The challenges of the Anthropocene are solvable from a technical point of view, so why aren’t we solving them and what will it take?
Mike Berners-Lee will dig down through the layers of the Polycrisis to explore the critical points of leverage for those seeking a sustainable future. Mike’s lecture will focus on the systemic changes necessary for our survival and prosperity in the coming decades, exploring the key values that must be promoted to achieve them. Mike argues that the technical solutions are already within reach, so what’s preventing progress? The real obstacles lie in the integrity and values of our politics, media, and business sectors, and the role each of us can play as individuals to drive change.
(The Anthropocene is sometimes used to simply describe the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet. Whether or not we are in a new geological age, we are part of a complex, global system and the evidence of our impact on it has become clear.)
Mike is the founder and director of Small World Consulting Ltd. He consults, thinks, writes and researches on sustainability and responses to 21st century problems. He is the author of acclaimed books, including There is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years, and How Bad Are Bananas? The carbon footprint of everything. He is also a professor at Lancaster University, where his research includes supply chain carbon modelling, sustainable food systems and the environmental impact of ICT. He has made numerous speaking, radio and television broadcast appearances to promote public awareness of sustainability and climate change issues.
