Summary of the Lecture in 30th January

The first speaker is Professor Andrew Palmer. His topic was mainly carbon dioxide capture and storage technology and politics. He pointed out that a few of us might like to live in an energy-poor pre-industrial society but most of us do not and will not. Therefore we could adapt fuel efficiency and conservation, switch to alternative energy sources or capture and store carbon dioxide.
He explained that carbon dioxide could be capture from the atmosphere, liquidize it and store it in the ocean. However, the carbon dioxide can in long run diffuse into the ocean and makes it more acidic with severe biological effects.

I was very interested when he talked about capturing carbon dioxide. It did not cross my mind that carbon dioxide can be captured and thus reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, there is a downside for this solution and hence it cannot be used.

The second speaker is Dr Benjamin K. Sovacool. His topic was "Using STS to Address Energy and Technological Problems". He shared with us the importance of identifying the different clubs and interest involved in technology to suggest who activists should approach and deal with. By identifying the relational aspects between people, artefacts and knowledge, they can also help show that there is no one person or institution masterfully manipulating the course of military technology.

The interesting part of this lecture is when Dr Banjamin K. Sovacool introduced the Electric vehicles. He covered the discovery of the early transportation and the pros and cons of them.

The third speaker is Professor Rajasekhar Bala. His topic was about climate change and mitigation. He explained that water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are natural greenhouse gases. Global warming happens when there is an increase in the amount of the natural greenhouse gases. He also shared with us the evidence that supports Global Warming. The arctic temperature have risen twice as fast, sea level rises and changes in the rainfall pattern are some of the evidence. He ended the lecture by providing some suggestions that might help combat Global Warming. Those were by taxing industries that produce greenhouse gas emission, subsidizing energy efficiency and renewable energy,cooperating internationally and by individual playing their part to sharply reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Professor Bala's lecture was very detailed and succinct. He covered many grounds regarding Global Warming. He pointed out that Global Warming is a political issue that should be handled together as a world, every country have to play their role.