In the context of climate change the discussion of energy provision is focused increasingly on renewables, but how realistic a proposition is it for renewables to provide the energy we need? Nuclear is touted by many as an alternative, yet the problem of waste is far from being solved. So when and how are we to come up with a rational energy policy for the next fifty years? What are the real issues and how do we overcome the barriers we face today?

Speakers
Dermot Roddy, Science City Professor of Energy, Newcastle upon Tyne, Director, Sir Joseph Swan Institute for Energy Research; Pierre René Bauquis, Adjunct Professor at Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs (Institut Francais du Pétrole School) and Professor at TOTAL Professeurs Associés;
Niel Bowerman, co-founder and former Executive Director, Climatico, co-founder, The Climate Justice Project.

Moderator: Dr Paul Quinn

The structure of the debate will be as follows. First the chair will give a brief outline of the issues and central questions for the debate and introduce the panel of three or four speakers (5 minutes). The panel will then each be invited to give a short introductory presentation (6-8 minutes depending on number of speakers) setting out their position on the topic. They will each then be given 2 minutes to respond to points made by the other speakers. The second part of the debate will focus on questions and points from the floor addressed to the panel through the chair. The chair will take 4 or 5 questions/points at a time, then bring the panel in for brief responses before going back out to the floor. At the end of the session the panel speakers will be given 2 minutes to sum up.

Caspar Hewett is director of The Great Debate(http://www.thegreatdebate.org.uk/). He has over ten years of experience of organising and chairing public debates and facilitating workshops for a variety of audiences. He is currently working as an environmental consultant, is a Visiting Fellow of Swan Institute for Energy Research at Newcastle University and is a founder and steering committee member of RCE North East (North East of England's United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development).

Paul Quinn is Senior Lecturer in Catchment Hydrology at Newcastle University. In addition to over twenty years of research experience he has ten years experience facilitating discussion both within the UK and internationally, including chairing public panel debates for The Great Debate.