This is a recording of a virtual talk given by Jean-Marc Jancovici on February 23, 2021, hosted by the Responsive Environments Group at the MIT Media Lab.
Talk 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.
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Speaker Biography: 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 (carbone4.com). He is also the founder and president of The Shift Project, a Paris-based think tank advocating for a low carbon economy (theshiftproject.org). Jean-Marc Jancovici also serves as an associate professor at Mines ParisTech.
