Press Release | Thursday, 13 September 2012
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina discusses the critical aspects of global change at its annual assembly in Berlin
Environmental degradation, water shortages, biodiversity loss, famine, mega-cities, epidemics, unstable financial systems – global change is extremely multifaceted. The term incorporates all the profound changes taking place worldwide that influence the total Earth system as well as those that impact each other reciprocally. At its annual assembly, held from September 22 through 24, 2012 in Berlin, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina focuses, then, on global change. In 28 separate talks, scientists from all over the world discuss the inherent challenges of a change that threatens the very basis of life while also suggesting approaches to meeting those challenges.
The Leopoldina expressly turns its attention to the scientific basis of global change “because the issue is urgent”, says Leopoldina member Professor Detlev Drenckhahn (Universität Würzburg), academic organizer of the conference. “Scientists predict that the coming 50 years will have a dramatically adverse impact on humankind.” Negative developments like climate change cannot be disputed, added Drenckhahn. “Climate change is happening – with all its consequences for the earth’s biosphere and for mankind.”
The annual assembly covers a broad spectrum of topics from the analysis of the current situation and descriptions of the challenges ahead to possible solutions and discussions of the consequences for social policy. Among the highlights are the talks given on Saturday, 22 September, by Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber (Potsdam) covering the Earth’s ecological limits; by Professor Hans-Werner Sinn (Munich) on the „European balance of payments crisis“; and by Professor Stefan Rahmstorf (Berlin) on „Climate change and its consequences for the Earth system.“ In his lecture on Saturday evening at 8:00 pm, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker (Emmendingen) discusses the issue of global change under the title „ Nothing less than a technical revolution will do.“
On Sunday, 23 September Professor Joachim von Braun (Bonn) broaches the issue of „World nutrition and water supply in the global change“ and Professor Ottmar Edenhofer (Berlin) speaks on the „Basic elements of a global climate and energy policy.“ On Monday, 24 September Professor Axel Börsch-Supan (Mannheim) discusses the „Challenges of global social structure changes“ and in the closing lecture Sir John Bedington (London), Britain’s chief scientific advisor, outlines the challenges to achieving energy, water and food security in the coming years.
As part of the opening of the annual assembly on Saturday, 22 September at 9:00 am, Dr. Thomas Mölg from the Berlin Institute of Technology will be presented with the Leopoldina´s Early Career Award, which is sponsored by the Commerzbank Foundation. The German National Academy of Sciences honours the climate researcher with the award in recognition of his outstanding research that has made a decisive contribution to the understanding of large-scale climate changes. The award is endowed with 30,000 Euros.
The Leopoldina annual assembly is held at Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus, Luisenstraße 58/59, 10117 Berlin and is open to all visitors. Registration is required.
