2010 Earthwatch Debate
Kindly supported by
An environmental mascot for Britain
Thursday 14 October 2010
The Royal Geographical Society,
1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Chaired by Andrea Catherwood, Bloomberg Television
Debaters:
George McGavin, BBC Lost Land presenter
Tony Juniper, Green Party candidate for Cambridge
Stephen Hopper, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew
Johannes Vogel, Natural History Museum
Sam Burgess, Earthwatch
6pm to 7pm – Cash bar
7pm to 8:30pm – Debate
8.30pm to 9.30pm – Cash bar
Which will get your vote?
Bumblebee - George McGavin. Oak tree - Stephen Hopper
Song thrush - Tony Juniper
Coral - Sam Burgess. Bluebell - Johannes Vogel
Will anyone remember Mandeville and Wenlock after the London Olympics are over? Even if so, do these two animated mascots of the 2012 Games really capture the essence of all things British?
Their creation has raised an interesting question: Is there such thing as an archetypal British mascot? Bulldogs are arguably not the most loveable canines. Dragonflies, well maybe, but certainly not dragons. And when was the last time you saw a lion in Britain, other than at a safari park? What about the thistle, daffodil, shamrock and rose – yes, they represent their own countries, but what about the whole nation?
Earthwatch believes it’s time to find a new mascot for Britain, and we will do just that at our 2010 debate! An audience vote will decide the most fitting species (bestial or botanical) to become the new mascot for Britain.
We have challenged our debaters to choose a species that represents not only our country’s invaluable natural heritage, but also our people’s inimitable spirit. Debaters will work to persuade you that their chosen species is essential to ecosystem health and landscape heritage as well as to British social and cultural identity.
You, the audience, will then decide which of these species is quintessentially British and should become the new face of Britain for the 21st century.