McLean Assembly 2008
On April 3, 2008, four distinguished speakers who currently deal with U.S. energy and environmental issues took the stage to discuss the future of American Energy.
Topic:
There is now a broad consensus among a majority of Americans: working to mitigate climate change is in our environmental, strategic, and economic interests. But consensus is only a first step. This year’s McLean Lecture focuses on a plan for action to deal with global climate change, moving the debate past what we already know by gathering four distinguished speakers dealing with energy and environmental issues in government, research, activism and business. Using the groundbreaking report from McKinsey & Company, Inc., Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost, as a base for discussion, the speakers will address how can we feasibly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an economically responsible way. The McKinsey report has been distributed in both houses of the U.S. Congress and the offices of Fortune 500 companies. The panelists are, and will continue to be, influential voices in the critical policy decisions of the near future.Suggested Reading: The Cost of an Overheated PlanetShort New York Times Video: Thomas Friedman on The Power of GreenThis Week’s Time Magazine Cover Story: The Clean Energy ScamCNN News: Congress Grills Energy Executives on Tuesday
Moderator:
CARTER F. BALES is Managing Partner Emeritus of The Wicks Group, a leading private equity firm. Before devoting his full energies to Wicks, Mr. Bales was a Director of McKinsey & Company, Inc., the international business consulting firm. Beginning in 2006, Mr. Bales has concentrated his efforts on the issue of climate change and how greenhouse gas emissions can be abated in practical and cost-effective ways. He has written and spoken extensively on business and public policy issues and has been published by The New York Times and a number of business and academic journals, as well as by the Harvard Business School Division of Research. Over the past year, he has worked with McKinsey and a number of leading corporations and NGOs to produce the groundbreaking report entitled Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost? He has also carried out several pro bono efforts for the Clinton Climate Initiative on forest carbon sequestration and containing methane gas emissions from sanitary landfills. Mr. Bales is Founding Chair of the North Shore Land Alliance, Governor Emeritus of The Nature Conservancy, a trustee of the Grand Canyon Trust, a member of the Advisory Council to the Center of Market Innovation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a trustee of the Echoing Green Foundation, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Explorers club. In past years, he was a Governor and Vice Chairman of The Nature Conservancy.
Participants:
WILLIAM C. HORAK is chair of the Energy Sciences and Technology Department (EST) of Brookhaven National Laboratory. With a staff of 150 and an annual budget of $50 million, EST’s mission is “to perform basic science, analyses and technology development that provide innovative solutions to some of the world’s most important energy challenges.” Dr. Horack is an internationally recognized expert on energy issues and has served on numerous boards, committees, and panels, both in the U.S. and for international organizations, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
NATHANAEL GREENE is a senior energy policy specialist at the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental non-governmental organization, who works on issues including utility regulation, renewable energy sources, energy taxes and energy efficiency. Greene has presented testimony before congress based on his expertise in biopower, wind and small, clean-generating technologies such as fuel cells, as well as the state and federal regulations and policies to promote these technologies. He writes a blog focusing on these issues, which is featured on NRDC’s “Switchboard” website.
PAUL GIARDINA currently serves as chief of the Radiation and Indoor Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 2 Office. He has over 37 years of experience dealing with nuclear power issues, environmental management and radiation protection. He is the author of numerous technical papers and has presented testimony before various U.S. Congressional subcommittees on a variety of radiation protection issues. Mr. Giardina has led the Agency efforts in dealing with nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, and radiation contaminated site cleanup. Mr. Giardina has previously held positions in private industry.