The Ecomodernism debate with Mark Lynas

Last week we hosted a stimulating debate on Ecomodernism.
Last year a number of thinkers launched The Ecomodernist Manifesto, a striking statement that at its core argues that the best way to protect the Earth;s natural ecosystems is to "decouple" from them, to embrace a high-technology, highly urbanised future where humans and intensive agriculture are concentrated in intensely managed areas, leaving room for other parts of the natural world to be protected or "rewild".

These ideas have been very controversial, with proponents arguing the provide a much-needed positive environmental agenda for the Anthropocene (a "good Anthropocene") and detractors arguing they encourage a laissez-faire approach to the very actions that are causing so much damage to the biosphere. For this debate we hosted author Mark Lynas, an original signatory of the manifesto, who was followed by short commentaries from faculty and research fellows Connie McDermott, Paul Jepson and Richard Grenyer, and ending with questions from the audience

The debate can be watched below.