Festival talks

Hear our expert panel respond to a special recording from James Lovelock, the 101-year-old scientist who created the Gaia Hypothesis, with their own thoughts on humanity’s relationship with the Earth and the future of our planet.

Join Brian Eno in conversation with James Thornton, CEO and founder of ClientEarth, a pioneering environmental organisation, and discuss how we can use the power of the law to protect the planet. This special event was chaired by science, natural history and environmental broadcaster Liz Bonnin.

Join our panel of experts at this Royal Society online talk as they clear the air and explore the options and opportunities to improve air quality and, in turn, the quality of life on Earth.

It's almost certain that we'll travel differently in the future, but should we also travel less? Discuss the future of transport in the first part of our series of talks curated by Physicist Helen Czerski.

What do we need to do to make everybody equally welcome on the path to a more sustainable planet? This talk about equality in the context of climate change is the second part of our series of talks curated by Physicist Helen Czerski.

What are the ethical and climate costs of the food we buy? In this talk, the third in our series curated by Physicist Helen Czerski, we ask the question: if you are what you eat, who do we choose to be?

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It holds lots of energy and doesn't produce greenhouse gases. Tune in to discover the potential of this fuel of the future to decarbonise our gas supply.

What is eco-anxiety and how does the urgent issue of climate change affect young people and their mental health? Let's talk about eco-anxiety is curated by the Manchester Science Festival Young People Panel.

Can we continue to consume the way we do and still leave a liveable Earth for future generations? Fazlun Khalid examines the role of faith communities in this talk, which is also part of MACFEST.

How can we stop fossil fuels from harming our planet? Professor Myles Allen will be joined by one of our expert Explainers to talk about climate change and the road to carbon zero energy.

The fuel we use to power our world is one of the biggest contributing factors affecting the UK's carbon footprint. Join our expert panel and have your say about the future of fuel as part of this thought-provoking debate.