Why I’m now a climate-change optimist
Malcolm McCulloch
When: Thursday September 17, 2015, 4-5 pm
Where: Seminar Room, 563 Castle Street
OPEN AND FREE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES
About the talk:
Climate change is one of the most challenging issues facing humanity. Three years ago all the indicators pointed to a global society incapable of rising to this challenge. Market failure, embedded dis-interests and a lack of the needed political leadership at a grand scale all pointed to a scenario where a 6 degree C temperature rise looked inevitable. While some indicators suggested mitigation might be possible, they were at best weak.
However, over the last few years, small but critical systemic changes have emerged – and more are coming. This talk will discuss these key issues and point to the fact that the bedrock of our global society is shifting – much for the better. However, new challenges have been revealed that now confront society. By using the lens of the Energy Cultures Framework, possible future scenarios will be explored.
About the Speaker:
Malcolm is an Associate Professor in Engineering Science and a Tutor at Christchurch College, Oxford University, UK, and Head of the Electrical Power Group. Malcolm believes climate change, resource depletion and social inequity are the big challenges facing our civilisation. The EPG’s focus has now changed to developing, and commercialising, sustainable energy technologies. Malcolm has active research programmes in the four sectors of developing world, domestic energy use, transport and renewable generation.
From his work Malcolm is also the founder and non-executive director of a number of spin-out companies including Intelligent Sustainable Energy, Navetas Energy Management and Oxford Yasa Motors. He is also the director of the Institute for Carbon and Energy Reduction in Transport, based at the Oxford Martin School.
Malcolm is currently in New Zealand working with Dr Rebecca Ford of the Centre for Sustainability.
Please see www.otago.ac.nz/csafe for more information.
