The British Council, with funding from the European Commission's "Researchers in Europe" initiative, is running an ambitious programme of events called Researchers in Society (RISE). With Europe facing an ageing, male dominated research population and a high and rising drop out rate among science undergraduates, RISE aims to raise the profile of science researchers by encouraging encounters between researchers and the public.

The British Council Italy has organised a Café Scientifique in collaboration with the Assessorato all'Ambiente of Rome on an issue which affects everyone.

Climate Change is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from a variety of human activities.  Over 75% of energy consumption is directly related to cities and transport is a major culprit in many European towns.
The huge growth in the ownership of private vehicles – with 46 million cars Italy has one of the highest figures in Europe, almost one for every inhabitant – has resulted in traffic congestion, greater fuel consumption, and noise and air pollution that degrade the urban environment.
Also, a large fraction of emissions associated with the functioning of a modern city do not occur in the city itself, but are due to the production and transportation of goods and people to and from the city.  Emissions from London’s famous underground network, which carries more passengers per day than the entire national rail network in the UK, account for 3.5% of electricity use in the city.
So what is the answer?  A “Congestion Charge”, which requires drivers to pay a daily fee if they wish to continue to drive in central London?  Car-sharing schemes for travel to work as introduced by the Comune di Roma?  Zero emission hydrogen run buses similar to those being tested in Turin?  What about young people?  Can they be encouraged to “move” in different ways and how?

In the relaxed atmosphere of a Café Scientifique, over an aperitif, we had the opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas with Tony May, Dario Esposito, Fulvio Vento and Anna Donati.