Harnessing nature's resources towards a sustainable future

Solar photovoltaics have spread widely over the globe in recent years and could potentially be the world’s cheapest electricity source by 2030. In this talk, I will give a history of how humans have used solar energy over time, how the current solar revolution began, and a glimpse at how physicists are now mimicking natural structures to make superblack light-absorbing materials to enhance the efficiency of the solar cells of the future.

Responding to the climate crisis requires action to decarbonise, but what do we do with emissions that we cannot engineer away? One idea is to pump CO2 into porous rocks deep underground, away from the atmosphere and its effects on climate. We’ll look at some of the fluid dynamics of geological carbon storage, how CO2 spreads, and importantly how it is trapped in the subsurface. Along the way, we’ll ask what we can learn about how fluids move within the Earth, all in an effort to understand how we can lessen our impact on Earth’s climate.

Our climate is changing and we face stark choices that will determine our planet’s future. In this talk, I will explore how we got into this situation, presenting evidence that demonstrates how our atmosphere and climate have changed through time. I will consider possible future scenarios, and explain why the choices we make today matter so much.

As part of the Creative Reactions project, these artists will be presenting their artwork inspired by the research of speakers in this talk series. The artwork will also be on display at our Creative Reactions Exhibition at St Barnabas Church, 24 - 25 May.