The Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination's Program on Religion, DIplomacy and International Relations (PORDIR) will host Dr. Barbara Buckinx, currently an Associate Research Scholar at LISD and Lecturer in the Woodrow Wilson School, as guest speaker at the PORDIR student fellows bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. Participation in this event is open to PORDIR student fellows only.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, climate change is ‘unequivocally’ happening. The impact on humans, animals, and nature in general are as yet uncertain, but significant harms (e.g. extreme droughts, inundation of low-lying islands) are expected. On the current trajectory, mitigation (reducing emissions, e.g. renewable energy) and adaptation (minimizing harms, e.g. relocation) are likely to prove insufficient. Climate engineering – the deliberate human intervention in the world climate in order to reduce global warming – is a possible alternative or concurrent strategy. Drawing on insights from an LISD roundtable with climate scientists and clergy, Dr. Buckinx talk provides an introduction to pertinent questions and concerns about climate engineering and our responsibility to the planet, with a view to stimulating a conversation about what is likely to be(come) one of the most pressing moral, spiritual questions of our time. 

To learn more about the Program on Religion, DIplomacy and International Relations, please read more on our project page. 

To learn more about Dr. Buckinx Research and the Project on Self-Determination and Emerging Issues at the LISD, please read more in our institute directory.