The seminars are free and open to the public from 4–5 p.m. on Mondays via Zoom.

As the effects of a warming climate become clearer, decision-makers are turning to policy and technology to slow down global warming. The spring 2021 EESI EarthTalks series, “Energy and climate policy: How to avoid a global hothouse,” will address questions related to carbon taxes, renewable energy subsidies and the feasibility of carbon sequestration, among other topics.

The schedule is as follows:

• Jan. 25: Kerry Emanuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Overview of global change and policy options”
• Feb. 1: Elfatih Eltahir, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Dangers of human heat stress”
• Feb. 8: David Keith, Harvard, “Solar geoengineering”
• Feb. 15: Rob Socolow, Princeton University, “The urgency and pitfalls of swapping the current energy system for a low-carbon one”
• Feb. 22: Kevin Smith, Lightsource BP, “Lightsource BP – Penn State solar”
• March 1: Esther Obonyo, Penn State, “Reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment”
• March 8: Amanda Johnsen, Penn State, “Future of nuclear fission for electricity generation”
• March 15: Mark Sentesy, Penn State, “Climate ethics: Social systems and human health”
• March 22: Lisa Iulo, Penn State, “Designing cities, designing buildings”
• March 29: Paul Shrivastava, Penn State, “Sustainable development”
• April 5: David Victor, University of California San Diego, “Making climate policy work”
• April 12: Jean-Paul Allain, Penn State, “Future of fusion power”
• April 19: To be announced
• April 26: Panel discussion, “Geoengineering options – The emergency break”

The EESI EarthTalks series is hosted by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.