Zoom Webinar (Register here)

The concept of transition, derived from the Latin transire, meaning “to change state,” has been employed across a wide range of fields since the nineteenth century. In contemporary discourse, it is most often associated with climate change and the notion of an “energy transition.” This lecture introduces the concept of power transition – understood as energy flow over time – to account for the rapid acceleration of eco-social change since the mid-twentieth century. It examines the unprecedented challenge of voluntarily moving away from highly powerful fossil fuels. Moving beyond purely techno-solutionist approaches, the seminar emphasizes the central role of social and human innovation. Adapting to renewable and fluctuating energy sources will require a profound rethinking of lifestyles, drawing inspiration from the long-term resilience of living organisms.

Lecturer
Catherine Villard (Invited Professor, Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo; CNRS & Université Paris Cité)

Commentator
MUKOYAMA Naosuke (Associate Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo)

Moderator
SHIMAZU Naoko (Deputy Director, Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo)