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Personal profile: Master’s Environmental Impact Assessment graduate; specialist in marine and climate change campaigning with broad environmental knowledge. Excellent organizational skills. Extensive experience with government, industry NGOs and volunteers. Team player and confident presenter.
VOLUNTARY WORK
2007 to date: Environment advisor for Lewis Pugh who swam 1km at the North Pole to raise awareness about sea ice loss and demand action on climate change. I advise on Arctic, environmental and climate science, policy and messaging for Lewis Pugh’s expeditions, meetings and speeches.
The expeditions have included the Maldives swim (2007), North Pole swim (2007), and Arctic Kayak (2008) as part of the award winning Polar Defense Project and the Mount Everest Swim (2010). The meetings have included those with Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Madeline Albright, the Queen, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu and 15 Environment Ministers from the EU and Arctic Regions. The speeches have included TEDGlobal and BIF, voted one of the top 7 most inspiring videos on the web.
2008 to date: Founder and manager of the Sing for the Earth campaign, which uses a series of short films of children singing to send a moving to world leaders. The films have visibly touched the hearts and minds of high level decision makers at the United Nations climate talks in 2008, 2009 and 2010, was welcomed into the home of the UK Prime Minister and stimulated a Parliamentary Question in the House of Commons. We call for a peak in emissions by 2010, limiting global warming to less than 1oC and stabilization of greenhouse gases at 350ppm-e. Once considered unrealistic, the current UN negotiation text has been amended and now includes these proposals as options for the new global agreement.
1992 - 2007 During the summers and winter field seasons, I was involved with a number of short research projects on parrots, birds and lizards of the Caribbean island of Dominica, providing vital information to the government for conservation management. I also researched whales and dolphins of Dominica and the Azores as part of an anti-whaling campaign by IFAW. During this time and subsequently, I supported filming of sperm whales with the BBC Natural History Unit and National Geographic Magazine as well as for an independent film maker, Gregory Colbert.
1990: Through data gathering and publication, I helped establish a long term study of bottlenose dolphins in west Wales. The aim of the project was ecological research and conservation through the establishment of a protected area. The information from the research was instrumental in securing a Special Area of Conservation under the Habitat’s Directive and my undergraduate research is still referred to by government as baseline information for these animals.
RELEVANT EMPLOYMENT
FCRN Researcher at the Food and Climate Research Network, based at the University of Surrey. Sept 09 to date
WWF Marine Climate Change Officer, Responsibilities include contracting, managing, launching and presenting a May 01 number of reports and events. I have led for the network and WWF UK on marine climate change and work to May 09 closely with other relevant teams to ensure that impacts of climate change on the seas are understood and mitigated. Working with industry and government on behalf of WWF and WC LINK, with some major successes, eg. introducing climate change to OSPAR’s work program, introducing text into new CCS legislation. We demonstrated that government was non-compliant with the SEA directive and achieved a shift in SEA practice to include climate change consideration. I have given several high level presentations to paying public and scientific audiences in addition to extensive media interviews.
CCW Environmental Consultant, for the Countryside Council for Wales. Contracted to produce a digital catalogue of Oct 98- individually recognisable bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay, west Wales. This involved creating a partnership Feb 99 and negotiating access to data gathered by a number of researchers and collating, digitising, cataloguing, mapping and analysing these data.
ADAS Consultant for the Environment Team, Wales : Acting Office Supervisor. This work involved liaising with farmers June 1996- and Welsh Office, database management, writing proposals and developing new contract opportunities. I April 1998 Audited and improved office data management practices and procedures, and introduced quality control and training. I was Health and Safety Officer and developed an understanding of the interaction between environmental performance within H&S consideration. I received an unprecedented annual assessment.
IFAW Research Assistant for work on the cetaceans of Dominica, West Indies. I supervised research, produced Jan-Ap ‘95 reports and gave presentations to the public and to the Ministers of Fisheries, Tourism and Education.
Sea Watch Research Assistant to the Science Director. I supervised, conducted and published marine research Foundation and represented Sea Watch Foundation and the European Cetacean Society at conferences and workshops. Dec. 1992- May 1993
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
1993-1995 Master of Science: Environmental Impact Assessment. Grade: Distinction University of Wales, Aberystwyth, EIA. Unit, Aberystwyth, Dyfed
1989-1992 Bachelor of Science (Honours): Ecology. Grade: Upper second (2i) University of Leeds, Dept. Pure & Applied Biology, Leeds, LS2 9JT
COURSE BREAKDOWN ON EIA MSc. and Ecology BSc.
MSc thesis and essays examine environmental impacts upon the marine environment and the use of EIA to aid planning decisions with particular reference to dolphins. They review current practice in EIA for marine developments and devises strategies to address the shortcomings identified in EIA practices and procedures. Sewage treatment works and nuclear power stations were scrutinized. Their impacts upon the whole food chain from chemical, pathogenic, acoustic and thermal pollution were considered, and effects of physical damage and habitat loss examined. I also studied Environmental and planning law.
BSc course included plankton ecology, bat and deer ecology, zoology, skate anatomy, evolution, environmental management and economics, forest management, biogeography, statistics, population ecology. Two dissertations examined bottlenose dolphin population ecology and behaviour.
INTERESTS AND HOBBIES Historically, most of my leisure time has been spent carrying out many projects and research work, conservation campaigning and fund raising for charities. I have enjoyed many team sports and competed in Ultimate Frisbee at international level and basketball at national level. I also enjoy aerobics, netball and am a BSAC dive leader. I enjoy tinkering with various crafty and gardening projects. I have been a school governor and recently set up a schools and community fruit tree planting project.
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Emily Lewis-Brown - Curriculum Vitae |
