As our summer continues to bring us variable weather, recent research has shown that public interest in climate change is rising. The poll, conducted on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, found that flooding and sea level rise was the highest climate concern, with 63% citing it as a worry, while 60% said they feared extreme weather such as hurricanes and cyclones and more than half (53%) were concerned about droughts and water shortages.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Zero Carbon Britain research continues to show that we that we can reach zero emissions with existing technologies. In sharing their zero carbon research to date, the questions most often raised are about the social, political and economic barriers.

The centre’s new project “Zero Carbon: Making it happen!” actively seeks to integrate our research with cutting-edge thinking from across many disciplines. Over the next 12 months, they will be building dialogues with researchers working in economics, psychology, sociology, community, history, politics, law, democracy, arts, culture, business & the media. They also want to include insights from those working practically on the ground: organisations delivering renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport, food security and provenance, land-based projects, and more. More information is available here.