Guest Speaker 1: Michele Hipwell, Secretary and Founder member of Transition Edinburgh South.

Title of Presentation: Sustainability Projects Past, Present and Future.

Michele's talk will cover working groups activities such as Guerrilla Gardening, development of community gardens, fruit gathering and innovative energy projects funded by the Climate Challenge Fund.

About Michelle:  Michele is the secretary of Transition Edinburgh South as well as a founder member of the group. She has had a long term commitment to environmental issues including grassroots community work and climate change, and is actively involved in some of the energy projects funded by the Climate Challenge Fund.

Michele is also an academic health psychologist and is keenly involved in areas such as sustainability in education, community psychology and well being and mindfulness meditation.

Guest Speaker 2: Sion, Action Research Facilitator, Transition Edinburgh University

Title of Presentation: University Footprints, Community Handprints: students and staff working together for a low-CO2 university

What are the particular opportunities and challenges facing universities as they respond to the twin challenges of reducing carbon emissions and preparing for a world with less abundant and secure energy supplies? What unique contribution can universities make to this seemingly inevitable transition? This talk with explore some of these issues through highlighting recent community-led activities at the University of Edinburgh.

About Sion: Sion graduated with a degree in Social Anthropology with Development from the University last summer. Having previously worked as a part-time intern during the project's initial feasibility stage, he is now one of six full-time staff members supporting carbon cutting and resilience building activities among the 36,000-strong community of students and staff.