SBRC's PhD Student Francois Seys Gives "Bioenergy" Presentation to U3A

On the 16th of June I had the pleasure to introduce the topics of Bioenergy, biofuels and Carbon Capture and Storage to an avid audience from the University of the Third Age (U3A) of Edwalton and Gamston.

Speaking at an U3A is always an extremely rewarding and inspiring experience: it is rare to find a public more invested and more curious than senior citizens brought together by their desire to learn. I was happily surprised that they specifically requested talk on Bioenergy, as it is a concept of capital importance which is often used in the context of sustainability and Net-zero emissions targets, but very rarely explained properly.

Improving the literacy of the U3A group of Edwalton and Gamston in these very important topics felt like a privilege. Indeed, I hope that my explanations will help them feel more confident in their consumption choices and their voting preferences.

Preparing this talk gave me the opportunity to update my knowledge of global and national energy consumption patterns, and of the UK strategy to reach net-zero CO2 emissions. Even though it was done by video conference, it also constituted a welcome human interaction in these times of social distancing, as well as a convenient break from writing up my thesis. All in all: amazing experience, 10/10 would do again.

by Francois Seys

Francois Seys Talk at U3A