Advanced Studies
Futures of Sustainability
Photo: Macario Lacbawan
4 June 2024
Photo: politybooks
The climate crisis is humanmade due to burning fossil fuels. Peter Wagner’s book delves into the reasons behind the trajectory of escalating fossil fuel use. Factors like population growth, desire for freedom from want, and profit-seeking have shaped history. However, pursuing social objectives hasn't inevitably led to heating the atmosphere. While a growing population needs more resources, their use doesn't have to cause climate change. Modernity doesn't require material abundance from burning fossil fuels, and profit-seeking doesn't have to involve extracting fossil resources. Examining the critical junctures in human history when resource regimes changed, his book identifies the social problems that were meant to be solved by burning fossil fuels and the power hierarchies that shaped the decisions to use them. By redefining global challenges and restructuring power dynamics, Wagner shows, we can still curb our reliance on fossil fuels and avert the worst consequences of climate change.
Comments: Franziska Müller (Universität Hamburg), Antje Wiener (Universität Hamburg),
Stefan C. Aykut (Futures of Sustainability)
Chair: Frank Adloff (Futures of Sustainability)
3:30 p.m. Welcome Coffee
4:00 p.m. Book presentation
All participants will get the chance to get a 20% promo code for the book on that evening.
No registration needed, we look forward to seeing you there.
Venue:
Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies "Futures of Sustainability"/ DFG Kolleg-Forschungsgruppe "Zukünfte der Nachhaltigkeit"
Gorch-Fock-Wall 3 (door bell sign "Nachhaltigkeit"), 20354 Hamburg, Room 1021