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2016-17 Hilldale Lecture in the Physical Sciences, Free and Open to the Public
Reversing Climate Change Economically
Date: Wednesday, October 12th
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 am
Place: WID, H.F. Deluca Forum, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison Reception follows in the Atrium 7-8 pm
Speaker: Frank Shu, University Professor Emeritus, UC Berkeley and San Diego
Abstract: 2015 saw an international agreement to limit the mean global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution to 1.5-2 degrees C. I will present technologies developed by our team that can achieve a reversal of climate change. (1) Supertorrefaction uses the heat capacity of molten salts to convert waste biomass into biocarbon.
(2) Two-fluid molten-salt breeder-reactors operate on the renewable thorium fuel cycle. With a combination of these technologies It should be possible to limit the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide to 350 ppm before year 2100. Thus, children yet to be born may inherit the climate that the older members of the audience enjoyed when they were young.
Host: UW Astronomy Department through Hilldale Fund
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