University of Reading climatologist delivers talk on ground-breaking research
02 May 2019
A climatologist from the University of Reading has spoken of his delight at being asked to deliver a prestigious lecture on his research to the Royal Society.
Professor Ed Hawkins, who masterminded the recent Operation Weather Rescue project which saw thousands of members of the public digitizing historic weather records, was awarded The Royal Society’s Kavli Medal and Lecture for his work on climate change since the industrial revolution and how it is likely to change in the future.
On Tuesday 30 April, Professor Hawkins delivered his lecture, entitled ‘Our changing climate: learning from the past to inform future choices’, to a packed audience at the Royal Society in London.
As well as spear-heading the historic weather records project, Professor Hawkins is also known for presenting his research in unique and accessible ways, such as demonstrating global warming using a coloured stripes graphic which was used in a campaign by weather presenters worldwide.
In 2018, he partnered with author Nicola Davies to produce climate change-inspired poems for the Hay Literary Festival, offering the public another novel way to engage with science.
The Kavli Medal is awarded annually for excellence in science and engineering relevant to the environment or energy.
Professor Hawkins said:
“I feel incredibly honoured to be given the opportunity to share my research on climate change during the Kavli Lecture.
“Communicating climate science, especially with audiences who would not otherwise have engaged with science in more traditional settings, has always been an important aspect of my research activities, so I am delighted to have received this recognition from the Royal Society.”
Professor Hawkins’ lecture is available to watch in full here: http://bit.ly/2UU1HQ2 .