Presented by Dr Roger N Jones.

2 pm Sunday 30th August at Victoria University City Campus, 300
Flinders Street Melbourne (opposite Flinders Street Station) 11th floor
room 1101.

Climate is changing faster than anticipated, and even if the world manages to reach a peak in emissions and global population around 2050, the world is likely to have a population of about 9 billion and be 2°C warmer than pre-industrial temperatures.

In Victoria, since 1996 climate has already reached levels of change that were projected for 2030-2050. Ecosystems are responding to that change - wetlands and floodplain ecosystems are under severe stress, tree dieback is widespread in grassy ecosystems and woodland and wetland birds are in decline.

We are facing a global ecological crisis. The world's ecosystems underpin everything: our economy, human livelihoods and environmental security. This is green infrastructure. If we look at the current investment in this infrastructure, it is being allowed to decline to well below sustainable levels. However, by better understanding ecological processes and how they maintain this infrastructure, we can learn how to build resilience into adaptation planning.

It is time that departments of finance and treasury became interested in green infrastructure. We need a business plan for ecosystems.

Dr Roger N Jones, previously with CSIRO, is now Professorial Research Fellow of the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University.

Don't forget you can buy a Sunday Saver Metcard for $3.10 that will get
you there and back again on public transport from anywhere in Melbourne.

All welcome.  Enquiries to Michele Arundell, phone (03) 9755 3347 or
email michelearundell@yahoo.com

A flyer is available below for the talk.