The Albatross Lecture 2024: Professor Mark Miodownik

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A Keynote Presentation by Professor of Materials and Society, Mark Miodownik, from University College London.

No.1 Circle Square

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* **Please note this event is open to those both internal and external to The University of Manchester*** <h3>Why the Albatross Lectures?</h3>Take a look at our video above explaining why we chose to name our guest lecture event after the Albatross. <h3>The Albatross Lecture 2024</h3>Join us on 30th January 2024 to hear a keynote presentation from <a href="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" title="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Mark Miodownik</a>, <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" title="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">University College London</a>.For more than twenty years Prof. Miodownik has championed materials science research that links to the arts and humanities, medicine, and society. This culminated in the establishment of the <a href="https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk" title="https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">UCL Institute of Making</a>, where he is a director and runs the research programme. Mark also recently set up the <a href="https://www.plasticwastehub.org.uk" title="https://www.plasticwastehub.org.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Plastic Waste Innovation Hub</a> to carry our research into solving the environmental catastrophe of plastic waste dealing with topics such as biodegradable plastics and product reuse and repairability.Thank you to <a href="https://bruntwood.co.uk/scitech/" title="https://bruntwood.co.uk/scitech/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bruntwood SciTech</a> for hosting us for the launch of our Albatross Lectures. <h3>Talk Description</h3>The End of ConsumerismTo deal with issues such as plastic pollution and climate change all materials and products in future will need to be part of a circular economy – they need to be designed primarily for repair and reuse, with recycling as the last resort. But how far away is that future? Almost all current products and materials in our homes and cities fail this circularity test. Thus, the task is enormous and means that we will need to redesign practically everything - and do it fast. In this talk I address the challenges of this paradigm shift and show that one of the striking implications is that consumerism as an economic model is incompatible with climate and biodiversity goals. I give examples from my research group where we have been working with manufacturing companies to tackle plastic waste, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase repairability. In each case the importance of taking a systems approach emerges and brings with it the added complications of working across disciplines, from psychology to economics. One of our conclusions is that the word ‘consumer’ is no longer a useful way to describe the role of people in a sustainable economy. <h3>Indicative Agenda</h3>11:00 - 11:15 - Registration and Arrival of Delegates11:15 - 11:30 - Welcome and Introductions with our Chair, <a href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/michael.shaver" title="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/michael.shaver" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Michael Shaver</a>11:30 - 12:15 - <a href="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" title="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Mark Miodownik</a>, <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" title="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">University College London</a>, Keynote Presentation 'The End of Consumerism'12:15 - 13:00 - Networking Lunch with Informal Discussions13:00 - 13:45 - Panel Q&amp;A with:<ul><li><a href="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" title="http://www.markmiodownik.net/?page_id=590" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Mark Miodownik</a>, Professor of Materials &amp; Society, University College London</li><li><a href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/c.mclachlan" title="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/c.mclachlan" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Carly McLachlan</a>, Director of <a href="https://www.tyndall.manchester.ac.uk" title="https://www.tyndall.manchester.ac.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tyndall Manchester</a> and Professor of Climate and Energy Policy, The University of Manchester</li><li><a href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/helen.holmes" title="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/helen.holmes" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dr Helen Holmes</a>, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Deputy Director of Sustainable Futures, The University of Manchester</li><li><a href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/maria.sharmina" title="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/maria.sharmina" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Maria Sharmina</a>, Professor in Energy and Sustainability, The University of Manchester</li></ul>13:45 - 14:00 - Closing Thoughts and Wrap Up14:00 - Event Close <h3>Meet our Expert Panel</h3> Maria Sharmina, Professor in Energy and SustainabilityMaria Sharmina is Professor in Energy and Sustainability at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the School of Engineering, University of Manchester. She is a Co-Director at <a href="https://www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/contact-us/our-people/" title="https://www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/contact-us/our-people/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Policy@Manchester</a>, the University's sector-leading policy engagement platform. She served as Senior Academic Advisor with the Government Office for Science and Department for Business, Energy &amp; Industrial Strategy (BEIS), working on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-society-scenarios-and-pathways--2" title="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-society-scenarios-and-pathways--2" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Net Zero Foresight project</a> in 2021-2023. Carly McLachlan, Professor of Climate and Energy PolicyCarly is Director of Manchester’s <a href="http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/" title="http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tyndall Centre</a> and is Associate Director of the ESRC <a href="http://www.cast.ac.uk/" title="http://www.cast.ac.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation</a>. Both centres are interdisciplinary and have stakeholder engagement and policy relevance at their core. Her current research primarily focuses on city level decarbonisation, co-producing a carbon and co-benefits toolkit for local authorities. She chairs Greater Manchester’s 5 Year Environment Plan Implementation Forum. She was part of the team that produced a <a href="https://www.tyndall.manchester.ac.uk/research/reports/" title="https://www.tyndall.manchester.ac.uk/research/reports/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Super-low carbon live music road map</a> - commissioned by Massive Attack and endorsed by the UN Race to Zero programme. Carly is also the Academic Lead for Carbon for the University of Manchester. Helen Holmes, Senior Lecturer in SociologyHelen Holmes is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester. Her work explores consumption and diverse forms of economy, including circular economy. Helen has worked on multiple interdisciplinary projects, the latest of which is the UKRI funded study ‘<a href="https://www.sustainablefutures.manchester.ac.uk/research/case-studies/one_bin_to_rule_them_all/" title="https://www.sustainablefutures.manchester.ac.uk/research/case-studies/one_bin_to_rule_them_all/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">One Bin to Rule Them All’</a>, exploring the barriers and challenges to household plastic recycling. Her most recent book ‘<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003130093/materiality-nothing-helen-holmes?_ga=245298007.1694424659&amp;_gl=1*12y2qc1*_ga*MjQ1Mjk4MDA3LjE2OTQ0MjQ2NTk.*_ga_0HYE8YG0M6*MTY5NDQyNDY1OS4xLjAuMTY5NDQyNDY2MS4wLjAuMA.." title="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003130093/materiality-nothing-helen-holmes?_ga=245298007.1694424659&amp;_gl=1*12y2qc1*_ga*MjQ1Mjk4MDA3LjE2OTQ0MjQ2NTk.*_ga_0HYE8YG0M6*MTY5NDQyNDY1OS4xLjAuMTY5NDQyNDY2MS4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Materiality of Nothing</a>’ (Routledge, 2023) draws together Helen’s research expertise on the social practices of consumption, waste and disposal and their relevance for environmental sustainability. Helen is Deputy Director of the University of Manchester’s Sustainable Futures Platform. <h3>Accessibility</h3>This venue is fully accessible, however, so that we are able to support your needs please do let us know of any accessibility requirements that you may have on the day.

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The Albatross Lecture 2024: Professor Mark Miodownik

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