Wednesday, December 11, 2013

"Plundering the Planet": book presentation in Vienna on Dec 11 2013

from the blog of the Club of Rome. Book presentation: “Plundering the Planet. The Future of Mankind in the Age of Dwindling Resources” by Ugo Bardi

December 11th, 2013: Vienna (Austria)


What can be a future strategic approach to handle resource scarcity in our economic policies? What are the perspectives of a growth driven economic systems and future options for our society? The book provides many aspects to discuss at this event.

Program:

Welcome and moderation: Martina Schuster (Head of Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of the Republic of Austria, Vienna)

Presentation of the Book “Plundering the Planet” by the author, Ugo Bardi

Panel discussion with: Ugo Bardi, Sigrid Stagl (WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for the Environment and Regional Development), Kurt Bayer (Consultant at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research and – among other functions – Former Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London)

Ugo Bardi is professor for physical chemistry at the department of Earth Sciences of the University of Florence, in Italy. He is the author of several books and articles dedicated to mineral resources, with special attention to the systemic effects of resource depletion and climate change . The German language version of “Plundering the Planet” (“Der Geplunderte Planet”) has been published by Oekom in 2013.

In the 33rd Report to the Club of Rome, Ugo Bardi has taken a detailed look at the status quo of the world´s resources. Based on a historic background he provides a detailed analysis of the present and the future of mining and resource exploitation. The era of cheap resources will be over soon. Their exploitation will not only be more costly and more energy consuming, it will also produce more waste and have a higher environmental impact. Cheap resources are a basis of a growth driven economic system. It is a misinterpretation of “Limits to Growth” more than 40 years ago that minerals and resources are running out. Resources are not running out in the near future but nevertheless availability is a key problem.

The book presentation and discussion is part of the “Growth in Transition” series. The event will be held in English language.

December 11th, 2013, 4pm
Impact Hub Vienna, Lindengasse 56, Top 18-19, 1070 Vienna, Austria

Registration: http://www.oegut-registration.at/va/planet/

Who

Ugo Bardi is a member of the Club of Rome, faculty member of the University of Florence, and the author of "Extracted" (Chelsea Green 2014), "The Seneca Effect" (Springer 2017), and Before the Collapse (Springer 2019)