Book excerpt: The Erice International Seminars are multidisciplinary seminars attended by over 100 eminent participants from all fields of science. Each year, a few scientific issues are selected and experts are invited to present contrasting views during the plenary multidisciplinary sessions of the seminar, followed by general debates. These sessions offer a unique opportunity for specialists to enlarge their fields of vision by being confronted with ideas and suggestions from high-level scientists in complementary domains of science. Associated workshops allow the experts to further refine and process the ideas evoked during the seminar. This year's topics are all currently of high relevance. For example, on energy issues, we have focused on the future of global nuclear power. On global monitoring of the planet, we have focused on the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the Nuclear-Proliferation Treaty. On climatology, we have investigated the role of aerosols on global warming and their satellite detection. On pollution, the role of plastic contaminants in water was revealed through a series of disquieting reports.