MIT Club of Washington DC
 

FULL but email kengordon@alum.mit.edu to see if there have been any cancellations.

Twenty-seventh Annual Seminar Series

Energy Policy and Technology:
Myth and Reality

Six Monthly Dinner Seminars

October 2008 through December 2008
Kenwood Country Club, 5601 River Road, Bethesda, MD

January 2009 through March 2009
Maggiano's Little Italy, 5333 Wisconsin Avenue, Friendship Heights, MD

Program | Schedule | Directions & Parking | Registration & Cost | Questions? | Registration Form

NOTE: The November and January sessions have been switched.
MIT Professor Ernie Moniz will now speak in January and the CATO Institute's Jerry Taylor will speak in November.

The MIT Club of Washington is pleased to present its 27th annual Seminar Series on an important national topic related to science and technology. Each year, the series offers engineers, scientists, industry leaders, policy makers, and educators an opportunity to explore a specific topic in depth. Those both within and outside the Washington area MIT community gain the opportunity to develop a better understanding of recent developments and key issues.

Presentations by distinguished speakers are followed by ample time for questions and discussion. The social hour and dinner provide additional opportunities to meet the speakers, renew acquaintances, and join in stimulating discussions with other participants.

If we needed reminding, the current high price of gasoline and the soaring prices of basic food commodities tells us again that energy—its availability, price, and security—is a concern of national importance and will remain so for the foreseeable future.  Following up on the ideas presented at the last two years’ seminars, this series explores the causes and implications of U.S. energy policy in the world. We review the crosscutting issues in the energy domain across technological, economic, political, sociological, and national security dimensions.  What forces have shaped and are shaping our national decision making processes and how can we look ahead to the long term solutions? What are the myths and realities as technology impacts the US energy policies and actions? As the following program shows, we have gained the participation of an outstanding group of experts in the energy policy and technology fields to share their knowledge and views on these issues.

PROGRAM

Tues. Oct. 14, 2008

Security: The Foundation of Energy Policy

Andrew Karsner
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US Dept. of Energy; formerly CEO, Enercorp.

What are the realities of our current energy crisis? Is it true that our national security is at significant risk due to the limited availability, high cost, and environmental consequences of energy- a question that underlies every session in this seminar? Can pushing R&D and new technologies make any sizable dent in the problem soon enough? Can solar and wind ever be expected to play more than a minor part of the energy equation?

Domestic -- Secure -- Clean -- Available -- Abundant

Tues. Nov. 11, 2008

Myths and Markets: Energy and the US Economy

Jerry Taylor
Senior Fellow, CATO Institute; regular commentator on Fox News, CNBC, CNN, NPR, and the BBC

What have been the effects of the recent energy price increases? How is this similar to the energy crunch of the 1970s? How is it different? How is the market adjusting? How are the energy-environment trade-offs affecting the situation?

Suggested follow-up readings for the November talk by Jerry Taylor are on his CATO web page at http://www.cato.org/people/jerry-taylor.

Tues. Dec. 9, 2008

Nuclear Energy: The Genie Reborn

Richard Meserve, President, Carnegie Institution; formerly Chairman, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The resurgence of interest in nuclear energy is a global phenomenon. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond effectively to the rising cost of fossil fuels. But does it have unacceptable environmental consequences? Does it encourage proliferation? Is it a myth that new generations of nuclear power production can be accomplished in ways that are environmentally responsible and don’t reintroduce the “dual use” problem?

Tues. Jan. 13, 2009

Energy Supply: Use It or Lose It

Ernest J. Moniz
Professor of Physics, Director of Energy Studies, Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, MIT; formerly Undersecretary of US Dept. of Energy

Misunderstandings about the supply of energy confound much of the policy debate. Are the scenarios for future supply believable or do they need rethinking? Are non-renewables running out? What are the pros and cons of tempting alternative sources? To what extent does current price determine future supply? Gaining an accurate understanding of the supply problem is essential to developing useful policy.

Tues.  Feb. 10, 2009

Is There An Electric Car in Your Future?

