Exeter Fellow debates climate change on The Economist website

Dr Matthias Fripp, Fellow of Exeter College, is taking part in a ten-day online debate on The Economistwebsite. The motion of the debate, which Dr Fripp is defending, is ‘This house believes that subsidising renewable energy is a good way to wean the world off fossil fuels.’ The moderator of the debate is an Exonian, James Astill (1992, English).

The online debate is based on the Oxford style of debating, revolving around an assertion that is defended on one side (the “proposer”) and assailed on another (the “opposition”) in a contest hosted and overseen by a moderator. Each side has three chances to persuade readers: opening, rebuttal and closing.

James Astill introduced the debate yesterday, and Dr Fripp and Robert L. Bradley Jnr (Founder and CEO of the Institute for Energy Research, acting as the opposition for the debate) provided their opening statements.

Readers of the website can contribute their views to the debate and vote in favour of or against the motion. On 11 November Dr Fripp and Mr Bradley will make their rebuttals, and on 16 November they will make their closing remarks. Readers can continue to debate the motion and cast their votes until 18 November, at which point a decision will be announced.

To read the debate so far or to cast your vote, visit The Economist website.