Worried about rising sea levels? Concerned about “The Big One”? Head to Vancouver Writers Fest on Granville Island between October 16th and 22nd to find out if we’re really as screwed as we think we are. This year, five events will feature top climate change experts and authors who are looking to explore some of the most pressing questions about the world around us.
This year's events include:
1. Fault Lines with Johanna Wagstaffe (Thursday, October 19 at 1:00pm)
Experts have predicted “The Big One” (a massive earthquake along BC’s coast) for years—but what should we do about it? This afternoon, Johanna Wagstaffe, seismologist, meteorologist, and CBC science host presents Fault Lines: Understanding the Power of Earthquakes, and shares her journey toward understanding the earth beneath our feet. What does a 9.1 megathrust earthquake look like? What supplies should you store in your emergency kit? Find out in this visual presentation.
2. To Be or Not To Be? Britt Way in Conversation with Wayne Grady (Thursday, October 19 at 1:00pm)
Britt Wray. Photo: Arden Wray.
For the first time ever our species—which have done much to obliterate other species—may be poised to bring at least some of them back. In this exciting event, science storyteller and radio broadcaster Britt Wray examines the ethical, environmental, and legal questions around de-extinction. What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammoth––fascinating science or global catastrophe? Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the world’s most progressive thinkers to find out
3. Apples, Birds and Books (Tuesday, October 17 at 8:30pm)
Helen Humphreys. Photo: Ayelet Tsabari.
Looking for a break from climate change headlines but still want to discover the world around you? Join three insightful, contemplative writers as they talk about seemingly ordinary things and creatures. Kyo Maclear takes up urban bird watching as a means for understanding and dealing with a loved one’s death. Helen Humphrey’s memoir offers the history of the apple, just as one of her closest friends is dying. Merilyn Simonds hones in on the history of the book itself—paper, pixel, and all.
4. The Oil Patch Conundrum: Chris Turner in Conversation with Ian Gill (Tuesday, October 17 at 6:00pm)
Chris Turner.
Chris Turner has travelled the globe in search of hope for a sustainable future, and even exposed former Prime Minister Harper’s war on science as he did. In his second event, Turner will explore Alberta oil sands more deeply, touching on the people who’ve seen the boom and the bust, who now face an uncertain future. With no easy answer, Turner forces us to ask the question: In order to both fuel the world, and to save it, what do we do about the Oil Patch?
5. Never Too Late … Is It? (Tuesday, October 10 at 10:00am)
Geoff Dembicki. Photo: by Duncan Cairns-Brenner for Discorder Magazine.
Geoff Dembicki, a millennial journalist, travelled to Silicon Valley, Canada’s tar sands, Washington, Wall Street and the Paris climate talks to find out if his generation should hope or despair for his book Are We Screwed? Dembicki is joined by sustainability writer Chris Turner who will speak to the myriad ways the oil sands impact our lives––for both good and bad.
Tickets $15 for Under 30s. Senior and Member discounts also available.For more information, visit writersfest.ca
