Onstage at EmTech MIT: James Temple, Senior Editor, clean energy & climate change

 

Onstage at EmTech MIT: James Temple, Senior Editor, clean energy & climate change

It seems to me that something seems to have changed in the tone and urgency of the conversation around climate change in recent months. 

Abstract fears over Arctic sea ice and coral reefs have been supplanted by the all-too-tangible effects of deadly European heatwaves, Midwest floods, and hurricanes that pummeled Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

As the dangers grow, the way we talk about the problem needs to change, too. I hope you can join me, James Temple, MIT Technology Review’s senior editor for energy, for these conversations at this year’s EmTech conference. I’ll be speaking to:

— Kerry Emanuel, an MIT professor of atmospheric science focused on hurricane physics. He’ll discuss the level of dangers we face, what role climate change may play in the devasting hurricanes we’ve experienced, and what it will really take to begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the necessary pace.

—Jainey Bavishi, director of the New York City Mayor’s office of recovery and resiliency. She was previously associate director for climate preparedness for the Obama administration. I’ll be speaking to her about what cities must do to prepare for the dangers already in store, and how they can minimize the suffering of their citizens.

You can see the full line-up for this year’s EmTech conference, which will run Sept. 17-19 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tickets for the event are available here. I hope you can join me.