Adapting to climate change to continue living in the mountains and helping provide strong responses to the crisis in order to limit emissions. If the word “change” carries with it a tinge of inevitability, the word “crisis” better conveys the idea that we need to deal with a rapidly evolving condition that is leading to extreme events such as Storm Vaia or the drought of recent months. In order to focus on the future of the mountains in the face of the climate crisis, the Lions Club Feltre Host and the Leo Club Feltre, under the patronage of several organisations including the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, brought together several figures who tackle the climate crisis on a daily basis by studying it, designing technical solutions and promoting political actions. The event took place in the Auditorium of the Canossian Institute of Feltre on March 19, on “Global Climate Strike” day.
“Science, technology and politics must work together”
“The academic, technical and political sectors must be able to pool their intentions”, observes geologist Emiliano Oddone, who moderated the interventions, on the side-lines of the meeting. “The crisis scenario is obvious, and scientists have been reiterating it for twenty years. Many of the speakers noted important regulatory changes, starting with the recent constitutional reform (which we discussed in the previous newsletter, Ed.), but at the operational level, we can no longer afford to limit our work to our own individual fields. It is also necessary to focus on training (and we are pleased to note that the initiative was followed with interest by the students). The current situation is, in fact, uncharted territory in the historical memory of the populations that have inhabited the mountain valleys; this means that it is necessary to create a new awareness that transcends the stratagems and even the mentality that informed our awareness in the past.
Recording available
A recording of the event that saw the participation of Professor Carlo Barbante, director of the CNR Institute of Polar Science, Professor Piero Gianolla, geologist at the University of Ferrara and Professor Geremia Gios professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Trento is available on the website of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation. A look at glaciology, geology and economy was followed by a question and answer session on technical issues with Alvise Luchetta (Director of Public Works and Construction of the Veneto Region), Gianvittore Vaccari (CEO of Veneto Acque SPA), and Nicola Gaspardo (Civil Engineering Belluno). The closing remarks of the conference were given by Gianpaolo Bottacin, Councillor for the Environment, Climate and Civil Protection of the Veneto Region.
Ph. Ghiacciaio dell’Antelao nel 2013, di Alberto Perer