CEENRG Thursday seminars: 'Reimagining the concept of air and the atmosphere as natural resources in law and policy'

Speaker: Dr Jonathan Skinner-Thompson (Associate Professor of Law, University of Colorado Boulder)

The Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy, and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG) is hosting a seminar series throughout the 2024- 25 academic year.

How we view air (especially clean air) has meaningful normative and practical implications. Today, it is commonly seen as an exhaustible natural resource. By treating air as a resource to be conserved, managed, and used, we developed new techniques for addressing air pollution—namely, ambient air quality standards (now considered the “pinnacle” of air pollution policy). But treating the air and (more recently) our atmosphere as resources also anchors our way of thinking to the natural-resource paradigm. The atmosphere, in particular, may be beyond sustainable use. Reimaging the concept of air and the atmosphere as natural resources in law and policy may be necessary to address the worst impacts of a new problem for air: global climate change.

Seminars take place as hybrid meetings (in person seminars in the DAB - David Attenborough Building + online in Zoom) every Thursday (please check precise time as may vary) during the term. Please register online to receive the Zoom link on the day of the seminar. Everyone is welcome!