Lord Giddens at JCU to chair climate change panel

By Brooke Payne

ROME, Sept. 25 - Britain's Lord Anthony Giddens, a world-renowned sociologist, will be at John Cabot University on Friday to chair a lecture titled “The Politics of Climate Change.” The Giddens lecture, postponed from March, is one of the most anticipated events of the semester.   

The Guarini Institute, a JCU organization focusing on awareness of key geo-political issues and current challenges facing the world, invited Giddens to JCU as part of a lecture series leading up to the U.S. election.

JCU's Prof. Federigo Argentieri, director of the Guarini Institute, suspects Giddens will take a strong stance on climate change similar to that of Al Gore and his widely recognized documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth".  Argentieri believes two core issues will be of great interest to Giddens:

• Convincing the American public that climate change is an urgent issue needing to be addressed by lifestyle changes, not just technological solutions. It is hoped with changes of American views on climate change, will come changes in the views of other world powers.    

• Determining if it is fair to expect developing powers, such as China and India, to reduce their carbon emissions when the U.S and the rest of the developed world are historically far bigger polluters. Can it be expected of them to pollute less, slowing economic growth?

The fact the world's leaders, through the work of the United Nation, now acknowledge global warming is a threat for the planet is only a small accomplishment. What concerns Argentieri is the lack of agreement for its causes. “It’s like smoking and lung cancer,” he says.  It’s proven that smoking considerably increases ones’ chances of lung cancer, but it is not scientific fact that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer. It is a fact the globe is warming, he says. Although some argue this is a natural environmental trend, not one caused by humans.

Giddens is expected to address the issue of global warming in greater depth and will undoubtedly raise many more questions. Giddens’ thorough, yet clear style should help create an understanding of one of the most complex issues of our time.   

Come hear Lord Giddens present, “The Politics of Climate Change,” Friday, September 26th, at 5:30 p.m. in Aula Magna Regina at John Cabot University.  The public is welcome.  Reservations are required and can be made at events@johncabot.edu.