How did technologies and disasters transform environmental security?
A Europeace Seminar organized by Pôle Bernheim Paix et Citoyenneté (ULB), IGEAT (ULB) and CERI(SciencesPo Paris)
November 7th, 14:30 – 18:30, Room Kant (IEE building) at ULB
See below to download the program of the seminar
and the invitation to the conference
How did technologies and disasters transform environmental security?
Evidence from geo‐engineering and the Fukushima accident
Several studies have tackled links between technologies and environmental degradation, whereas only few have approached these issues from a security perspective. Yet, the latter is arguably of increasing interest in a context in which environmental issues gain in political and societal salience and have an ever-growing impact on everyday life This workshop addresses global environmental changes and major disasters by focusing on two aspects: climate changes and the nuclear disaster of Fukushima. This interdisciplinary event assesses evidence from natural, political and social sciences as well as it raises ethical and philosophical features of environmental security.
The first panel discusses a series of risks and disasters related to environmental technologies. Clive Hamilton will present his research on geo-engineering and analyse its risks and challenges from the point of view of ethics, security and international diplomacy issues. François Gemenne will explore human security and its management in major technological accident contexts. At the intersection of these two topics lies a dialogue between the three concepts of technologies, disasters and environmental security.
The second panel aims to shed light on this dialogue while focusing on the interactions between discourses and practices in different contexts. Simon Dalby will present recent conceptualizations of environmental security stemming from technology and disaster. Luc Mampaey will examine the potential of geo-engineering, will discuss environmental modification techniques as a weapon of war, as well as he will go back to a forgotten or ignored UN Treaty: the 1976 ENMOD Convention.
The seminar will be followed by the conference
Geoengineering : reckless solution to climate change?
La géo-ingéniérie: une imprudente solution face au changement climatique ?
organised in collaboration with the Pôle Bernheim Paix et Citoyenneté (ULB), the IGEAT (ULB), the CERI (Sciences Po Paris) and Etopia (Grand Rounds series)
In recent years, climate policies no longer seem able to bring satisfactory progress, especially given that the world's global warming is likely to evolve, according to experts, into a very expensive issue socially, economically and ecologically. In many laboratories , researchers are experimenting with artificial cooling technologies on the planet : ocean fertilization by iron sulfate , sending sulfur into the stratosphere , installation of mirrors in space, etc. . Far from the world of science – fiction, these projects are developing rapidly. It is therefore important to objectively present to the public, the issues relating to the use of these new technologies.
Clive Hamilton (Charles Sturt University, Canberra / University of Melbourne ) , the keynote speaker will present the advancement of the research being made in geoengineering , its financing , its prospects. His commentary will be discussed by Jacob Werksman ( Senior Advisor to the DG CLIMA , European Commission ) and François Gemenne (Researcher FNRS CEDEM - ULg / CERI - Sciences Po Paris )
The presentations will be followed by a discussion with the audience , under the chairmanship of Prof . Edwin Zaccai ( IGEAT , ULB )
This conference will be held November 7, 2013 from 19.30 to 21.30, in the auditorium H 2215, in English with simultaneous translation.
Campus Map : http://www.ulb.ac.be/campus/solbosch/plan.html
Program of the Seminar Invitation to the Conference