The burning of fossil fuels really got underway with the industrial revolution, and has continued at an increasing pace to the present day. Carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by burning, is a major greenhouse gas, and  according to some studies, appears to be provoking climate change on a massive scale. There will be changes in the atmosphere, the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems that will profoundly affect the lives and health of ordinary people, the world economy, and the well-being of the planet.
These far-reaching effects of past and future energy use will be discussed: the projected climate changes and their consequences will be examined, including their effects on biodiversity, individuals and humanity as a whole.

9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m

Chair: Olivier Barbaroux and Chicco Testa

Richard Lindzen - Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT, USA - Global warming: testing versus promoting

Ahmed Ghoniem - Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, USA - Energy resources and technologies; and approaches for low-impact utilization

Victor Smetacek - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany - The health of planet ocean in the Anthropocene

Dianna Bowles - Department of Biology, University of York, UK - Working with plants to build a sustainable future

Panel Discussion

2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Chair: Chris Bowler and Nicolò Dubini

James Lovelock - Gaia hypothesis, Oxford University, UK - Sustainable retreat

Gennaro De Michele - Enel Research, Italy - From steam generator to smart grid. Vision and frontiers of electricity generation

Richard Klausner Former Director Global Health , Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation, USA - Climate change and health – projecting and dealing with a threat already here

Panel Discussion

5.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m.

AIRC Conversation: Energy sources and cancer Richard Klausner and Pier Giuseppe Pelicci introduced by Umberto Veronesi