John Urry Lecture 2026 – Jeremy Rifkin on ‘Planet Aqua’

The Annual John Urry Lecture was established to commemorate the life and work of one of Lancaster’s foremost researchers, leading sociologist and co-founder of the ‘mobilities paradigm’, following his untimely death in March 2016.

Please join us online on Thursday 26th February, 2026, for the 10th Anniversary John Urry Lecture, which will be delivered by leading global thinker Jeremy Rifkin.

Jeremy will present his latest ground-breaking book, ‘Planet Aqua’, in which he argues that we have misjudged the very nature of our existence. We have long believed that we live on a land planet when in reality we live on a water planet, and now the Earth’s hydrosphere is taking us into a mass extinction as it searches for a new normal.Six thousand years ago, urban hydraulic civilizations began to arise around the world. Today we find ourselves, amidst that legacy, trapped in a massive commercial juggernaut of hydropower superdams, artificial lakes, reservoirs, and ubiquitous water infrastructure that’s collapsing in the throes of a rewilding hydrosphere.

The great reset, says Rifkin, is rethinking the waters as a “life source” rather than a “resource” and learning how to adapt to the hydrosphere rather than adapting the hydrosphere to us. Rifkin takes us into a new future where we will need to reassess every aspect of the way we live – how we engage nature, pursue science, govern society, conceptualize economic life, educate our children, and even orient ourselves in time and space on our water planet: Planet Aqua.

The event is free but please book your place to recieve the link.

The event will start at 4.30pm (GMT/11.30am EST)

Date

Thursday 26 February 2026 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (UTC+00)

Location

Online event access details will be provided by the event organiser