Welcome to a Stockholm seminar with Kjell Aleklett, Karl Hallding and Johan Rockström
Time: Wednesday June 9, 2010, 09.30-12.00
Place: The Beijer Hall, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Lilla Frescativägen 4, Stockholm
The world as we have known it is changing. The fossil fuels that have predicated the matchless expansion of the 20th century show difficulties in keeping up with increasing demand. At the same time continued use of remaining fossil deposits risks pushing the world towards catastrophic climate changes.
Each of these fundamental issues — energy and climate — constitutes formidable security challenges for the global society. But the combination of the two may have consequences far beyond our imagination.
The purpose of this seminar is to explore how a combination of energy- and climate securities scenarios could be used to better understand the fundamental challenges that the world is facing, in order for us to be better prepared for a pallet of possible global and regional changes in the coming decades.
Programme
09:30 Welcome and introduction to four scenarios created from the uncertainties of peak fossil and climate change. Moderator: Karl Hallding, SEI
09:45: Peak fossil: Energy and the global welfare equation Kjell Aleklett, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Global Energy Systems Group, Uppsala University.
10:05: Climate Change: Consequences and uncertainties Johan Rockström, Professor and Director, Stockholm Environment Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University
10:25: What new insights and questions rise from an integrated analysis?
Cross-cutting reflections from Kjell Aleklett and Johan Rockström
10:45 Break
11:15 Commentaries:
Agnes von Gersdorff, Swedish vice-cheif negotiatior on climate
Henrietta Palmer, Professor of architecture, Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm
Kerstin Nibleus, Chairman Stockholm Environment Institute
Anders Wijkman, Tällberg Foundation
11:35: Open discussion
11:55: Closing remarks, Karl Hallding
The seminar is arranged in cooperation with the Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm, and the Global Energy Systems Group, Uppsala University.
tahoevalleylines
June 8, 2010
Volcanic ash to arrest and sink dispersed oil plumes?
Please, participants and interested parties see Christopher C. Swan’s book: “ELECTRIC WATER” (New Society Press, 2007). Swan offers compendium of renewable generated power solutions linking mobility & necessities of life.
United Nations participation in places like Afghanistan and Haiti can include railway line construction to bridge these embattled populations through the Oil Interregnum. Old railway line to India can be repaired and operated under UN auspices. In Haiti, Port-Au-Prince railway can be repaired and extended to Dominican Republic.
Other examples abound, opportunity to use renewable power linked to electric railway. The “Hejaz”, or “Pilgrim Railway”, envisioned in 1908 to link Turkey & Europe to the Muslim holy sites at Mecca & Medina can be part of regional peacemaking. Palestinians tired of being pawns in the Muslim/Jew battles can find new lives in towns along the railway line project. Arab oil income can fund these proceedings, as it should have been all along…
The list of meetings held on the Peaking Oil subject is ever-growing, but usually boil down to ways and means of continuing provision of a private vehicle for everyone at puberty. Please, have subcommittee dealing specifically with generic railway component in the Plan B Solution Set!
In the United States, rehab of branch line railways is requisite to maintain victuals and necessities of life distribution as trucking is impacted by Motor Fuel Rationing. US participants can obtain for their respective locale, US Rail Map Atlas, from spv.co.uk. Old copies of “Official Guide of the Rallways” can be used also; see copies circa 1920-1950 for greatest mileage detailed.