Martin Rees at the Cambridge Union: Climate Change and Coronavirus

19 June 2020

Climate Change and Coronavirus l Panel | Cambridge Union Online.

Martin discusses climate change and the coronavirus, emphasising that we need enhanced R&D into clean energy, and Attenborough-style persuasion, not aggressive disruption, to bring the public on side to address climate change.

ABOUT THE PANEL: Climate change is one of the world's most pressing challenges, but how will the new threat of COVID-19 impact collective action on it? Will we emerge more ready to build a more sustainable future? Or will the pandemic distract us from cutting emissions and leave us even worse off?

ABOUT THE PANELLISTS: Lord Martin Rees Lord Martin Rees is a British scientist who has been Astronomer Royal since 1995 and was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge from 2004 to 2012. He also served as President of the Royal Society between 2005 and 2010. Will Wilkinson Will Wilkinson is vice president for research at the Niskanen Center, a centrist American think tank. His work focuses on economic growth, social insurance, and the measurement of freedom, equality, and happiness. Roger Hallam Roger Hallam is a British environmental activist and a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion. Alice Hill Alice Hill is senior fellow for climate change policy at the US Council on Foreign Relations and was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy at the National Security Council in the Obama administration.

ABOUT THE CAMBRIDGE UNION: From its small beginnings as a debating society, the Cambridge Union is the oldest debating society in the world and the largest student society in Cambridge. The Union remains a unique forum for the free exchange of ideas and the art of public debate.

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