Imagining Philadelphia’s Energy Futures
How do you imagine Philly’s sustainable future? How will Philly produce and use energy in the future? Can science fiction help us plan for our environmental future? Explore these ideas with a storytelling workshop about Philadelphia and the future.
When Philadelphians imagine ways of using and producing sustainable renewable energy in the future, we are not just imagining new techno-economic systems. We are also reimagining the ways social relations and political power work in our lives. That makes negotiating a shared vision of a sustainable future a difficult task. In this workshop we’ll learn about climate change’s effect on Philly and hear plans for Philly’s energy future. We’ll then play a science fiction–based storytelling game to help you explore your own vision for a sustainable Philly. Bring your curiosity, a penchant for storytelling, and an enthusiasm for science fiction!
This program is presented as part of a project funded by Philadelphia’s Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP). Other partners include PennFuture, PennEnvironment, Energy Coordinating Agency, Citizens Climate Lobby, and Planet Philadelphia on G-Town Radio.
Discussion will be led by Roger Eardley-Pryor.
This event is free, but registration is required.
Recommended Reading
- “Greenworks: A Vision for a Sustainable Philadelphia,” City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, 2016.
- Cassie Owens, “How Climate Change Could Impact Philly,” Billy Penn, April 22, 2017.
- Clara Chaisson, “In Philadelphia, Climate Change Can Take Your Breath Away,” NRDC, July 11, 2017.
- Susan Phillips, “PA Climate Change Report Warns of Hotter Summers, Destructive Storms, Floods,” State Impact, August 27, 2015.
- Clark A. Miller et al., “Narrative Futures and the Governance of Energy Transitions,” Futures 70, 2015.
- Diane M. Sicotte and Kelly A. Joyce, “Not a ‘Petro Metro’: Challenging Fossil Fuel Expansion,” Environmental Sociology, July 5, 2017.
About Climate & Urban Systems Partnership
The Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) is a group of informal science educators, climate scientists, learning scientists, and community partners in four Northeast U.S. cities (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, and Washington, D.C.), funded by the National Science Foundation to explore innovative ways to educate city residents about climate change.
For more information please contact manager of public programs Alexis Pedrick at 215.873.8293 or apedrick@sciencehistory.org.