Professor Inderjeet Parmar will examine how a shift in American foreign policy to adopting ‘soft power’ – the use of persuasion rather than force to influence events – could also help in the fight to curb environmental damage.

Technologists are invited to explain how solutions beyond behaviour changes can meet the challenges of global warming. The discussion will also look at the different ways in which powers in the West and the East view climate change and the language they use to defend their positions.

The meeting takes place at Blackwell Bookshop, The Precinct, Oxford Road, Manchester, at 6.30pm on Wednesday 21 April. This free event is sponsored by the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Anyone wishing to attend can book a place by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Notes to editors:The Manchester Salon was inspired after a trip to London for the Battle of Ideas in 2006, and a desire to bring some of the flavour of those very engaging debates to Manchester - at least in between the annual Battle of Ideas festival. The Salon now meets every month to discuss a topic of current affairs, maybe through the prism of a recently published book on the topic, and often with the author of the book introducing it. For further information contact Simon Belt on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .