More and More and More: An All-Encompassing History of Energy

More, not less: Jean-Baptiste Fressoz explores our insatiable hunger for resources throughout history.

Will we soon be living in a renewable utopia? Hardly, says Paris-based environmental and technology historian Jean-Baptiste Fressoz. On the contrary: globally, we are consuming more and more energy, not less. Is the energy transition an illusion? In the beginning, there was wood. Then came coal, followed by oil and gas. And today, renewable sources like wind and solar power are on the rise. The history of energy is a history of more and more and more.

Jean-Baptiste Fressoz has a unique talent for illuminating complex scientific and social contexts. In this lecture, he uses fascinating examples to show how humanity has stuffed itself with every form of energy imaginable.

This radical contribution to the history of energy and humankind’s insatiable appetite for resources will change the way we talk about the energy transition and the climate crisis – and spark debate.

With the support of the French Embassy in Germany, Department of Science and Technology

The event will be held in English and translated into German.

With Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, Environmental and Technology Historian, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris