The Center for Sustainable Urban Development at the Earth Institute cordially invites you to join us for a seminar with visiting scholar, Dr. Klaus Renoldner.
The “Triple Benefit Principle”, an Austrian approach to a Low Carbon Society
Can Behavioral Change in Housing, Eating and Transport foster Energy Transition?
By
Klaus Renoldner, Senior Researcher at MODUL University, Vienna
Thursday, December 4th – 12:30 – 2pm
North Conference Room (B-17), Hogan Hall-Broadway at 114th Street, Columbia University
Industrialized societies are highly dependent on fossil-fueled energy. What is the best and most feasible way to break free from these dependences? Klaus Renoldner experimented for twenty years in low carbon housing, nutrition, and especially in transport management to which he attributes a key role in energy transition. He discovered surprising facts about feasible life style changes while gaining additional health and further benefits. The Triple Benefit Principle consists of several steps which not only reduce the need for fossil-fueled energy considerably, but will also lead to health improvements and financial savings which can be invested in the next generation of renewable energy and further fossil-fueled energy reducing measures. Following this strategy for several years, one is able to reach one’s personal “energy- break-even-point”.
As critics have said, this works only on voluntary basis and the number of like-minded people might be low. In response, Renoldner initiated a large survey to find out about best possible interaction and cooperation between grass root initiatives and public policy measures. Again, he found some surprising facts. Based on his findings he formulated ten recommendations for public policy.
In this seminar you will be confronted with manifold data and practical examples of fossil energy reduction management including low carbon housing, eating, and especially transport solutions. Data from a large survey about the feasibility of a broader implementation of the Triple Benefit Principle will be presented. Various policy measures, their acceptance and expected consequences will also be discussed.
Dr. med. univ.Klaus Renoldner, M.Sc. is an Austrian physician and researcher in sustainable development. After working in various projects in Congo, Paraguay, Argentine and Swaziland he practiced as a family physician in a rural community in Austria, where in the nineties he developed his concept of Triple Benefit Principle, an approach to energy transition and at the same time contributing to the improvement of personal, local and global health.
After experimenting for over ten years in low carbon housing, nutrition, and transport solutions he first published what he then called the “Triple Benefit Principle” in Medical Tribune in 2007. After retiring from clinical work he studied sustainable development at MODUL UNIVERSITY VIENNA, where he graduated in 2014 with a thesis about chances for a broader implementation of Triple Benefit Principle. Renoldner also developed teaching materials about sustainable transport solutions. For his research and educational work he received several national and international awards.
For more information, please contact Danielle Petretta at dlp43@columbia.edu .