warming, or about how people in rural communities might reduce their reliance on cars if there’s no public transport available to them. I find myself generally hearing more discussion about farming and rural life since moving to Cork, and I like it, as it gets me thinking about things outside my regular bubble! A lot of people here work in the city but live rurally, so you can’t help hearing about things that affect people living in the countryside. Sure we’re nearly in the countryside ourselves - a ten minute jog and I’m surrounded by fields as far as the eye can see!

Speaking of where we live, it’s just as well that we’re on one of the highest hills in the city. There was much discussion this evening about flooding in Cork as a result of sea level rises, and how difficult that will be to deal with, given that the city was built in a marshy valley. At one stage someone suggested that the only solution might be for everyone in Cork to move to Dublin!Read more