Talk: Rising Tides

For this evening, I'd booked a ticket (because reservations are compulsory) to a Thames Festival talk - "Rising Tides", an environmental affair - at City Hall. I actually got an email during the day, advising me to arrive early because of security checks. Just as well I got out early then, because the District Line was up to its usual trick of stalling randomly, for variable periods of time. 'Twas so crowded that, for the first part of the journey, I had the choice of reading the email the guy beside me was typing (something work-related) or watching the young lass standing in front of me extravagantly eat a sugary bun. I was rather relieved when they got off. That was quite intense.. on the Jubilee Line, in contrast, I had the entertainment of listening to the chap that was sounding off about everything and nothing, to the whole world. He remarked at one point that he was glad he wasn't one of us (wage slaves, I gather).

I knew the way without having to look it up, although I did consult the Google Maps direction finder just to remind myself of how long it would take - City Hall is right beside the Scoop, the outdoor amphitheatre where I was, not so long ago. When it was warmer. I pity those who avail of the free films they're showing these days. Anyway, when I got to City Hall, there was indeed a long queue, for airport-style security. Our talk was in the Chamber, which is, apparently, generally open to the public. You can take a lift, or there's quite a dramatic ramp, curving around the edge of the building. I took the lift up - otherwise, I'd have run into the queue of people coming through security.

There's a lot of glass in this building, including surrounding the Chamber, as well as, by the look of it, most offices - the building is designed to be lopsided, so you can see a bit of the floors above. When we passed through the double set of doors into the Chamber, it became apparent that the plush seating that was immediately visible was not for us plebs. No, they had the numbers, and had set up camp chairs in the centre. Made more sense, of course, for a small group. Interestingly, we had to be let into the centre section by the ushers, who opened a transparent gate for us. Well, maybe we could have opened it ourselves, I don't know. Anyway, I was well jealous of those who arrived late, and were sat in the plush seats round the edge.

Beautiful, beautiful view from the windows. I didn't bother photographing it - I already have, in my entry on Oedipus Rex and Antigone. The Financial District to the left, the Tower and Tower Bridge to the right. It did strike me that the view would make it hard for anyone to get any work done in this building.. and then the talk began, and I started to nod off. Well, that's what continual late nights will do for you, and the combination of plush surroundings and the muted sound of the microphone. I kept thinking how lovely it would be to be at a cocktail party with that view.. and that put me in mind of all those flashy dramas set in London..

I'm glad I managed to stay awake, because this was a very interesting talk indeed. The speaker, Mark Lynas, was, apparently, once a member of Greenpeace. He's not a scientist by training, and had to come by his knowledge through rigorous study later on, but my, he seems to know his stuff. And what he has to say is very interesting:

• He's in favour of nuclear power. It's cleaner and more efficient.
• He's in favour of genetic modification. He said it's unfair for us well fed Westerners to impose our opinions on people who depend on GM foods to supply them with enough food to eat, and which is disease-resistant. He also pointed out a scientific study that indicated that, after extensive tests, there was no extra danger involved in eating GM foods. He criticised Greenpeace for protesting against GM foods, said their position was outdated and not based on evidence. He asked why we trust scientists when they're predicting climate change, but not when they start to genetically modify food.
• He's in favour of intensive farming. He showed us a graph of how much land would have to be given over to agriculture if we went back to the way farming was in the 60s. As he says, basically, there would be no rainforests - there'd be no room for them! He pointed out that organic farming is inefficient, and highlighted the case of E-Coli poisoning in organic beansprouts in Germany two years ago, which led to 50 deaths.
• He says that population growth isn't so much a factor of how many children people are having as it is of increased life expectancy, so that people are living long enough to reproduce.
• He says fracking is no worse than other means of extraction of fossil fuels.
• When someone asked him about the bee crisis, he said he thought it was overstated, and pointed out that most crops don't depend on insect pollination anyhow.

So. Controversial! I don't claim to have any specialist knowledge about the topics he's dealing with, but I must say, he was well informed, and well able for any questions that came his way at the end. A very thought-provoking talk. First talk I've been to in an age, and I'm glad I went. The festival, complete with talks, runs in various venues until Sunday.

Tomorrow, I'm off to another film - Ain't Them Bodies Saints - in, of all places, Wandsworth again. Well, it is the nearest place it's showing, and it isn't on until 6.50, so even at the time I arrived last night I'd have been ok for that.