Update (2/23/21): A recording of the talk has been uploaded at the bottom of this page.

CLIMATE TALK: WILL TECHNOLOGY SAVE US FROM CLIMATE CHANGE?

Presented by the Responsive Environments group at the MIT Media Lab

Register for this talk here.

SPEAKER: Jean-Marc Jancovici, Advisor to the French government on climate change and energy.

Host: Caroline Jaffe, PhD Student in Responsive Environments

Moderator: Félix Michaud, PhD student at Sorbonne Université

Bio: 

Jean-Marc Jancovici is an advisor to the French government on climate change and energy as part of the French High Council for Climate. He is a founding partner of Carbon 4, a Paris-based data consultancy specializing in low carbon transition and the physical risks of climate change (www.carbone4.com). He is also the founder and president of The Shift Project, a Paris-based think tank advocating for a low carbon economy (www.theshiftproject.org). Jean-Marc Jancovici also serves as an associate professor at Mines ParisTech.

Abstract: 

The thermo-industrial development of our society has been possible due to resource extraction and the transformation of our environment. Unfortunately, it has led to severe environmental consequences that humanity is experiencing around the globe: shifting and unpredictable climate, extreme weather events, and biodiversity collapse. Humanity is paying the consequences for technical and technological progress. Thus, can technology still save us from climate change?
Jean-Marc Jancovici will address this question through the paradigm of energy. He will first detail how modern society is structured around thermal and nuclear energies, and will then discuss the impact of this structure on global climate and society. Finally, Jean-Marc Jancovici will conclude by exploring the trade-offs between economic growth and sustainable climate stewardship.

Questions regarding the talk: cjaffe@media.mit.edu or felixmichaudlnhrdt@gmail.com