Session 2 - Politics of the Transition to Renewable Energy | The New School

THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH | http://www.newschool.edu/nssr

The Bottom Line on Climate Change: Transitioning to Renewable Energy
World's leading climate economists look to the future of energy

Willi Semmler, Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research, speaks at The New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) during The Bottom Line on Climate Change: Transitioning to Renewable Energy, a two-day conference featuring expert analysis of how the transition to renewable energy will affect the fragile U.S. and global economies. The conference is a continuation of SCEPA's 2010 conference The Economics of Climate Change.

"Fukushima has heated up the debate on the transition to renewable energy and its economic impact," said Semmler. "Is green energy the answer to global warming, energy independence, and the prevention of Fukushima-like disasters? If so, will the switch kill jobs and raise taxes - or will renewable energy create a green recovery? We're looking to some of the world's leading climate economists to explore these questions."

The Bottom Line on Climate Change brings together U.S. & E.U. government officials, geoscientists, policy analysts, politicians, business leaders and academics in New York to discuss how transitioning to renewable energy will affect the fragile U.S. and global economies. This year, panels focused on the future of nuclear power, the reality behind green jobs, the practicality of new technologies, and the tensions between developed and developing countries. Panels also included an Update on Trends in Global Warming Research, Climate Policies, Greeen Energy and Employment, How Fast is the Transition to Green Energy, and Nuclear Energy After Fukushima.

Participants include Ottmar Edenhofer of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), James Hansen from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Peter Schlosser from the Earth Institute at Columbia, Dr. Runge-Metzger from the European Commission, and a member of the German parliament.

Hosted by Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) | http://www.economicpolicyresearch.org
THE NEW SCHOOL | http://www.newschool.edu

*Location: Wollman Hall, Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11th Street 5th Floor New York, NY 10003 - Friday, September 23, 2011 at 8:30 AM - Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 6:00 PM

Category:

Education

Tags:

• The New School
• New School University
• New School
• Sustainability
• Renewable Energy
• Climate Change
• Politics
• Economy
• Green Jobs
• Energy
• Fukushima
• global

[aerobique]

@pattycarabelli

one big concern about sea ice thing is basically that masses of ice (white) play an important earth-climatic role by reflecting a lot of sun radiation back. (besides its simple cooling aspects) So if the ice goes, the darker areas, especially water (dark, +translucent) absorbs all the radiation instead of reflecting it. And the global heat trap accelerates.

[pattycarabelli]

Thank you for the response Aerobique; big problem...

[aerobique]

@pattycarabelli

"Why if the volume of ice is bigger than the volume of liquid water - because of the distance between the different molecules - is the water level going to rise when the ice melts"

Good question. Its happens when the ice floats from land masses into the ocean. More water in the tub, higher levels.

But...  mainly is the actual rise of the sea levels caused by "thermal expansion" while ocean temps rise. Globally, in general, not only the molten ice.

[pattycarabelli]

Now, I have a question maybe you may answer... Why if the volume of ice is bigger than the volume of liquid water - because of the distance between the different molecules - is the water level going to rise when the ice melts, shouldn´t the volume be less? I understand it is a disaster for ecosystems, and maybe the volume raises because the ice from the mountain is there... speaking doubt aloud....

[pattycarabelli]

Hopefully renewable energy might allow a greener future... We all need to be aware of these topics and information has to be socialized as it is very hard for us, regular citizens, to know what to believe in, what to do, what to expect, how to take care of our surroundings.... Thank you for sharing and caring.