Tipping Point Germany 2008, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Climate change as a cultural challenge. A dialogue of art and climate research

The aim of the conference "Tipping Point 2008 - A dialogue between Climate Science and the Arts", organized by the British Council, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Kulturstiftung, was to initiate close cooperation between artists and scientists on questions of climate change on September 28th and 29th, 2008 in Potsdam. Around 100 scientists from a wide range of disciplines, artists and cultural workers from all fields were invited.

The consequences of climate change should no longer be understood solely as a technical or economic challenge, but rather as a cultural one, thus counter strategies should be developed. The conference offered a platform for the exchange of ideas and the development of concrete cooperation projects. The conference was scientifically supported by Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, head of the PIK and climate advisor to the federal government. The participants came from Germany, Great Britain, other European countries and the USA. In order to support the goal of an intensive dialogue, the conference took place as an open space, in which the participants themselves determined essential parts of the conference program. The venue was the historic building of PIK and the Astrophysical Institute on the Potsdamer Telegraphenberg.