As we start to feel the effects of global warming it becomes increasingly apparent that we are going to have to drastically alter the way we live. Central to this is public infrastructure and town planning. In this forum we will explore the issues that we are facing with regards to our lifestyles and the growing importance of our local urban environment as our transient population is increasingly required operate within our local communities – something that in a globalised world can seem counter intuitive. Speaker: Frank Fisher Frank Fisher is founder of the Understandascope, a research and demonstration unit and website. It is a multi-interest open forum hosted by Monash University. Associate Professor Frank is an Engineer (industry 1965-75) and was Director of Monash University's Graduate School of Environmental Science. Long-term lecturer and developer of Science and Systems Theory, Frank currently teaches and convenes a graduate sustainability program in the Swinburne University of Technology National Centre for Sustainability (he teaches Principles of Sustainability and Energy for the Future). He was also involved in the development of the innovative Health, Knowledge and Society course for the new Monash five year medical curriculum. Frank was also 2007 Environmental Educator of the year.