SusSEd Series 2016

The Sustainability Skills & Education (SusSEd) series is a collection of engaging and interactive lunchtime talks and workshops, designed to give you the knowledge and skills needed to bring about a more sustainable world. Delivered by inspiring speakers from across the university, these sessions will cover all different aspects of sustainabilty, and will be held every Tuesday & Thursday, 12-1pm. Whether you’re pushing to develop the skills needed to make a real difference or just want to hear more about what sustainability entails, everyone is welcome at our free sessions!

Schedule of lunchtime sessions (12-1pm):

Thurs 4^th Feb – What does sustainability mean? – PVC Prof. Tony Ryan – Diamond LT 2

Our first talk will be delivered by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Ryan OBE. Tony is the Director of the university’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, and is a world leading expert in sustainability research. He is an exceptional speaker who is passionate about creating a more sustainable world, and recently spoke to world leaders at the historic COP21 Climate Change summit in Paris. Join Tony on Thursday 4th Feb, 12-1pm in the Diamond Lecture Theatre 2 to discuss what sustainability really means in today’s world.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Tues 9th Feb – What threatens biodiversity, & why should I care? – Prof. Colin Osborne – Diamond LT 9

Our second talk will be delivered by Professor Colin Osborne, who is the Associate Director of the university’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures and a Professor of Plant Biology in Animal & Plant Sciences. Colin’s interactive session will take us on a journey exploring the threats to global biodiversity and the potential consequences that biodiversity loss could have for our own lives. Join Colin on Tuesday 9th Feb, 12-1pm in Diamond Lecture Theatre 9.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Thurs 11th Feb – Are cities ecosystems, and does it matter? – Prof. Phil Warren – Hicks LT 5

Our third talk will be delivered by Phillip Warren, a Professor of Ecology in Animal & Plant Sciences, where he conducts cutting-edge research into urban biodiversity and its role in human environments. Join Phil on Thursday 11th Feb, 12-1pm in Hicks Lecture Theatre 5 to explore the role of ‘nature’ in our concrete jungles and how we can benefit from greener cities.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Tues 16th Feb – Love Food Hate Waste – Ruth Roberts – Hicks LT D

Our fourth talk will be delivered by Ruth Roberts from the Molecular Biology & Biotechnology department. Ruth is a passionate advocate for reducing the amount of food we waste unnecessarily, which for the UK stands at around 70 million tonnes per year! This talk will look at the problem of food waste in our homes and suggest easy, fun and effective ways to make the most of what’s in your fridge. Join Ruth on Tuesday 16th Feb, 12-1pm in Hicks Lecture Theatre D. Attendees can also benefit from a free food diary to discover how much food is wasted in your home – email greenimpact@sheffield.ac.uk to get one.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Thurs 18th Feb – It’s not all rubbish! – Charlotte Winnert – Geography building B8 seminar room

Our fifth session will be delivered by the university’s Environmental Officer, Charlotte Winnert. As a university, we throw away thousands of tonnes of rubbish every year, some of which ends up in landfill, creating harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Join Charlotte on Thursday 18th Feb, 12-1pm in the Geography & Planning building B8 seminar room for a practical workshop demonstrating how the university is working to minimise our waste, and learn more about what you can do to help.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Tue 23rd Feb – Decarbonising Our Desires – Prof. Fionn Stevenson – Diamond LT 5

When it comes to saving energy, everyone is trying to do the right thing just now to help reduce the impact of climate change by reducing carbon emissions. But is it just about switching out the lights or is it more to do with the stuff we actually have in our homes? This talk gets behind the thorny question of why we don’t save energy well, even if we mean to. A rapid tour of what makes things work well for humans provides some fascinating insights into human behaviour and the design of technology in the home. This talk will be delivered by Professor Fionn Stevenson, head of the School of Architecture and expert in sustainable building design. Join Fionn on Tuesday 23rd Feb, 12-1pm in the Diamond Lecture Theatre 5.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Thurs 25th Feb – Where does Great Britain get it’s energy from? – Dr. Grant Wilson – Diamond LT 5

Over the last 25 years Great Britain has decarbonised its power sector by over 45%. Using charts from www.energy-charts.org we’ll look at where we have been, and where we are now in terms of the fuel mix for electricity. This SusSEd talk will also run through many of the challenges to the wider energy system. This talk will be delivered by Dr. Grant Wilson, a researcher in the Environmental & Energy Engineering Group. Attendees are asked to bring a laptop or tablet along to be able to join in the interactive presentation, which will be run using the Lecturetools platform (free sign up will be required).

