Helen’s (additional) post at Gresham College as the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment involves delivering a programme of lectures, all of which are free to view online.
The 2025-26 lecture series is titled “Notes from a Large Planet: a citizen’s guide to the Earth”. It explores the interconnected systems that make our planet habitable. From the flow of energy and recycling of matter to the vital roles of oceans, air, land, ice, and life itself, the series offers a big-picture view of Earth as a living, dynamic system. Each lecture reveals how natural processes underpin our survival—and how our actions are altering them.
The land is often seen as the canvas for human activity: a flat(ish) surface that we can build on, dig into and stand on. Surface area is becoming increasingly valuable – after all, they ain’t making any more of the stuff. This lecture will consider land – both rocks and soil, and build up a picture of what the land we stand on is doing, on both short and very long timescales. How should we think about the ground and its future?