[Coral-List] Speaking up for over-priced conferences

Mark Spalding mark at mdspalding.co.uk
Mon Jul 18 17:27:54 EDT 2011


Well not exactly, but we are all working for the ecosystem that is most
threatened of all by climate change. Do 1500 people really need to fly
half-way around the world to attend? Especially when, with 10 or more
parallel sessions the very BEST you can do is attend only 10% of the
meeting. Surely by now we should be capable of on-line webinars? If we can't
lead by example then I would expect the next generation to blame us just as
much as the oil company executives - we have no excuse at all, we KNOW
there's a problem. 

I note that Coastal Zone, running next week in the US, is running quite a
few sessions live online and free of charge. I haven't attended the last
couple of ICRS meetings, but have said before, that I would gladly PAY to be
able to attend online. That way you can even dip in and out of presentations
without upsetting the speaker! The virtual beer's not as good of course!

Can't we petition these "virtual" organisers to open up to allowing access
from our lap-tops? Some of us could even gather in our home towns and listen
in together?

All best

Mark 

____________________________
Mark D Spalding, PhD
Senior Marine Scientist, Global Marine Team
The Nature Conservancy
   and
Conservation Science Group, University of Cambridge

E: mspalding at tnc.org
T: +44 1638 661961 or +44 1223 334459
Skype: mdspalding
Post: Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
W: nature.org

Reefs at Risk Revisited - www.wri.org/reefs 
Recent books: The World's Protected Areas; The Atlas of Global Conservation
www.ucpress.edu
World Atlas of Mangroves - www.earthscan.co.uk









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