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Capitalism can save the planet

30th October, 2007

Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
London SW7 2AR

Doors open at 6pm. The debate starts at 6.45pm and finishes at 8.30pm.

Speakers for the motion:

Eric Bettelheim
Eric Bettelheim is a Founder of Sustainable Forestry Management Limited, a private group of companies dedicated to realising value from the ethical and sustainable use of tropical and sub–tropical forests including the environmental services which they provide. SFM originates and manages its investments in partnership with the private, public and non–governmental sectors to provide sustainable livelihoods in restored and preserved forest ecosystems. Among Mr Bettelheim’s many publications on financial and environmental markets is a seminal work on carbon sequestration published by The Royal Society.

Rt Hon John Redwood MP
Rt Hon John Redwood MP The Conservative Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. John was a fellow of All Souls from 1972 to 1987 and again from 2003 to 2005. He is currently a Visiting Professor for Middlesex University Business School. Mr Redwood, a confirmed Euro sceptic and supporter of low taxation, was Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Secretary of State for Wales before resigning in 1995 to stand against John Major when the Prime Minister called a leadership election. Since December 2005 he has been the Co-Chairman of the Party's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group which in August 2007 proposed easing regulations and lowering business taxes to improve Britain's competitiveness. He supports fair and free trade to help the developing world, and has backed the Make Poverty History campaign. His books include, ‘I Want to Make a Difference, But I Don’t Like Politics’ (2006).

Tim Harford
Member of the editorial board of the Financial Times for which he writes a column and a readers' problem page 'Dear Economist'. Author of the best-selling 'The Undercover Economist'. Presented the BBC television series 'Trust Me, I'm an Economist', now presents the BBC radio series 'More or Less', and is a regular contributor to the BBC World Service. He won the 2006 Bastiat Prize for economic journalism. Speakers against the motion:

Lord Lawson of Blaby
Chancellor of the Exchequer (1983-89) and Member of the Economic Affairs Committee of the House of Lords, which in July 2005 produced a unanimous report on the economics of climate change. Delivered a lecture for the Centre for Policy Studies in November 2006 entitled ‘The Economics and Politics of Climate Change - An Appeal to Reason’.

David Rieff
An American writer and policy analyst. He has served as a consultant for several humanitarian organisations and written widely on war, human rights and humanitarian assistance to Africa. He is the author of five books including ‘Slaughterhouse: Bosnia and the Failure of The West’.

Frances Cairncross
Rector of Exeter College, Oxford. Formerly on the staff of The Economist and past President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Her books include ‘The Company of the Future’ (2002). Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Honorary Member of the BA.

The debate will be chaired by Andrew Neil Publisher, editor, writer, broadcaster and business consultant on media matters. He is Publisher of Press Holdings, owners of The Spectator and The Business. He also presents BBC TV's ‘Daily Politics’ and ‘This Week’. During his career, he has been editor of The Sunday Times and UK Editor of The Economist.