Launch: Plundering The planet Report
Launch of Plundering the Planet on November 28th in Zurich, Switzerland
20th November 2013
n the 33rd Report to the Club of Rome, Ugo Bardi has taken a detailed look at the history, the present and the future of mining and resource exploitation. Bardi points out very clearly that none of the numerous mineral resources that are extracted daily, and which are essential to the functioning of our society, will run out in the near future. But he also makes it clear that the times of cheap mineral resources will be over soon. The existence of large, easily exploitable deposits will be a thing of the past, leaving us with reservoirs of low levels of metal, oil and gas. Their exploitation will not only be more costly and more energy consuming, it will also produce more waste and have a higher environmental impact.
It was already clearly formulated in the Limits to Growth that we will not “run out“ of minerals and substances in the near future, but the Report also recognised that there would always be higher costs associated with obtaining them. The energy demand has increased dramatically since we have to mine ores which are progressively lower in concentration. The evidence is mounting that it will probably be the energy and its availability that ultimately sets the limits to our economies and societies.
Switzerland will not be spared with the respective future implications. The current debates on energy policy, the creation of energy through unconventional methods such as fracking, shale gas, etc., and the possible solutions that are offered, will form a new framework for economics and politics – also in Switzerland.
In particular, these new conditions will have an influence on the implementation of the Swiss energy policy, as well as on the Swiss financial industry, regarding investments in sustainability-related themes such as clean technology as well as industry at large. The Swiss international platform for commodities trading will equally be affected by the emerging challenges and opportunities related to the evolving imminent resource constraints.
We are looking forward to discuss these issues with the author of the Report, as well as with our honourable guest-speakers and the public to draw on the findings of the Report about the implications on Switzerland and available solutions regarding resource constraints.
The new Report to the Club of Rome Der geplünderte Planet – Die Zukunft des Menschen im Zeitalter schwindender Ressourcen was published by oekom Verlag: ISBN-13: 978-3-86581-410-4, München, 2013
Book launch of
Plundering the Planet
The Future of Mankind in the Age of Dwindling Resources
A Report to the Club of Rome
Thursday, 28th November 2013, 18.30 – 20.00
(Doors open at 18:00, Apéro from 20:00)
Clubhouse Swiss Re, Mythenquai 50/60, Zurich, Switzerland
PROGRAMME:
Welcome: Ian Johnson (Secretary General of the Club of Rome)
Presentation of the Report Plundering the Planet by the author, Ugo Bardi
Panel discussion:
Bastien Girod (Member of the Swiss National Parliament), Reto Ringger (Founder and CEO of Globalance Bank), Peter Sigg (President of the Commodity Club), Dr. Vivianne Visschers (Senior Researcher at the Chair for Consumer Behavior, ETH Zurich)
Moderator: Dr. Philipp Aeby (CEO of RepRisk)
Questions and discussion
Registration: Click here (Link: http://bit.ly/H6Zqv7)
Tickets cost 20 CHF. The number of places is limited. Registration closes on 20th Nov, 2013.
The book launch is a joint event organised by the Club of Rome, Swiss Re, LGT Venture Philanthropy, Green Buzz and the Commodity Club.
