online lecture by Gerhard Kreysa on 08.10.2014, 3 p.m.

Moderation: Wolfgang Gerhartz

After a comparison between the energy of fire and the performance of humans, the history of sustainability is briefly discussed. This is followed by considerations of the human influence on the carbon cycle. The resulting consequences for climate change are shown. A look at the world's energy reserves shows that we would destroy the conditions created in carbon that have made higher life possible on earth by completely burning it.

The most important technical potential of the energy transition is shown and briefly discussed. The positive contribution of electromobility is discussed. Its misguided paths, such as biofuels, are also discussed because they are currently being called for again.

According to what is now almost certain, the pace of the energy transition is too slow to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement, which is binding under international law for all signatory states, of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 oC. In parallel with climate protection by restructuring our energy system, measures must be taken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The existing proposals and technical options for this are discussed. There will not be one method of choice, but only a bundle of different measures appears to be promising. One of these options is reforestation with partial final storage of the wood, as proposed by the author in 1996 and 2008, which is discussed at the end.