T2F Principal Investigator William Powrie will present the prestigious Unwin Lecture, together with Professor Chris Rogers of the University of Birmingham, on 9th October at the Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
Technological advances are often unpredictable; how societies use them even more so. An advance in technology often leads to a rise in demand, which in an increasingly well-connected world is unsustainable. A further complication is that the impacts of an advance in technology often only become clear years afterwards, by which time it is too late to reverse or deflect them.
Some new technologies disrupt, and even those that do not often require complicated, systems-level transitions that are difficult to achieve quickly. William and Chris will illustrate these points with examples from energy and resource / waste management. They will then critically assess two ongoing efforts to achieve transformational change in transport: railway electrification and decarbonising our cities. Systemic failings that have hindered success will be identified.
This free lecture starts at 18:30. Places can be booked here.
