A world renown expert in the field of climate change will give a talk on the subject in Bermuda tomorrow and meet with the Premier’s recently appointed Sustainable Development Roundtable.

Sir Crispin Tickell has studied and written about the globe’s gradual warming since the days when bellbottoms were cool. And now, three decades later, his field of expertise is as trendy as wide-leg pants once were.

In a telephone interview from the United Kingdom he said: “Believe it or not I wrote a little book about it at Harvard in the mid-1970’s when I tried to establish the bridge between climate change and the world of economics and politics. Perhaps I was the first to do so.

“I actually called for a treaty to regulate relations between members states and the United Nations on the issue of climate change. And here we are 30 years on and we’re not really much further forward.”

Nonetheless Sir Crispin believes 2007 is the “hinge year” — a time when there’s a perfect marriage of public awareness and new scientific research on the environment.

In Great Britain, for example, a recent poll revealed 90 percent of the British population is concerned about climate change, according to Sir Crispin. There’s no similar study for Bermuda, but it’s a safe assumption that the level of concern is not that high.

That’s part of the reason the upcoming lecture will be geared not only to the sophisticated environmental observer, but the less informed casual observer too. Sir Crispin said: “I’m ready to talk to either. Giving a talk is one thing, but what I find really interesting is the question and answer period afterwards. Because that tells you more of what are on people’s minds. You don’t necessarily want the sophisticated questions, you want questions that actually demonstrate how people are or are not concerned about what is now becoming a world wide problem.

“I hope one or two chaps from the pub come along. I think the doors are open to anyone who wants to come.”

Before the twilight lecture, Sir Crispin will meet with members of the Sustainable Development Roundtable at Government House.

The British lecturer’s local host is the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. It’s part of the biological research group’s continuing lecture series which has offered the likes of Robert F. Kennedy on open spaces and Dr. Kerry Emanuel on the threat of hurricanes.

Sir Crispin has served as a Government expert on sustainable development, as Chairman for the Climate Institute in Washington, D.C. and has also been science advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

His international experience teaches him that Bermuda is not currently “in the front lines of change” as some other parts of the world like sub-Saharan Africa or people along the rivers of China and India. But he cautions Bermuda to be on alert because the country is surrounded by oceans and faces potential danger from oceanic change. That could mean higher sea levels and more intense hurricanes.

The Royal Gazette outlined some of these same concerns in a weeklong series on climate change back in February of this year. Sir Crispin said: “You are vulnerable to all these changes and when the changes take place, as they could, you might find them very drastic.”

These days the long-time environmental scientist is working with Sir Richard Branson and former United States Vice President Al Gore on a $25m contest to find the next great innovation to combat climate change.

When Sir Crispin is in Bermuda he plans to spend some time with Gov. Sir John Vereker who he calls an old friend.

Before hanging up the phone he encouraged a few men from the pub to attend the lecture on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. There’s a $30 cost for non-members, $20 for members.