Valuing our Life Support Systems

1. Valuing our Life Support Systems Professor Rosie Hails 29.04.09

2. Human health depends on biodiversity — Decomposition of waste — Cycling of vital nutrients — Maintenance of healthy water, air and soils — But relationship between the loss of species and loss of these services is not well understood

3. Pollinators: Are we close to a tipping point?

4. The best things in life are not free — Costs may appear somewhere else — Items may have financial value, it’s just hard to estimate what that is — Can we put an economic value on biodiversity for its own sake?

5. Climate change has highlighted the issue

6. Which way forward? — Bring together scientists, practitioners and policy makers — Three workshops over the next two days — Future events

7. Balancing our options for rural land use: food, biodiversity, sustainable biofuels and flood prevention • Topics • — What should policy framework for sustainable land use look like? • — Is there really a tension between agriculture and the environment? • — Whose land is it anyway? Property rights and the market • Questions • — Alternative economic models to ensure sufficient food, access and biodiversity from our rural land? • — Valuation of non-economic goods? • — How can we reconnect the public with an awareness of ecosystem services? Coordinator: Prof Rosie Hails, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

8. The Urban Planning System • Topics • Ecotowns • Ecosystem services and urban areas • Implications for planning • Questions • Should there be an end to the urban/rural divide? • What issues impinge on our ability to manage and adapt urban land use? • What might we do to protect and enhance ecosystem goods and service provision? Coordinator: Prof Jim Harris, Cranfield University

9. Sustainable Use of the Marine Environment • Topics • — The Marine Bill • — A business perspective of offshore renewable energy • — Valuing marine environments • Questions • — How can legislation be appropriate to meet our needs? • — How can we value marine ecosystem goods and services? • — Governance of ecosystem goods and services at political, national and regional scales? Coordinator: Prof Paul Leonard, Environmental Consultant

10. Sustainable Cities, 15 June 2009 • — Free event exploring how science can inform policy to ensure sustainable urban development • — Delivered in partnership with the British Library and sponsored by the Science Council • — Panel discussion, networking drinks reception and research showcase • Panelists • Ken Livingstone, Progressive London • Sara Parkin, Forum for the Future • Dr William Bird, Natural England • Peter Wilder, Macfarlane Wilder • Malcolm Smith, ARUP • Lorna Walker, CABE • 18.00 – 21.00, British Library, London • BOX OFFICE • http://boxoffice.bl.uk • T +44 (0)1937 546546 • Contact: science@bl.uk • Pre-event blog: • www.britishecologicalsociety.org/blog

11. Future projects — Human Health and Ecosystem Services: Autumn 2009 — A workshop for economists & ecologists: Spring 2010 — Action plans will develop from workshops