HR: 15:00h
AN: U23A-05 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Facing the Facts and Living our Values
AU: * Snieder, R
EM: rsnieder@mines.edu
AF: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Str., Golden, CO 80401, United States
AB: One of the major challenges for the 21st Century is to establish an energy system that is safe, affordable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible. With current reserves in coal and nonconventional oil, we will not run out of energy in the coming century, but we may pay a price with a climate that heats up with an unprecedented rate of change. Even with current technology, there is a wealth of information and solutions available, and we could benefit much by using this knowledge more effectively than we do now. An example is the McKinsey report on the cost of avoiding CO₂ emissions (http://mckinsey.com/clientservice/ccsi/greenhousegas.asp). According to this analysis, the USA can avoid about 40% of its CO₂ emissions at zero total cost. About 20% of those emissions can be saved by taking steps that save money and reduce energy consumption. In the process of working on these steps for reducing CO₂ emissions, many jobs are created. The energy and climate challenge thus comes with new opportunities. Geoscientists can make a difference by talking about energy and climate, and by helping create awareness for the energy challenge and the associated opportunities. Scientists and engineers are, in general, loath to discuss the issue of values. Yet, despite the logical basis of science, our science and the personal views of scientists can help shape our societal values. This can happen, however, only when scientists articulate their values and stimulate their students and the public to make conscious choices what their values are. Education, whether it is in the classroom, at a community center, church, or service club, can play an important role in making the public aware of the facts that are important for the choices that we need to make at a personal and societal level for our energy use. In order to facilitate this type of communication I have created a public lecture that is available online (http://www.mines.edu/∼rsnieder/Global_Energy.html). As a geoscientist, each of us can make a positive difference by being involved in such education.
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 1600 GLOBAL CHANGE
DE: 3305 Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513)
DE: 6600 PUBLIC ISSUES
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2009 Joint Assembly