Great Decisions lecture series set to open
The Great Decisions of Wayne County lecture series is back for its 42nd year. This spring’s theme is “Energy Transition & Global Geopolitics,” featuring three speakers, a film about energy extraction and a Q-and-A with the filmmaker.
All events are free and held in Gault Recital Hall in Scheide Music Center, 525 E. University St. on The College of Wooster campus.
Kicking off the series is Daniel Scholten, an expert on the global geopolitics of energy supply, on Thursday, Feb. 6. Scholten is a professor in science, technology and environmental policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He also is a research associate at Clingendael’s EU & Global Affairs Unit, the Netherlands, and guest lecturer at the University of Stavanger, Norway.
Scholten specializes in the geopolitics of the energy transition with a broader interest in the governance of sustainability. His current research activities include the editorship of a handbook on the geopolitics of the energy transition, developing a theory of energy geopolitics and investigating practical governance solutions for sustainability transformations. He teaches courses on climate change policy and economics of environmental policy and is developing a course and online simulation game on the geopolitics and governance of the energy transition.
Next in the series is a showing on Thursday, Feb. 20 of the film “Powerlands,” about the impacts of energy extraction on rural indigenous communities, followed by an audience Q-and-A with the filmmaker Camille Ivey Manybeads Tso. Watch a trailer for the film at https://powerlands.org/.
On Tuesday, March 4, Jessica Moerman, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, will speak on the topic of Why Should Christians Care About an Energy Transition? And the final speaker on Tuesday, March 11 will be Chris Turner, author of the recent book “How To Be a Climate Optimist,” who will speak on global energy supplies and the case for climate optimism.
All events feature Q-and-A sessions with the speaker, followed by a light dessert reception in the lobby. There is free parking in lots and on the street surrounding Scheide.