Dan Reicher
Director, Climate and Energy Initiative, Google (Invited)

Transportation—Where the Rubber Really Meets the Road: Is this the most difficult aspect of a new energy strategy? We see the price of energy whenever we fill up a gas tank, take an airplane, or rent a car. Are we forever locked into fossil fuels or are electricity-based alternatives realistic? Are we just substituting limited resources used in electrical energy production for the fossil fuels we can no longer control? Will new storage technologies permit us to go where we have not been able to go before? Is widespread use of electric cars feasible, and how and when do we get there?

Tues. Mar. 10, 2009

The U. S. Response: A Matter of Will

David B. Sandalow
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; formerly Asst. Sect. for Oceans, Environment, and Science, US Dept. of State; author of the recent book How the Next President Can End Our Oil Addiction.

Is it a myth or reality that we have it in our power to solve the set of problems we call “the energy issue,” given that we so far have not shown the political will to do so? Do we as a nation think this is an important enough problem? Are we willing to change our behaviors, if necessary, in what we ask our government to do for us, what we are willing to do for ourselves, and what we will require of our friends and adversaries in the rest of the world? What actions should the next US President initiate—and will he and the Congress show the political will to change our energy future?

SCHEDULE

Each session meets on the first Tuesday of the month, and begins at 6:15 p.m. with a cash bar, followed by dinner at 7:00, and the seminar from approximately 8:00 to 9:30.

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING

October through December: The first three seminar sessions will be held at the Kenwood Country Club, 5601 River Road, Bethesda, MD. From the Beltway (I-495) use Exit 39, River Road. Go toward Washington, continue 2.8 miles. At the Springfield Drive stoplight turn left into Kenwood CC. There is plenty of free parking in the lots left and rear of the clubhouse. From DC head northwest on Massachusetts Avenue NW; turn right onto Little Falls Parkway; turn left onto River Road; proceed to 5601 River Road and turn right into Kenwood Club. Using mass transit take the Metro Red Line to Friendship Heights, then take the nine minute ride on the T2 Metrobus that leaves the station at 5:35, 5:57, and 6:15.

January through March: The second three sessions will be held at Maggiano's Little Italy, 5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW, near the Friendship Heights Metro station.

REGISTRATION AND COST

Four ways to register and pay:

Registrations will be accepted for the complete series only, although spaces are transferable for individual sessions.

The series is open to MIT alums, their guests, and all others interested in the topic. Reservations will be accepted in the order received. Register early to avoid disappointment from oversubscription. 

The cost of the series is $298 per person for members/guests and $330 for non-members, including dinner each session.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about this event, contact Ken Gordon at 301-469-9240 or kengordon@alum.mit.edu.

STEERING COMMITTEE

General Chairman
Dr. Kenneth Gordon

Program Committee
Dr. Michael R. Leavitt
Mr. Ray Daniels
Dr. Robert Hershey
Dr. Bernard Paiewonsky
Mr. Robert L. Plouffe
Mr. Martin Rush
Dr. Robert Summers

Treasurer
Mr. Mark Joseph

Registration
Mr. Ray Daniels

Publicity
Dr. Robert Hershey

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SEMINAR SERIES; ENERGY TECHNOLOGY & POLICY; OCT-DEC 2008: KENWOOD CC; JAN-MAR 2009: MAGGIANO'S

Enclosed is a check made out to "MIT Seminar Series" for $_______ for _______ people ($298 each for dues-paid members and their guests; $330 each for nonmembers).

MIT alums can send a separate check for their dues, payable to the "MIT Club of Washington" ($30 for regular dues--see membership page for more info) with this registration; please check whether you are including your dues payment with this registration ( ____ yes  ____no ), or have already sent in your 2008-2009 dues to Cynthia O'Connell ( ____ yes  ____ no ).

Special Note: Please provide your current e-mail address since we will use it to disseminate reminders and any re-scheduling notices.

Name _______________________________________________________________ Class: _______
Guest(s) __________________________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________
Phone ___________________________________(h)  ___________________________________(b)
Fax   _____________________ E-Mail __________________________________________________

Send your registration and payment to:

Mr. Ray Daniels
MIT Seminar Series
4700 Falstone Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-5544

For additional information, telephone Kenneth Gordon at 301-469-9240 or e-mail to kengordon@alum.mit.edu.