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Minister appears before geoengineering inquiry

13 January 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

The Science and Technology Committee takes evidence as part of its inquiry into the regulation of geoengineering. Watch live from 9.30am.

Witnesses

9.30am - evidence given via video link

  • Dr Jason J Blackstock, Centre for International Governance Innovation, Canada
  • Dr David Keith, Director, ISEEE Energy and Environmental Systems Group
  • John Virgoe, expert in geoengineering governance

10.15am

  • Sir David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and former Government Chief Scientific Adviser
  • Dr Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Senior Advisor of Environmental Law and Conventions, United Nations Environment Programme (via video link)
  • Dr Maarten van Aalst, Associate Director and Lead Climate Specialist at the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre

11am

  • Joan Ruddock MP, Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change
  • Professor David MacKay, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Energy and Climate Change
  • Professor Nick Pidgeon, University of Cardiff

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry is being coordinated with an inquiry into geoengineering by the US Congressional Science and Technology Committee.

The Commons inquiry follows on from the major inquiry that the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee completed in March 2009, Engineering: turning ideas into reality, which took 'geoengineering' as a case study. The Report examined activities specifically and deliberately designed to effect a change in the global climate with the aim of minimising or reversing man-made climate change.

Building on the earlier work the new inquiry will focus on one aspect of geoengineering: the regulation of geoengineering, particularly international regulation and regulation within the UK.