Signature Lecture: Geoengineering Our Climate: Science, Ethics and Governance

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Lord Elgin Hotel, Pearson Room, 100 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, N0B2M0

Public Event

Event Video

Event Description

Concepts for intentionally modifying our global climate — known as geoengineering — are rapidly emerging into the scientific policy and public discussions surrounding climate change. This public event, featuring a keynote address from Professor Steve Rayner (Oxford University) and a responding panel of leading international academics and practitioners, will introduce the scientific and technical ideas underlying geoengineering concepts, while exploring their broader ethical, social and geopolitical implications.

5:30pm Welcome by David Dewitt (CIGI) and Conference Overview by Jason Blackstock (Conference Chair)
5:35pm - Keynote Presentation by Professor Steve Rayner (University of Oxford)
6:15pm - Panel Discussion Moderated by Peter Calamai (four panelists)
7:00pm - Public Q&A
7:15pm - Adjourn

Co-Sponsor: Canadian International Council (www.opencanada.org)

Convening Partners:

Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford (www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk): Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and Oxford Geoengineering Programme
Consortium on Science Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University (www.cspo.org)
Council on Energy, Environment and Water, India (www.ceew.in)
Institute for Science, Society and Policy (www.issp.uottawa.ca)
Environmental Defense Fund (www.edf.org)

Speaker

Jason J. Blackstock, CIGI Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment

With a unique background in physics, technology and international affairs, Jason J. Blackstock is a leading international policy adviser and scholar on geoengineering and the interface between science and global governance institutions. A professional physicist by trade and graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, Jason joined CIGI in 2009 and leads several international research projects that evaluate the scientific, political and global governance implications of climate change.