I've been reading the Guardian's collection of short-stories on the theme of water and listening to the podcast. It got me thinking not only about how essential and simultaneously risky water is in all our lives, but also about the role it plays in our art and culture... On this blog, as well as gathering stories about floods, it would be interesting to explore water in our literature, folk law, paintings... There has been something of a 'move' lately to bring the science and culture of environmental issues together, particularly climate change. Paul Allan from the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth has driven the Emergence project (summit in 2012), linking art with the science of climate change to communicate the imperative to reduce carbon emissions. Another initiative features a symposium, 'Future Climate Dialogues' in Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 13th June.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/art/news-events/future-climate-dialogues/
http://events.cat.org.uk/index.php/emergence-blog/77-video-paul-allen-on-emergence
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/water-stories
This short video is worth watching http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/145724.aspx
A new survey on 'Public perceptions of climate change in Wales' highlight the connection between experience of flooding and people's ideas about climate change. Around 25% of people surveyed had been directly affected by flooding, 1 in 20 had experienced property damage. People want action on mitigation and adaptation, especially flood prevention. Although action is taken locally by communities ourselves, the Environment Agency and local authorities, people think the responsibility for adaptation lies with government (Wales & UK). You should be able to Google the title and get a copy of the report or track it down via the Climate Change Consortium of Wales (C3W)
http://c3wales.org/event_details/launch-public-perceptions-of-climate-change-in-wales/
I just watched a short film on a project about understanding local knowledge in the context of flooding. http://knowledge-controversies.ouce.ox.ac.uk/video/
Near the end, there's a community which the Environment Agency (EA) decided it couldn't help on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis (cba) - too few houses in the area to justify spending money on flood defences. So the community helped itself, building lots of small defences rather than a single big dam or whatever. Lots of small measures was what local knowledge suggested... Are there communities in Wales who have been judged as not cost effective for the EA to help? And I wonder if any communities have got together to help themselves?
This C4 documentary, produced and directed by Andrew Barron and shown on 12 February 2013, is worth watching. It's about 2012, of course, but Wales doesn't feature at all! Lots of facts and figures bandied about in the film - mostly to reinforce the apocalyptic tone (billions of gallons of water, millions of pounds, 5 million homes at risk...) Strangely, the tone is at the same time excited - is it all a bit of an adventure for normally dull Britain!? The health risk of flood water gets some attention, as do one-off, expensive housing 'solutions' (stilts), landslides... And there's the fearful prospect of being trapped in the car because the electrics fuse and there's no manual override to open the windows (this should be taken up with car makers, I think?). Another interesting aspect of the film is how much footage was taken on camcorders and especially mobile phones by 'ordinary people' and how, in at least one case, social media was used to spur community action. Not much mention of climate change or doing anything to mitigate extreme weather...
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-year-britain-flooded
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