Internationally respected climate scientist and Quaker Emma Woolliams will talk at Kingston Quaker Centre about her work.

Scheduled for 2 December, her talk is the latest in a series of public events put on by local Quakers.

Despite her work at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington measuring the true scale of the climate emergency facing Earth, one of her current projects involves detailing the speed with which Greenland's ice sheet is melting , Woolliams describes herself as a 'stubborn optimist'.

Woolliams said: "The oceans are rising, acidifying and warming, the ice is melting, weather patterns are changing.

"It can be quite frightening, but I remain a stubborn optimist. I am - like most of us - fully aware of the scale of the challenge, but I believe humanity can rise to it."

Woollliams cites positive tipping points such as the recent closure of the UK's last coal-fired power station as an encouraging example.

Her talk, titled The Stubborn Optimist: A Quaker Climate Scientist,  will detail her work which involves understanding the observations satellites make of the Earth's climate system to obtain reliable long-term trends of different climate variables including sea ice thickness, land surface temperatures, sea level rise and the Earth's energy imbalance.

Woolliams will also explain how her Quaker faith helps in her work, giving her a sense of perspective and hope alongside her understanding of the scale of the climate emergency facing the world.

She said: "I believe that Quaker religious practices and stories, and our testimonies to simplicity, peace, equality and truth, provide an essential perspective as society undergoes necessary transitions to build a sustainable future."

The event will take place at the Kingston Quaker Centre, Fairfield East, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2PT at 7pm.

Entrance is free and all are welcome.

The event is the latest in a series organised by Quakers in South West London.

Further information on past and upcoming events can be found at www.quakersinswlondon.org/