Speakers revealed for special event at What a Wonderful World Festival in Alnwick

Audiences at the eco-themed event will hear how children’s health, energy prices and wildlife are each profoundly affected by the air all around us.

First speaker at the ‘Change is in the Air?’ is Dr Laura Keast who led a study to investigate air quality outside Newcastle schools.

She believes the problem of dirty air is fixable with simple ideas like turning off our engines when idling, reducing carbon and other noxious gases that pour out of internal combustion engines into our streets, our homes and our lungs.

Second speaker Professor Alasdair McDonald, chair in renewable energy technology, Edinburgh University, will give a presentation titled ‘Wind energy - why what you know may be wrong’.

He will reveal how wind power contributes to the National Grid and how, if properly costed, wind and other renewable energy would be cheaper for the consumer than fossil fuels.

Third speaker Beth Chamberlain, RSPB senior policy adviser for climate change adaptation, will give a talk titled ‘All the Birds of the Air’ which will look at how wildlife has to respond to climate change.

Liz Anderson, co-director of the What a Wonderful World Festival, said: “This session will be a special opportunity to get answers to some of our questions about air quality and its impact on the climate and our lives.”

Change in the Air? will take place on Saturday, June 29 at Alnwick Playhouse auditorium between 1.30pm and 4.10pm.

Tickets £6 and £3 for 18s and under (one ticket for three talks) from alnwickplayhouse.co.uk

Festival organisers are also delighted that over 100 entries have poured in for the photography exhibition on the theme ‘My Northumberland’. The free exhibition takes place throughout June at the Alnwick Playhouse Gallery. Prizes will be awarded for the best photos by young people under 18.

Sing for the Planet is a one-day workshop on Sunday, June 30 from 10am to 4.30pm for people over 18 who love to sing and care about the environment. The event will be led by renowned choir leader and composer, Janet Wheeler who has written a new song to be sung by workshop participants with the award-winning choir Voices of Hope at a grand finale concert at 5.30pm.