Monday 22 June 2009

Leeds Salon on Energy Innovation

ENERG!SE: A Future For Energy Innovation
James Woudhuysen will present and debate Energise: A Future for Energy Innovation by James Woudhuysen & Joe Kaplinsky at Leeds Metropolitan University, Room C409D on the fourth floor of the Civic Quarter Building, Woodhouse Lane, LS1 3HE - entrance opposite the Dry Dock pub.
Monday 6 July 2009, 6:30pm (for a 6:45pm start) - 8.30 pm.

About the Authors
James Woudhuyen is visiting Professor of Forecasting and Innovation at De Montfort University, Leicester, and a contributor to Computing magazine. He read physics at the University of Sussex, and at the Science Policy Research Unit, Sussex, did postgraduate research in the political economy of nuclear energy. His website is www.woudhuysen.com
Joe Kaplinsky is pursuing postgraduate research in chemical biology at Imperial College London. He read theoretical physics at the University of Manchester, staying there to do research in low temperature physics.

About the book
Energise looks at why the future of energy has become so fraught and puts the case for an alternative. At a time when the debate is dominated by calls for us all to cut back and reduce our carbon footprint, Energise makes the case for an expansion of supply. Instead of trying to conserve our way out of our problems, it argues, we need the innovation and investment capable of building up a new energy infrastructure.The book looks at the prospects for different technologies - nuclear, fossil fuels and renewables, and explains why each has become so contentious. The book builds on a solid but accessible technical analysis. But in each case it looks beyond the technology to take apart the political myths that are holding back energy today, ranging from the association of oil and war, to nuclear risks, to the idea that we are all greedy consumers addicted to energy consumption.Energise puts the energy problems, with special attention to climate change, in perspective. It argues that, rather than be overwhelmed by the difficulties, we can and should generate more energy as the key to building a better world.

Relevant readings
Joe Kaplinsky talking about nuclear fission and fusion: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2698144/chill_out_desk_nuclear_fusion_fission/

James Woudhuysen on nuclear and tidal energy: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6611/ and http://www.nce.co.uk/the-severn-barrage-calling-greens-bluff/1967356.article

This DIUS website outlines the UK government’s investment strategy in energy: http://www.dius.gov.uk/partner_organisations/office_for_science/science_in_government/key_issues/energy.aspx

Energy is one of the highlighted areas of UK government research spending, an overview is here: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchHighlights/Energy/default.htm

The US government’s department of energy: http://www.energy.gov/

Please note, a voluntary contribution will be asked for on the night towards costs. To let us know you’re coming please reply to this e-mail. Visit our website and join our mailing list at: www.leedssalon.org.uk/contact-leeds-salon.html

Leeds Salon is a new public debating forum which aims to promote lively and open debate around contemporary political, social, cultural and scientific issues.

Paul Thomas

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