An extended version of Hard Rain launches at Keele University in North Staffordshire on Thursday 9 February, with the university’s new Chancellor and renowned environmentalist Jonathon Porritt joining creator Mark Edwards to open the display at 3pm.
Whole Earth? Aligning human systems and natural systems responds to thousands of requests for an exhibition that illustrates solutions to the problems highlighted in Hard Rain. It shows that we have the technology (mostly) to deal with our global problems – the vision has been written out often enough – but governments need grassroots support if they are to scale up these solutions and move towards sustainable development.
It is designed to engage the next generation of decision-makers – students at universities now – as well as the general public, in the campaign for sustainable development.
“The key challenge,” says Edwards, “is to find new ways of showing political and business leaders there is grassroots support for sustainable development. Governments can’t get ahead of their electorates. Our leaders understand the need for sustainable development, but it is not a priority - voters are not urging them loudly enough to act in favour of the future. What’s needed is a new kind of joined-up campaign designed and led by tomorrow's decision-makers - students at universities now."
Mark Edwards presents his inspirational talk, Hard Rain: Whole Earth? at 4pm in the Westminster Theatre (Keele University , Chancellor’s Building). Joan Walley, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North and Chair of the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, will respond to the challenge Mark sets out.
At 6pm at the same venue, Jonathon Porritt delivers his keynote lecture Sustainability and the Future of Capitalism.
