Press Officer Rick Purnell writes ….

David Ramsden MBE (for services to wildlife) with the present Head of Conservation of the Barn Own Trust Natalie Mostert were the guest speakers for Teignmouth Mens Probus Club’s June meeting presenting an illuminating talk about ‘Climate and Ecological Crisis? What’s all the fuss about?’

Using our nearest exoplanet Proxima Centauri b (4.25 light years away – 25 trillion miles) to illustrate the necessities for a habitable balanced climate system for life to exist there has to be a cryosphere (polar ice caps), Geosphere land mass, Hydrospere water, Ecosphere, Atmosphere and it only takes one element to shift leads to extinction. The example cited was the accelerated ice melt. This event we see crop failure increasing, wildlife in decline, fish stock dwindling and air pollution increasing. If earth had no gas layer the temperature drops to -18°C. Carbon and Co2 play an essential influence upon our existence. A moderate average global temperature is vital.  In 1880 it was 13.7°C which has risen to 15.1°C by 2024 and rising. We were shown many records and statistics, even during our 4 past ice ages and whichever way it was cut, planet earth is in trouble. Co2 has increased from 280ppm pre industrial to 441ppm today. As Co2 and temperature increases, by even small amounts, it has an impact of life on our planet. Our current small increase in average temperatures are seeing changes in the Jet Stream, heated oceans, carbonic acid increase in sea water is affecting shellfish and is already seeing the extinction process of our coral reefs. It was particularly disturbing to see the 2050 map of the Teign Estuary with its predicted risen sea levels giving an unrecognisable coastline. The world is not heeding the COPs 27, 28,29 or 30 and no pledges secured to limit global warming. We were told that just a 3.2 to 5.4% increase in global temperature was sufficient to see the end of all life on earth. Our speaker highlighted many things we can do as individuals to try and save ourselves from extinction as well as our county, our country and all nations and all humanity on our planet.

Member Malcolm Adams gave the vote of thanks for a thought provoking reminder of our current crises.

The speaker’s ‘handout’ of Sources of Useful information can be accessed at owlydavid.info/climate-eco-crisis/ also attached to our June meeting web pages –  www.teignmouth-probus-club.org.uk  where you can find out more about us.

Our second speakers this month on a very topical subject ‘The Dodgy Walnut’ and the work of Torbay Prostate Cancer Support Assn was presented by Ian Nightingale and John Cleaver. More men die of the disease (13,000 pa) than women do of breast cancer yet ladies are screened yet our government has just ruled against men having PSA tests. In the early stages men have few or no symptoms. As with our ladies, early diagnosis increases the success of any treatment. Our speakers outlined the diagnostic pathway and the early signs to look out for to seek diagnosis and treatment. Both our speakers are ‘survivors’ and outlined their own pathway. Further information go to www.tpsa.org.uk

A grateful vote of thanks was given by member David MacVeigh.