The Clean Energy Revolution

This seminar will examine both technological questions and economic ones. What is the scale of decarbonization needed? What technologies are needed, and how will economies and societies be impacted? What are the chief uses of fossil fuels, and how can they be reduced or eliminated?

We will examine technologies for electrical power generation, storage, and transmission, as well as how electricity could replace various uses of fossil fuels, ways to reduce energy consumption, and what will be the effects on transport, buildings, and manufacturing.

What economic policies are needed, such as subsidies and taxes, or carbon trading? How are China and Europe responding? How will developing countries cope? Although adaptation (building resilience against climate change) will also be needed, this seminar is about mitigation (reducing the root causes), mainly through electrification. But
it is important to identify the biggest problems if we are to get the most bang for the buck, and this could include other actions such as reducing atmospheric methane. I welcome your input on any mitigation – related topic.