Can Innovation Save the Planet?

The world is bumping up against multiple environmental and natural resource hurdles—climate change, peak oil, freshwater shortages, and rising prices for food, minerals, and commodities of all sorts. At the same time, a growing population and a surge in the wealth of the developing world are increasing consumption. Can innovation keep pace? What are the true limits to growth? How do we overcome the challenges that face us?

Highlights: 

Participants will leave the session with an understanding of:

  • The key natural resource and environmental challenges that face us, the on-the-horizon innovations that hold the promise to overcome them, and the policies that would best encourage innovation in those critical fields.
  • The true limits to economic and natural resource growth on Planet Earth.

Ramez Naam is a professional technologist and author; he is a senior associate, Foresight Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA

portrait of Ramez Naam