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Tues 1st March – Maximising our sustainability skills – Nick Nuttgens – Alfred Denny Conference Room (A225)

Nick Nuttgens is a facilitator who uses creative processes to engage individuals and teams in understanding climate change and developing sustainable practices. The session will be an interactive workshop in which participants will be supported to reflect on the skills they have and the skills they need (both personally and within their departments) to promote behaviour change. Join Nick on Tuesday 1st March, 12-1pm in the Alfred Denny Conference Room (A225).

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:     

Thurs 3rd March – Sustainability in a changing world – Dr. Sonal Choudhary – Geography building B8 seminar room

Our ninth session will be delivered by Dr. Sonal Choudhary, a lecturer in sustainable management within the Management School, who has previously trained as a Climate Leader with former US Vice-President Al Gore. Sonal’s practical workshop will explore sustainability from an environmental, economic and social point of view, and discuss six ‘megaforces’ affecting sustainability for future generations. Join Sonal on Thursday 3rd March, 12-1pm in the Geography building B8 seminar room.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Tues 8th March – Supply chain lifecycle approach to manage resources sustainably – Prof. Lenny Koh – Diamond LT 8

Our tenth talk will be delivered by Lenny Koh, who is a Professor within the Management School and a Director of the Centre for Energy, Environment & Sustainability (CEES). She is a world-leading expert in sustainable supply chain management and a thoroughly engaging speaker. Join Lenny on Tuesday 8th March, 12-1pm in Diamond Lecture Theatre 8 to discuss how we can effectively shape our supply chains to manage our limited resources more effectively.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Thurs 10th March – Contesting Consumption – Dr. Matt Watson – Arts Tower LT 3

In this session we’ll take a critical look at the way we consume stuff and think about what it will take to reduce the harm of what we buy, use and throw away. We’ll consider the role of consumption in our own lives, in ideas of good living and of the social good, as well as discussing the implications of overall consumption in terms of environmental damage. With the help of ideas from a range of cultural and social scientific approaches to understanding the role of consumption in our lives, we’ll think together about possible means of making consumption fit with human wellbeing, including in terms of sustainability. This talk will be delivered by Dr. Matt Watson, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography here at Sheffield. Join Matt on Thursday 10th March, 12-1pm in the Arts Tower lecture theatre 3.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Tues 15th March – Why is engaging with natural environments good for us? – Dr. Anna Jorgensen – Diamond LT 8

This talk will outline the mechanisms underlying the health and wellbeing outcomes associated with natural environments. It will explore questions such as:

• What are the health and wellbeing outcomes associated with natural environments?
• What kind of contact with nature do we we need to produce the outcomes?
• What kinds of nature produce the best outcomes?
• How can we plan, design and mange our cities to promote health and wellbeing?

This session will be delivered by Dr. Anna Jorgensen from the Department of Landscape, who has conducted extensive research into the benefits of green spaces for health and wellbeing. Join Anna on Tuesday 15th March, 12-1pm in the Diamond Lecture Theatre 8.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Thurs 17th March – Green roofs for healthy living – Jeff Sorrill – Hicks LT D

Our final talk will be delivered by Jeff Sorrill, the Manager of the university’s Green Roof Centre (the national centre of excellence for green roof design). As urbanisation increases, green roofs could play a pivotal role in keeping our cities’ biodiversity and ecosystem services in good health. But what about our own health? Here we will explore how the latest green roof technology could also have great benefits for our own health and wellbeing. Join Jeff on Thursday 17th March, 12-1pm in Hicks Lecture Theatre D for our final SusSEd talk.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by clicking the leaf:    

Please note registration for these talks is not strictly necessary, but will help the organisers greatly and allow you to avoid disappointment should the venue become full.   Thank you.