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\u00a0The winter webinar, held on 10th December 2020 offered an opportunity for members and associates of CeMoRe to come together and explore the theme of its new 5 year programme to address the climate emergency. The event involved nine talks, each lasting 5 minutes, provided by Lancaster\u2019s CeMoRe members new and old with multiple opportunities for discussion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I attended the webinar as a new PhD student in CeMoRe. In my PhD work I am researching the agency of children in climate change policy, but my interest in climate change is much broader than just this, so I was intrigued to see the discussion that emerged.<\/p>\n The webinar discussed the potential impacts of climate change on mobilities including the vital mobilities of medical supply chains (Stephanie Sodero); business mobility and air travel (James Faulconbridge) ; how the experience of driving has and will develop overtime (Lynne Pearce); and the ability to move in areas struck by disaster (Nikki Pugh).<\/p>\n In fact, with many of the mobilities discussed having been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and the likelihood of the infrastructures entailed being impacted by climate change; in reflection, a key theme of the webinar was in fact that of immobilities. In this respect, the webinar offered an opportunity for reflection on the immobility created this year by COVID-19. It posed the question, how much do we value mobility? And to what extent do we need to be mobile? For certain there are some things COVID-19 has proven I can happily live without.<\/p>\n One of the first talks to touch on this theme was Jonnet Middleton\u2019s discussion of \u2018Immobile ontologies: On going nowhere in Cuba\u2019, <\/strong>she spoke about the economic and geopolitic restrictions Cubans face. Jonnet considered the potential for conceptualising a decarbonised mobility, leaving the group to consider the question: in a decarbonising world, how mobile do we need to be?<\/p>\n For me, David Tyefield\u2019s discussion of \u2018Moliberty: initial thoughts on a research agenda for mobilities and climate emergency\u2019 offered some deliberations on Jonnet\u2019s question by emphasising the importance of liberty in decision making surrounding (reduced) mobilities.\u00a0<\/span>In what emerged as a prominent theme of the session, justice and liberty, it was highlighted that the changing of mobility systems as a direct result and in response to the climate emergency, are not all equal and fair; and as such, the concept of liberty, and the ability to choose what individuals give up should be at the forefront of mobilities research in the climate emergency.<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps unexpectedly, another emerging topic covered in the webinar was that mobilities in the climate emergency is a very emotive subject. From a growing sense of loss for the environment and a rise in climate anxiety (presented in Nicola Spurling\u2019s \u2018What does, will or must disappear?: Pieces of thought on ‘loss’ as a novel climate emergency-mobilities agenda.\u2019) to the guilt associated with driving and flying (mentioned by both James Faulconbridge and Lynne Pearce); how these feelings will (if at all) affect our decisions about our own mobility holds significant meaning in research surrounding and responses to the climate emergency.<\/p>\n Overall, the webinar provided much discussion over what felt like important BIG questions, perhaps not all ones that we can fully answer in only 5 years, but definitely provided topics of huge potential for CeMoRe as it embarks on its programme of research into the Climate Emergency. For me, as a brand new PhD student, where every article I read seems to open up more possibility for research, the webinar was a great opportunity to listen to what other academics are working on and offered much food for thought surrounding my own project.<\/span><\/p>\n The event was a great success, with new opportunities and insights provided by all participants.<\/p>\n \u00a0CeMoRe would like to thank all attendees and in particular, speakers:<\/span><\/p>\n James Faulconbridge,\u00a0<\/span>Stephanie Sodero,\u00a0<\/span>Jonnet Middleton,\u00a0<\/span>Manu Hohnekamp-Bruggemann,\u00a0<\/span>Lynne Pearce,\u00a0<\/span>Nikki Pugh,\u00a0<\/span>Monika Buscher,\u00a0<\/span>David Tyefield and\u00a0<\/span>Nicola Spurling.<\/span><\/p>\n