IPF’s participation in Green Week 2005

Green Week 2005 is an annual weeklong conference on the environment held by the European Commission's DG Environment. This year's focus was on climate change and the International Polar Foundation (IPF) took part throughout the week - through special presentations by Alain Hubert and Gauthier Chapelle, as well as through operating a stand every day (31 May to 3 June) to present the IPF, its work and to give prominence to polar issues.

Alain Hubert's presentation of his film, Magic Ice - From Adventure and Polar Science to Climate Change, closed the first day of the conference on 31 May and was very well received, being seen by more than 300 people. Gauthier Chapelle also presented the IPF's educational CD-ROM, Polar Regions and Climate Change, (sponsored by Belgacom and LCF Rothshild) at the conference's session on Teaching Climate Change - prompting considerable interest in the teaching techniques used in the CD-ROM.

The IPF stand featured a polar quiz - taken by many conference participants - and previewed the special issue of the RTD Info Magazine on Polar Science, put together by the European Commission's DG Research in collaboration with the IPF. Look out for information about the RTD Info magazine on the website shortly.

Green Week 2005 also provided good opportunities for the IPF to meet like-minded organisations with a strong interest in polar research and Climate Change (eg WWF, Greenfacts, DG Environment personnel, etc.) and to meet other interested parties.

It certainly represented a great opportunity to take the pulse of Environment and Climate Change debates at the heart of the European Union.