General Election Special 2015

Wednesday 25^th March 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Featuring local political party candidates from the five main parties.

As our nation gears itself up for the general election in May, we present a pre-election party policy special which we hope will increase local awareness of our parties’ latest policy positions. Candidates from the five main political parties will each make a short presentation trying to convince you their manifesto is best for Britain’s future, followed by ample opportunity for audience questions. We are looking forward to hearing their policies on key issues such as housing, welfare, wages, taxation, employment, immigration, the NHS, energy and the environment, enabling us to gain a better appreciation of which party will be best for Britain.

Come and join us at this pre-election special to gain a better appreciation of our parties’ plans, challenge the party representatives in the Q&As, and cast your ‘vote’ in our mock election. We expect this to be a lively and enjoyable event!

“A great opportunity to familiarise yourself with our political parties’ future plans for Britain before you place your vote on election day”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed on foot and by car via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Navitus Bay Windfarm

Wednesday 25^th February 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With Navitus Bay Communications Manager Sean Parsons

With ever-increasing global energy consumption, dire warnings of potentially catastrophic climate change, and the UK becoming increasingly reliant on imported energy sources, wind farms offer a potential solution to our energy problems.

Sean Parsons from Navitus Bay Development Ltd will claim that the proposed wind farm situated approximately 10km south of Dorset and the Isle of Wight will help the UK to meet its climate change targets and contribute to security of energy supply, but the controversial project is being vigorously opposed by local councils and the National Trust who fear it will damage our region’s tourism-based economy. Wind farms have also been criticised for their intermittent output and the need for conventional energy back up.

“Join us for an informative introduction to the controversial Navitus Bay Wind Farm”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life Explored

Wednesday 27^th February 7.30pm

The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

‘The 2013 Dennis Bannister Memorial Lecture’

Join us for a fascinating evening as David Croman relates the extraordinary life and achievements of Alfred Russel Wallace.
Wallace is best known as the co-founder, with Darwin, of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, but he was also one of the greatest explorers, scientists, intellectuals, and writers of his time.

In this well-illustrated presentation, author and psychologist, David Croman recounts Wallace’s jungle adventures in Indonesia, Malaysia, South America and beyond. He will also be exploring Wallace’s immense contribution to science and evolutionary theory, as well as examining how his odd and sometimes quirky ideas led him down strange avenues.

Wallace spent the final years of his life living in Broadstone, Dorset, and was buried in Broadstone Cemetery after his death 100 years ago in 1913.

This lecture is in memory of Dennis Bannister who gave numerous talks to Dorset Humanists on Darwin, Wallace, and evolution.

David Croman is a local author, wildlife photographer, natural science lecturer and a former Secretary of Dorset Humanists.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is better lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster.

Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Darwin Day: Jurassic Coast

Saturday 9^th February 12.00pm
The Purbeck Lounge, Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH

Dorset Humanists’ Annual    Darwin Day Celebratory Lunch and Presentation

Celebrate Darwin Day in style with a delicious three-course Italian buffet lunch in BIC’s Purbeck Lounge, followed by an entertaining talk from Professor Vincent May.

Dorset’s ‘Jurassic Coast’ has revealed an amazing number of fossils over the last 200 years, including many specimens new to science. In this well-illustrated presentation, Professor May takes us on a fascinating 250 million year journey beginning in the Triassic period, when the continents were joined and Dorset was a desert, through to the recent achievement of World Heritage Site status. We have the Purbeck Lounge booked through to 5:00pm, so there will also be plenty of time to socialise together after Professor May’s presentation.

Booking Information

Italian buffet lunch and presentation ticket (12:00pm start): £16 per person (Please book lunches by 30th January. Places are limited)

Jurassic Coast presentation only ticket (2:00pm start): £2 per person

Order tickets  at a Dorset Humanists meeting, or email lyn.glass(at)btinternet.com (Presentation only tickets may also be purchased on the door).

Professor May spearheaded the application to UNESCO for recognition of the Dorset and East Devon Coast as a World Heritage Site. He continues to chair the Science and Conservation Advisory Group for the Site, which provides professional advice to the Counties of Devon and Dorset. He is also Chair of the Purbeck Heritage Network.

He has been awarded the B.P. Prize for Environmental Science & Management, and has pioneered and implemented multi-disciplinary practice-based masters courses at Bournemouth University in Coastal Zone Management, Water Environment, and European Tourism Management (with French, Dutch & German partners).

 

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

 

Keeping creationism out of science, and your MP's voting record

(Please note I've realised that the EDMs mentioned in the original version of this post have already passed, so it is too late to act. I apologise for any inconvenience caused by my earlier call to action).

Only Annette Brooke and Robert Walter of Dorset's eight MPs signed EDMs endorsing the view that creationism should be kept out of science education, and Tobias Ellwood said he is unable to sign EDMs because he is a Parliamentary Private Secretary.

The skeptical voter site provides further information on how individual MPs have voted on various issues relevant to a humanist worldview, including climate change, abortion, gay rights, faith schools etc.

http://skeptical-voter.org/wiki/index.php?title=David_Cameron

(Simply enter your own MPs name in the search box to retrieve their details)

Other useful pages for finding out how your MP has voted on key policies are:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
http://www.publicwhip.com